The Journey of a Customer on Social Media

Consumers often turn to social media for information about products or for the actual process of purchasing one. Buyers on social media typically go through a five-step process when purchasing products online. When this process is followed correctly, it can put brands in a good position to grow their online sales. This five-step process is Awareness, Consideration, Decision, Adoption, and Advocacy. Brands should consider this five-step process when sending a someone on a social media customer journey in order to make their online marketing strategy more effective.

Awareness

The awareness stage is designed to reach new customers on social media. This can be done by promoting the product on social media in different ways. For example, a brand can increase awareness through posting original content or through paid campaigns. This gets the word about the brand out to the public and educates users on who the brand is and what they are selling.

 

Consideration

The consideration stage generates demand for the products the brand is selling. A brand can utilize different tools on social media to show their target audience what types of problems their products fix and how they will be beneficial to buyers. This can be done through user generated content such as reviews, targeted ad campaigns, and campaign related content posted by the brand.

 

Decision

The decision process is to influence customers into making the move to finalize a sale. This is one of the brand’s last chances to draw the customer towards making the purchase. The decision step provides brand offers and sales to the customer in hopes of driving the conversion.  This can be done through customer stories, case studies, targeted ads for purchase and shared links. Any social media tactic that will persuade a customer to actively make the decision to purchase the product are tactics that a brand can use in the decision stage.

Adoption

The adoption stage educates customers more about the brand and keeps them coming back. When a customer has a good experience buying from a brand, they are likely to buy from them again and even seek out their other products. These customers will engage more with the brand on social media and with its products and services. In the adoption stage, a brand can produce owned and paid instructional content on social media and gather messages and engagements from customers.

 

Advocacy

The advocacy stage inspires past customers and truly gets them excited about the brand. When customers obtain brand loyalty, they become indirect sellers for that brand. This means customers might recommend the brand to others, speak highly about the brand, or show someone their product based on enthusiasm. A brand can effectively utilize this stage by actively engaging with user-generated content or even by boosting customer posts about the brand.

The five-step process of the social media customer journey is an important strategy for brands to incorporate into their online marketing efforts. Many brands will stop at the decision stage, once the customer has already purchased the product. However, continuing social media marketing to the advocacy stage can drive even more conversions than some might think. Using a digital marketing agency like Bright Age will help your brand effectively accomplish these steps and ensure your brand’s customers remain satisfied.