Social Media Marketing comprises two major approaches one is organic, and the other is the paid approach. While the paid approach is technology driven and is entirely dependent upon training and working experience, the organic approach relies more on creativity and skills that help in online marketing on social media. Paid marketing solutions are platform dependent with each social media having its methodology, that advertisers subscribe to drive sales or promote an action that benefits their intentions.
Inbound organic marketing on social media requires a team aligned with content creation, search engine optimization, and an in-depth understanding of online marketing fundamentals. Inbound digital or online marketing involves several platforms, but the most important one, as you must have already guessed, is social media. The endeavor is to attract, engage, convince, and convert. This is what we are discussing here. There is more to this, you will know as you read on…
Social Media Sales Funnel – Down The Customer Journey
A sales funnel is a logical convergence of steps that are broader at the top and narrow down at the bottom. The end layer is usually the one where conversion or action takes place. But for some experts, the conversion stage is extended, followed by retention and constant follow-up using the acquired connectivity. Acquisition plays a significant role in all online campaigns but after-sales follow-up and connectivity are equally important.
In sales, no stage that is part of the customer journey is less important, as the culmination of action is brought about by constant engagement, and breakage in the link means complete disruption. That’s the end of it. In case of success, retention, and acquisition are necessary for future endeavors or remarketing. Hence a sales funnel on social media is a never-ending cycle, and its disruption will lead to failure and the end of the marketing campaign.
Marketing on social media is highly dedicated to the platform, marketers have to skillfully plan and promote content stagewise with the first being that of awareness. Customer acquisition doesn’t need to be tightly knit into a group, that is nigh impossible unless the offering belongs to a niche. The focus is on most instances the feed and groups. This is where content is constantly promoted pertaining to various stages. Social signals and insights are the best means of ascertaining the level of success on social media. Most of the platforms provide insights into the progress a content piece is making alongside the social signals.
The sales funnel comprises of following stages
- Attraction or Acquisition (Target Audience)
- Awareness (Product, Brand, or Service)
- Engagement (Interest Generated)
- Consideration or Conviction
- Sales or Action based on intent. (Goal Conversion)
- Retention
- Connectivity
Affinity Marketing Alongside
On social media, marketers may construct hundreds and thousand of strategies, but central to all is content creation. When promoting branded products or professional services we must realize that not all prospects within the confines of content marketing exposure would be coaxed into taking the desired action. Some customers down the pathway in the sales funnel could be genuine bystanders for one reason or the other. This group should never be neglected since one of the main objectives of a social media campaign is to create positive vibes among the target audience using content that extols the brand, product, or service. Hence brand affinity is an achievement that marketers should endeavor to create without losing focus on prospective clients, potential buyers, or subscribers.
Bolstering brand affinity or image is one of the side benefits that should accrue as the customers move down the funnel for goal conversion. Hence exploit all virtues embodied by the brand by maintaining a long-term engagement and keeping the target persona in a loop. Brand affinity leads to strong advocacy or what we commonly term word of mouth. Thus the funnel could be customized to keep the communication lines open. Perhaps messaging with permission is the best means of communication. Continuity using messaging can be maintained using a social media messaging system or an email service if the email address has been acquired legitimately.
A Cohesive Strategy
Executing these funnel-based strategies on a whiteboard seems easy, but things may not work out like a cakewalk on the social media feed or in a group. Consistency and high-frequency bombardment may rope in the target audience some of which will fizzle out halfway through the journey. A small number of the target audience remain down the journey hence the methodology is called after a funnel. For greater impact, social media paid marketing solutions should be subscribed to along with organic efforts.
Thus, marketing and sales on social media is a cohesive strategy that involves both organic and paid marketing solutions. This works the best as the success could multiply by three times when both are combined in one campaign.