Not just for selling online: even without an e-commerce platform, it is possible to build a customer journey starting from social media. Learn more!

Social media are becoming increasingly important in an online communication strategy. Whether the goal is to sell online, communicate your brand identity (brand awareness), or simply provide an additional contact tool for those seeking us, having a presence on social networks ensures a more dynamic and “humanized” perception of our brand to potential contacts.

Many companies, however, think that just “being present” on social media is enough. Creating content that is more or less relevant to users is not sufficient to engage them, and without an adequate strategy, it becomes difficult to perceive a potential “return” on investment (known in English as Return On Investment, or ROI).

The goal should be to build a journey that facilitates the conversion of users into real customers.

A true customer journey, representing the ideal “path” users take, from the first information available about our brand to the purchase of the product or service offered – and subsequent loyalty, with a proactive outlook for the future!

Users now more than ever turn to social media before making a purchase – and even after, to stay updated or request assistance. That’s why it’s essential to plan a strategy that engages users at all stages, guiding them toward the final purchase.

By structuring the cycle into 4 phases – attraction, conversion, closing, and loyalty – targeted and effective content can be created for social channels. This way, it will be easier to measure results and evaluate the impact on our brand.

Attraction Phase

The goal is to engage a larger audience towards our channel by providing the “new audience” with truly useful and valuable content. Measuring metrics such as engagement rate, clicks or actions taken by users, views, and follower growth is essential to measure the success of this phase.

It is possible to attract new users through:

• Creating useful and relevant content that answers specific questions such as “What problems can my product solve?”, “What content does my ideal user find entertaining and relevant?” and so on;
• Creating content by leveraging current news and relevant events to maximize brand awareness by inserting ourselves into a real-time context (simple messages at the right moment!).
• If possible, engage influencers – individuals with strong authority among our potential audience – to increase visibility and generate new conversations.

Using social channels as a resource to inform and entertain our users by creating infographics or blog posts on relevant topics – that spark curiosity and attract targeted traffic from social media to the company’s website or landing pages.

Conversion Phase

The goal is to convert engaged users into true brand followers by offering added value to the acquired contacts. For example, offering free content or solutions that address the real needs of our users (such as an ebook, tutorial, or a free trial of software), or creating content that focuses on studies and research to encourage users to learn more. Additionally, live streaming can be used – a huge asset for companies to create interactive and engaging experiences!

Closing Phase

After building a target audience through quality content and converting them into active followers with free offers and content, it will be possible to determine who our users are, what they are looking for, and what they want.
The goal? To convert them into real customers, either by selling our products online or bringing them to our physical store!

There are numerous strategies that can be adopted. For example:

• Having prices prominently displayed will limit the number of clicks to the landing page to those users who are truly interested in the offer: discounts and special prices can deliver great results if targeted to the right audience…
• Through photos, GIFs, or video content, it is possible to show users how to make the most of the product or service, presenting the product in an original way to an audience that – by this stage – already knows the brand or has previously visited the website.

Loyalty phase

The most important phase of the customer journey: being perceived as “present,” able to effectively respond to customers’ requests, their problems, and questions. It is 6-7 times more expensive to attract new customers than to retain an existing one. Social media is an excellent resource during this phase, allowing you to take care of customers even after the purchase!

Providing assistance with quick and personalized responses, managing complaints with consistent answers, and using an appropriate tone: social media is the ideal place for customer care. Investing in resources to provide personalized service based on specific requests is a focal point of a good online strategy.

An interesting way to retain acquired customers is by offering content that allows them to see the brand in new and creative ways, encouraging them to try new forms of use and consumption. Motivating, inspiring, and energizing customers through social media is always a strategy that creates great interest and value for the brand.

To bring back already acquired customers, one of the best ways is to use the Facebook conversion pixel or custom audiences of users who have already visited the website, purchased in-store, or interacted with posted content. This way, you can show ads only to users who are already familiar with the brand (or who have already bought a product or visited a specific section of the site).

Customers (potential, current, and loyal) are increasingly present on social media. That’s why it’s essential to create strategies and content that focus on all stages of the buying cycle. By providing targeted content to the right users and integrating them into a broader marketing strategy, it will be possible to build an effective and engaging customer journey.

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