Table of Contents
Introduction
When it comes to marketing your brand using social media, there are countless strategies that can be employed. These strategies emphasize the creation of engaging content, the development of a social media marketing calendar, and the execution of creative campaigns to captivate your audience. However, one area where many marketers struggle is in building a customer journey that takes potential customers from first-time awareness to becoming brand advocates and recurring buyers. In this article, we will break down the five phases of the marketing funnel and explore how social media fits into each stage.
What is a Social Media Marketing Funnel?
A social media marketing funnel is a path that your customers travel through, from the initial stages of learning about your business to the point of making a purchase and beyond. It maps out the routes to conversion and aims to influence consumers at each stage of their journey. The funnel starts when someone becomes aware of your brand and continues until they become a loyal advocate for your brand.
While different industries and experts may have varying opinions on the phases of a social media marketing funnel, there is a basic framework that applies to most businesses. The five phases of the funnel include:
- Awareness: Attracting new people who are currently unaware of your brand.
- Consideration: Standing out among your competition so that new audience members remember you.
- Action: Compelling your audience to take action and make a purchase.
- Engagement: Using social media to stay top-of-mind and keep your audience engaged after they’ve made a purchase.
- Advocacy: Building enough trust with your audience that they want to recommend you to others.
How Social Media Fits into Each Phase
If social media is a significant part of your marketing strategy, you can incorporate social posts into each stage of the funnel. Depending on the platforms you use, you can guide your audience through the customer journey organically.
It is important to view the marketing funnel as a unified whole, where every section works towards specific goals. This approach reduces friction in the customer journey and helps build trust with your audience while raising awareness of your brand.
1. Awareness
The social media marketing funnel begins with attracting potential customers who may be unaware of your brand. To do this, you need to identify a problem that your audience needs help solving. Instead of immediately promoting your product or service, offer valuable content that provides support and solutions. By answering your customers’ questions and addressing their problems, you can create awareness and make potential customers remember your brand.
To attract new users organically, focus on creating valuable content such as blogs, videos, guides, and webinars. Optimize your content for search engines by utilizing SEO and content marketing strategies. Additionally, consider using paid advertising to improve awareness by targeting specific audience segments or interest groups.
2. Consideration
During the consideration phase, potential customers begin to research and compare different options before making a purchase decision. At this stage, it is crucial to provide detailed information that highlights why your brand is superior to your competitors. Case studies, webinars, and customer testimonials can help build trust and guide potential customers towards the action phase.
Retargeting users who have interacted with your website or content is an effective strategy during the consideration phase. Use social media platforms such as Facebook Ads to reach these users and remind them of the value your brand offers. By showcasing success stories and social proof, you can further differentiate yourself from your competitors.
3. Action
In the action phase, customers are receptive to being sold to and are ready to make a purchase. This is the stage where you can use a social media management platform like Sprout Social to track and measure the effectiveness of your paid social media ads. By analyzing the data from your analytics, you can determine if your ads are generating enough engagement and if you are reaching your goals from earlier stages of the funnel.
At this stage, it is important to provide incentives for customers to take the leap and make a purchase. Offers such as new customer discounts or free shipping can help encourage action. Utilize remarketing campaigns to target users who have shown interest in your brand and gently nudge them towards making a purchase.
4. Engagement
Many marketers make the mistake of neglecting the engagement phase of the marketing funnel. However, it is essential to continue nurturing the relationship with your customers even after they have made a purchase. By staying connected and making customers feel like they are part of your brand community, you can maintain top-of-mind awareness and encourage ongoing engagement.
Create social media content that supports your customers based on the purchase they made. Encourage them to share their experiences and content related to your brand by using hashtags or organizing Twitter chats. For B2B or SaaS companies, sharing tutorials and creating private communities for users to connect with each other can foster engagement and loyalty.
5. Advocacy
The final phase of the social media marketing funnel is advocacy. At this stage, your customers have become loyal fans and brand advocates. Show gratitude to your customers and reward them for spreading the word about your brand. Gather customer testimonials and reviews, and offer incentives that encourage customers to share their journey with their friends.
Make it easy for customers to share their stories and advocate for your brand by providing platforms for them to do so. Allow customers to share reviews or testimonials on your website or social media profiles to amplify their praises. Consider working with existing customers or power users to create content that showcases their experiences and positions them as advocates of your brand.
Conclusion
Building a social media marketing funnel can help you engage your audience, build trust, and create a loyal fan base for your brand. It is important to invest in each stage of the funnel, rather than focusing on only a few phases. By guiding potential customers through the customer journey and providing valuable content and experiences at each stage, you can nurture relationships and build brand advocacy.
Incorporating the right steps into your customer journey will help your brand continue to grow and thrive. By focusing on creating a loyal fan base rather than just a customer list, you can foster long-term brand advocacy and success.