Most people see their social media metrics as Reach, Engagement, and Followers as the same type of person. But, in reality, your social media content is seen by 4 types of people.
Those who have never made a purchase and have never engaged with your social media content.
People who have never made a purchase, but follow your business on social media or comment/like your content.
Those who have made a purchase and follow/engage with your social media content.
Those who have made a purchase, but do not follow or engage with your social media.
In this article, we'll breakdown the pros and cons of each group and the strategy you can use to connect with them.
1 - Non-purchasers who don't engage with your social media
This group will be the largest of the four and within this group most people will never buy from you. But, if you target your audience within this group to include people who are like your current customers, then it's also where you'll find new customers.
The social media strategy for this group is to:
Identify your target audience (i.e., people who are like your current customers)
Create content that tells these new people about who you are and what problems you solve.
Run advertisements to that target audience using the content you created and ask them to take an action (e.g., follow your page, click a link, etc.)
Measure success using Reach, or Impressions, and how many of them take the action you want them to.
The action you ask them to take depends on how long the sales cycle will be. For example, if you sell consumer goods online, then you can ask them to click a link to make a purchase directly from your website. But, if you sell something that takes some additional steps before a purchase, then you'll want to ask them to follow your page for more information or sign-up for another resource that keeps the conversation going.
2 - Non-purchasers but they're highly engaged
These are people who follow your profile, or like/comment often, but haven't made a purchase yet.
The social media strategy for this group is to turn them into purchasers. To do that, you need to examine your sales cycle (i.e., customer journey) and what information they need from you in order for them to make a purchase. Then, consistently create content to several times a week and build that need to make a purchase.
3 - Purchasers who are also highly engaged
This group is like the holy-grail of social media followers. They are very loyal and often repeat purchases. They are also the people who will share your content and brag about you to their fans.
The strategy for this group is to give them content that they want to share with others and provide them with regular updates. Give them the opportunity to brag about you to their followers - thus expanding your reach without advertising.
Plus, the more engaged a person is, the more likely they are to see your posts without an ad.
4 - Purchasers who don't use social media
These are people who have purchased from you, but they either aren't on social media or they don't follow you.
The strategy for this group is to use other forms of marketing to stay in touch with them. This can take the form of an email newsletter, phone calls, etc. It's important to meet people where they are rather than trying to convince them to move somewhere.
In conclusion, it's important that your social media highlights what you do best and communicates with customers and prospects who are already using social media.
We've also answered some other common social media marketing questions, but if you have something specific that you're curious about, send us an email - kellie@violetcloverconsulting.com
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