The founder of one of the largest online digital nomad communities in the world predicts that there will be 1 billion digital nomads by 2035. With more and more people opting to take their career out on the open road and grow their skill set in foreign, exotic places, this undoubtedly brings about many questions regarding how marketers will have to adjust strategies in order to target and effectively advertise to a consumer audience that’s constantly on the move. With varying needs, interests and media consumption, businesses will need to cater to these digital nomads in order to capture the wanderlust-driven attention of a huge portion of the population.
Understand Where Digital Nomads Live
The term nomad inherently means it is difficult to pin down digital employees who are constantly on the move. However, by analysing top trends, it’s a little easier to make sense of the top spots where digital nomads choose to work and play. It’s smart to start by accessing a site which ranks the top cities to work and live in as a remote freelancer. Currently topping the list, for example, are Bali, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Mexico City and Prague. After examining these types of places, you’ll be able to better understand how to localise your content and cater to the lifestyles, habits and even local hotspots of your target audience. Due to the fact that these digital nomads are, well, digitally-based, there exists a large amount of data surrounding their behaviour in order to use that to your advantage.
Go Totally Social
Digital nomads are often minimalists as well, doing away with the comforts of home in favor of a new apartment or Airbnb rental each month. This means that they don’t consume media in a traditional way, with few having access to a TV or even a newspaper in their language. This means that it will be important for companies to continue to focus on going digital, and emphasising more on social media more than ever. This strategy is two-fold for forward-thinking businesses, as most digital nomads that are categorised as influencers actually work with brands online to earn their income and use social media to do so. Therefore, by going social with your ads and other content, you’ll be able to attract digital nomads that can engage with your company but also help you promote it.
Developing Digitally-Based Products
If you’re really looking to get in on the digital nomad trend, it’s a good idea to begin assessing what these remote workers need, both in terms of online-based services and physical products. Travel services that cater to the visa needs of digital nomads, remote-working retreats and even products such as solar-powered power banks and fun laptop covers will continue to rise in popularity as does the digital nomad population. Target marketing for these products and services is easy, as you have already identified a niche market and understand their locations and behaviours.
Embracing Digital Changes
As the entire world continues to embrace technological changes, companies that do the same will thrive through the rise in digital nomads. This group of dynamic, diverse workers has a specific set of needs and desires, and as more data is collected on their behaviour as consumers, marketing teams will be able to more effectively cater their messaging tofit these needs.
