Making Social Media Part of the Customer Journey - #TuesdayThoughts
Category: Social Media
Published: 04/09/2018
Social media marketing is a
strong and reliable technique to push your potential customers through the
customer journey. Social media platforms are constantly changing and adapting
and there is real skill in utilising these to transform a potential customer
into a recurring one. There are usually 5 stages that a customer will go
through in building a relationship with your brand before they will decide to
purchase, download or contact you.
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Stage 1: Awareness
This is when a customer will
first learn about your brand. Due to the introduction of social media and their
role in marketing, there are multiple more techniques that you can use to raise
awareness for your company. On social media this can be done freely by posting,
retweeting, liking and sharing. A way to raise even more awareness for your
brand is to invest some money in boosting these posts to audience who would not
have seen them otherwise. This is a much cheaper way than traditional media and
will allow you to target specific areas, genders, job roles etc. Social media marketing allows you to take on a much more targeted approach for your
marketing.
Stage 2: Consideration
This is the stage where the
potential customer will start to engage with your business and express interest
in your product/service. Through social media this could be things such as
liking or commenting on a post, or sharing an article that is on your website.
By remaining consistent throughout your posts you will remain at the forefront
of the potential customers mind and will not fall by the wayside.
Stage 3: Purchase
This is the part where your
social media marketing efforts will pay off. If your customer is seriously
considering purchasing from your business, social media could be the small
nudge they need to press the button. Many times, potential customers will go to
social media pages to see of any sales, discount codes or past successes of the
company. If you vocalise these regularly then this could be what pushes them
over the edge to decide to purchase from you.
Stage 4: Loyalty
Just because a customer has
decided to purchase from your organisation, this does not mean that the
customer journey has ended. If you keep these customers details on your
database, or retain their following on social media then it is easy to
communicate any future messages that may appeal to them. Occasionally it can be
easier and more efficient to retain a loyal customer than focus on gaining new
ones. Consistency is key with social media and recurring customers will be
reminded of your business frequently if you maintain this.
Stage 5: Referral
If your product/service has
satisfied your customers needs and wants then it is likely that they will refer
you to someone/a business they know is looking for something similar. Nowadays,
similar to the original customer, these referrals will check your various
social media pages as well as your website, to get a certain idea of what sort
of business you are. Posting interesting articles, sharing your successes and
showcasing your expertise regularly will impress a wide range of potential
customers.
For any more advice on your
social media marketing, contact me here. Advice is free!
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About The Author
As Big Red’s Sales Manager, my role is to ensure our clients see demonstrable results from their website and digital marketing strategies. I work closely with our clients to help establish specific targets for their online activity and translate this into sales/conversions.