Sara Steever, a 20-year veteran of Paulsen Marketing, is a leader in the continuously expanding and developing world of digital media. She’s responsible for the customer experience of all Internet initiatives, including digital product vision and strategy, new product development, personalization tools and social media features, user research and usability, interface design and development, and the development of innovative digital marketing and ad sales products.
Together with her team of on-site programmers and project management specialists, Sara works to build brands online — through information architecture, search engine marketing and optimization, and user-focused designs. Her work spans from large (enormous, high-profile websites, custom e-commerce solutions and Web applications) to small (simple banner ads and landing pages) — all with the same innovative thinking and attention to detail.
Sara was raised on a row-crop and livestock farm in rural South Dakota, and is a graduate of the University of South Dakota.
Rural lifestylers are becoming more familiar with bar code readers that pull up detailed information at the point of sale. Point-of-purchase interactions have become a more powerful touch point. Rural lifestylers are armed with mobile devices to scan QR codes and bar codes, as well as poll Facebook friends.
You might guess it has something to do with digital and you’re exactly right. How do your marketing efforts compare to the industry trends? Discover new ideas in four areas that could give your latest marketing campaign higher yields: mobile marketing, social media, display advertising and advances in analytics.
MarketingProfs released findings in March 2011 that provide insight on trusting online sources when making purchase decisions. Fifty-nine percent of consumers say online consumer reviews and ratings influence their buying decisions more than any type of online advertising. Fifty-four percent have decided to make a purchase based on an online review, while 58 percent of consumers did not buy a product based on an online review.
Rural lifestylers seek information, reviews, ratings and recommendations online. They are more likely to seize control of the process and actively pull information helpful to them. This increased online activity is an addition in the decision-making process. The accessibility of technology allows online activity to be as prominent for making purchase decisions as it is for general consumers.
Does social media have an important role in their decision-making process? How critical are customer reviews? Who do rural lifestylers trust in their online community?
To find the answers to these and other questions, Paulsen Marketing surveyed rural lifestylers all across the country. Their responses provided great insight to how this unique audience segment continues to embrace new technology, engage in social media and change the traditional sales process.