How To Build A Social Media Marketing Strategy

Just like other strategies for marketing, you must first define your goals before starting. To help set your goals, we suggest identifying; for each phase of your customer’s lifecycle what your marketing goals are and how they apply to social media are. This is a starting point in the creation of a social media strategy that is capable of adapting to changes in the preference of individual buyers while giving you headway on the messages, offers, and platforms that suit your customer.

In this article, we are going to examine how your goals for each phase of the client lifecycle should be defined and the types of messages that will capture the attention of your audience and engage them.

 

 

The 6 Stages of the Customer Lifecycle

Communicating with your audience requires keeping in mind their buyer journey ranging from awareness to advocacy. The moment you get a picture of what a buyer’s journey looks like, it presents you an opportunity to seek relevant conversations with them.

It is generally known that every buyer has a goal which is to either fix a problem or satiate the hunger for something he/she lacks. In helping each of your buyers achieve their aims, you need to get a vivid picture of what the client’s lifecycle looks like in stages.

At Blitz Marketing, we have broken down the customer’s lifecycle into the below major steps:

AWARENESS 

This phase starts the customer lifecycle. Since the goal in this phase is to get the word out while also capturing the interest of a targeted audience, a strong social media presence alongside a captivating branding is highly required.

For a well-designed social media marketing plan, this involves offering several customer-friendly outreach messages.

INVOLVEMENT

When buyers have shown interest in your company, the goal is to engage them with messages such as giveaways or a discounted offer. It is important to keep in mind that anything that will engage a customer must be resourceful and educative in such a way that a client finally gets the conviction to buy.

For a well-designed social media marketing plan, this involves messages such as sponsored ads to target audiences with rich content and offers that will encourage a customer to make a purchase.

PURCHASE

When your buyers are ready to make a purchase, the last thing you want is to make the process stressful and inconvenient. Keep an eye on your purchase process to ensure your new customers are not having any problems. And if your sales or support team are involved in the process, be sure to keep a line of communication open in case a buyer needs assistance.

LOYALTY

Let me share this with you, “A client is more than just a revenue stream; each has his or her likes and dislikes, preferences for how to do business, issues, and concerns. The more you can identify with a client as a person, rather than as a chance to make money, the stronger the bond between you will grow”. Often times, it is believed that as soon as a buyer turns into a customer, it is a success. Well, I believe building a long-lasting relationship with clients is what expands one’s pocket. Ensuring that you get most value out of customers, and they get the most value of your recommendations.

For a well-designed social media plan, understanding firstly that your customers are part of your audience and ensuring that you continue to provide them value with relevant content and messages. Also, a well-designed plan on how to fix problems customers encounter with commodities or services must be carried out using social media mediums. Research has shown that when people get involved with a brand, they love to interact socially. This is to say that being active and listening attentively to every detail from a customer really counts!

PROGRESS

After making a sale, you can continue to offer value to your clients. Make use of digital advertising platforms to showcase different items or services to notify current customers of new offers.

ADVANCEMENT

Engaging with customers throughout their lifecycle isn’t just about individual value—it’s also about the value of their networks. Turning your loyal customers into advocates can expand your reach by accessing their networks to promote your brand. It’s important that you treat your existing customers well by continuing to engage them with special perks and incentives. Your goal is to offer a great customer experience to encourage your customers to become brand advocates and refer your brand to their friends and family.

Like retention and loyalty, it’s important that you recognize that your advocates and potential advocates are part of your social media audience. Show them recognition, sometimes in the form of a retweet or through special offers and promotions that are targeted just for them—that provide value and ask them to refer you.

Early-, Mid-, and Late-Stage Messages

Social media is the perfect place to deliver the types of messages that help you achieve your goals. These messages may help buyers through the entire lifecycle. Let’s take a look at the different message categories:

Early: Early-stage messages should be fun and entertaining but at the same time, educational. Share relevant news, articles that would offer helpful tips and lifehacks or simply sharing eye-catching visual content.

Mid: Just like early-stage messages, mid-stage messages are fun, informative and engaging. The only difference is mid-stage messages are shared in order to achieve a goal. The goal is usually about creating rapport and building trust with your audience. It also invites them to further engage with you on social media. You can achieve this by holding a contest, offering an invitation to an event or a free subscription to a newsletter. Through this, you will be able to gather more information about your prospects or customers.

Late: Late-stage messages on social media platforms should still be educational, informative and drive conversions.  Delivering messages such as free demos, a sign up for a trial or click to purchase, will help you obtain new customer information and ultimately a sale.

Social Media Pitfalls to Avoid

It is essential to avoid the following drawbacks listed below when you are planning your social media goals, tactics and activities:

• Do not presume every social media site is excellent for your business: It is important to know how your customers (buyers) are using social media.
• Do not create an online presence on a social site and then abandon it later on: To create a presence is a continuous process that takes time because it means finding and building a trust relationship with your audience, in the long run, it is worth the effort.
• Do not neglect to measure your Return on Investment (ROI)
• Do not go in without having goals:  There is a need for you to set up your goals, objectives, and methods to measure your success.
• Do not sell or show off: Continuous self-promotion will distance your audience and infuriate existing customers.

Need more help? Don’t be afraid to give us a call or drop by our Social Media Company Adelaide website.