Marketing your brand on social media is imperative to cultivate a strong online presence and increase your conversions. However, it’s easier said than done.
There are thousands of strategies you can find when it comes to earning engagement. So much expert advice can get overwhelming.
But we have some good news. In this article, we’ll dive into social media marketing funnels and explain how you can add them to your marketing strategy to achieve results.
The Social Media Marketing Funnel
Strategies for building an online presence usually focus on creating compelling content, keeping your followers engaged, and maintaining a consistent posting schedule. Although this seems simple, implementing these strategies may seem difficult for your business.
So, how can you make implementing these strategies a bit more feasible?
When you’re faced with many tasks, dividing them into smaller subtasks is the best way to get them done. In this case, you can also divide significant steps of marketing strategies into smaller, doable actions.
Creating a social media funnel is an effective way to achieve your social media goals. In marketing, funnels are defined paths customers go through.
Funnels help you learn about potential customers and distribute your marketing message at the right time. They also help you analyze your audience and determine how to influence consumers.
Of course, each industry and business are unique. Experts in the social media marketing industry might have different opinions, but a funnel has some of the most fundamental pillars of a marketing strategy.
5 Phases of Social Media Marketing Funnels
A social media marketing funnel consists of five important phases for you to earn conversions. Each step has its characteristics. Let’s explore the details about each phase and what they look like in practice.
1. Awareness
In this phase, your main goal is to introduce your brand to those who aren’t even aware that your brand exists. The first step is determining your audience’s challenges and how your product or service can help solve them.
Remember that no one wants to hear an apparent sales pitch at this stage. Instead, focus on providing value and support for your audience. You can create content that helps your audience with their pain points.
Start with crafting specific content such as blog posts, articles, and guides to lead traffic to your site. On social media, it’s essential to stick to short, straightforward content. So, keep your content eye-catching, valuable, and relatable.
McDonald’s is a good example of a brand that increased engagement by following the trend of its audience. They often post content such as memes or quotes that their audience finds relatable. In the Instagram post below, they decided to tap into their younger market with PokeMan Happy Meals, which created a flurry of excitement for its followers.
2. Consideration
During this stage, customers compare your brand to competitors and deepen their understanding of your products. You must provide detailed information to stand out.
You can create longer articles, guides, or even an infographic. On social media, it can be challenging to share long-form content. So, instead of cramming articles into one Instagram post, let your audience know where they can learn about your brand.
For example, you could divide your information into different sections or parts. If you have a lengthy infographic on your site you’d like to share, consider taking certain parts of your infographic instead of sharing the whole thing.
The Woke Salaryman is known for its comprehensive and eye-catching comics about finance. They also write long, informative blog posts and email newsletters. Instead of publishing lengthy articles on Instagram, they compress all that information into these swipeable comics. The results are increased engagement, shares, and a unique edge to help them stand out from the crowd.
3. Conversion
During this stage, monitor your analytics and see which posts receive the most engagement. This is the time to refine your social media marketing strategy and maintain your customer engagement with your audience.
For example, if your audience engages with your interactive content such as polls or Q&As, consider creating similar content. Doing so will keep your current audience happy. You want to continue nurturing your relationship until a prospect converts to a customer.
In the example by Palmers, they decided to turn to their audience to ask which product to launch first. It allows their audience to be involved in their product launches.
4. Engagement
Once your audience has purchased your product or service, remember to keep in touch with them. It’s common when brands leave their audience out to dry once they’ve made a big sale.
The critical step in this phase is to stay connected with your customers. To do this, simply keep creating content they love and continue supporting them.
You could encourage your customers to post purchases and use your brand’s hashtag. You could also interact with them by asking them what they think of your product or service.
This example by Krave Beauty shows that they’re attentive and open to answering any questions about their brand. Replying to comments and liking tagged posts are effective ways to show some appreciation to your customers and garner an audience. It also helps you a build a community for the next phase of the social media marketing funnel.
5. Advocacy
This stage is the beginning of a lifetime relationship with your brand advocates. There’s nothing better than having your customers tell others about your brand. Not only will this bring in more customers, but it also increases your brand awareness and credibility.
Show your gratitude to your customers and give them rewards. You can create giveaways and loyalty programs. You can implement these by hosting seasonal campaigns with prizes to encourage participation. Some brands also reward reviews or testimonials by sharing them on their platform.
Glossier is a well-known brand that shares user-generated content. Their customers get exposure and the brand can showcase its products in a positive light.
Get Results With Social Media Marketing Funnels
A social media marketing funnel can elevate your brand. Tapping into your target audience can be challenging. But with a funnel, you’ll have a better plan to engage your customers.
About the Author
Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, the award-winning explainer video services. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order). Twitter: @breadnbeyond.
