Social Media Sales Funnel: How To Target Users at Each Stage

A basic sales funnel includes at least 4 stages: awareness, consideration, conversion and loyalty. So in marketing your business, it’s important that you employ marketing campaigns that will target your prospects at every stage of the funnel. Otherwise, you’re apt to miss a lot of potential and recurring customers.

Here is an example of each stage and what marketing to your audience at that stage might look like:

Awareness – A person walks by your clothing storefront and notices an outfit they like on a mannequin in your window display (marketing at play); then they peek through the window to see what you’re about (they are now aware of you).

Consideration – That person then decides to walk into your store, browse your clothing items and even try on an outfit (considering a purchase) in your beautifully designed fitting rooms with very prominent signage (marketing at play).

Conversion – The person notices your “on sale” sign (marketing at play) and decides to buy the outfit (conversion).

Loyalty – You give the patron a promo code for a discount on their next visit/purchase (marketing at play), and that new customer becomes a recurring patron, regularly visiting and purchasing from your store (loyalty).

From the examples above, you can see how there are a lot of opportunities in the sales funnel if you market to them in the right way and at the right time. And this holds true for social media marketing.

Just like any other marketing channel, social media has a sales funnel, and knowing how to target users at each stage of that funnel is the key to any successful social media marketing strategy.

You have to attract and nurture potential customers before they convert and then encourage them to become loyal customers & brand advocates.

So, how can you do this at each stage of the sales funnel?

I’ll tell you…

First, you have to attract potential customers and introduce them to your business.

4 Ways to Target Social Media Users in the Awareness Stage:

1. Optimize your bio with an easy path to learn more
2. Publish helpful or entertaining content
3. Drive discovery by adding relevant keywords & hashtags to content
4. Partner with relatable influencers

After building awareness, the next step is encouraging people to trust your small business and think seriously about the solutions you offer. Create more in-depth content packed with the information prospects need to make a decision.

4 Ways to Target Social Media Users in the Consideration Stage

1. Share expert advice to build credibility
2. Create a tutorial to demonstrate how your product (or service) works
3. Let customers test drive your product (or service) for free
4. Run traffic, lead generation and retargeting campaigns

At the conversion stage, it’s time to get prospects to act. That means giving potential customers opportunities to sign up or make a purchase, sometimes without leaving the social media app.

3 Ways to Target Social Media Users in the Conversion Stage

1. Created promotional offers
2. Generate buzz with product drops, live shopping, contests, giveaways, etc.
3. Leverage shopping for in-app purchase

Now, it’s time to invite customers to make repeat purchases and become part of your business’ valued community.

4 Ways to Target Social Media Users in the Loyalty Stage

1. Show your brand’s gratitude
2. Share customer success stories
3. Highlight your Customers’ User Generated Content (UGC)
4. Run remarketing campaigns to existing customers

This funnel holds true for most marketing channels; therefore, your marketing & content strategies should be created with that in mind. You want to reach your prospects, regardless of the stage they are currently in, and continue to nurture & attract them through the funnel.