Customer Journey
Customer Journey, in the context of social media, refers to the complete experience that a potential or existing customer goes through from their initial interaction with a brand on a social platform to the final action they take, whether it’s making a purchase, subscribing to a service, or engaging with content, as well as any post-purchase interactions like reviews or follow-up communication, and it encompasses every touchpoint, decision, and emotion they encounter along the way.
This trip generally starts when the customer becomes aware of the brand. They might first encounter the brand because of an advertisement that was thrown their way, an influencer who had the brand in question as part of the storyline they were presenting, or maybe even an organic post that one of their friends has liked. Yet, it's also possible that the customer found the brand through a hashtag that was trending at the time. Following this, there is the tunnel of consideration that they start to actually walk down.
Afterward, the customer enters the decision stage. Their movement into this phase is primarily catalyzed by factors like social proof derived from customer content, glowing endorsements, or influencer partnerships. These seemingly simple interactions are actually potent nudges, leading customers deeper and deeper into the purchase funnel.
After the decision is made, the retention and advocacy stage kicks in, and the role of social media shifts to maintaining engagement post-purchase. This stage is all about keeping the customer smiling. Remembering that 'thank you,' and then some, is pretty essential if you want to turn your customers into loyal brand advocates. The personalized touch goes a long way in this day and age of digital communication. Sending a regular shout-out on social media to your hardcore fans is a nice, direct way of keeping customer love alive. But also joining in on whatever they’re up to is a smart move for maintaining that fan-missionary interface.
The nonlinear, dynamic nature of the Customer Journey on social media makes it a critical concept for businesses to understand because of the way users enter and exit, revisit various stages, and follow the sometimes impulsive paths that their whims, the latest viral sensation, or the word-of-mouth motivational force seen in a friend's post can take them through. After all, it’s not only the good ol’ stages of AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) that these businesses have to get their heads around; it’s also the multitude of ways that whacked-out postmodern customers can loop around within those stages and come right back to the beginning again.
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