Social Media Tactics for Your Sales Funnel

Many of us are familiar with the “sales funnel” diagram (below) that maps out your customer’s journey, or their path to purchase. The general idea is that a potential buyer goes through certain stages before they decide to make any purchase; large or small. But what role does your social media play in your sales funnel?

As marketers and business owners, we need to be keenly aware of who our ideal customer is and what their pain points are along this journey so that we can effectively communicate our product/service as The Solution at the end. At every stage of this funnel, the buyer is looking for information that will help them solve their needs.

You can create tactical marketing content that will help your ideal customers become aware of their needs or problems (Awareness stage), help them consider your business as a possible solution (Consideration stage), and then convince them to decide to buy from you (Decision stage). Other similar labels for these stages include: Know, Like, Trust; or Attract, Engage, Delight. The basic theory is the same: you can guide your customer through a series of stages to help them ultimately make a purchase from you.

Your business’ social media accounts are a great vehicle to deliver content that will resonate with your buyer at every stage and lead them through their customer journey.

Here are some ideas on what to post on your social media at different stages of the sales funnel.

Awareness Stage

At the beginning of their journey, customers are realizing that they have a problem that needs to be solved. They are likely beginning to research solutions and better understand the nature of their specific problem.

In order to attract customers in this early stage, it’s important to post content that’s useful & valuable to their research. This is a great stage to begin signaling your expertise and knowledge in the area they’re researching. You want to post content that tells your customer that your business identifies with their need.

Examples of great Awareness content: blog posts, how-to videos, checklists, whitepapers, e-books. Also helpful: third party content from other sources that are useful to your customer.

Consideration Stage

At this point, the customer is committed to solving the problem and is evaluating different approaches and solutions. They might have learned something new about their problem in the Awareness Stage and as a result, they’re looking for options. Their research kicks into a higher gear, as they are weighing possible providers.

Here’s where you’ll want to help them with their decision-making. You can begin to post about your Unique Selling Proposition, and what makes you the logical choice to solve their problem. Create content that displays your process, your brand values & personality, your customer service, your clients, etc. Give them a taste of what they can expect from you with free samples of your services.

Examples of great Consideration content: comparison guides, case studies, quizzes, polls, behind-the-scenes Stories, product previews. Also good: free downloads, client testimonials.

Decision Stage

Your customer is ready to buy. They’re looking for incentives and reasons to make their decision. Better be there when they open their wallet!

This is a great time to promote coupons, discounts, and other motivations that will make their decision an easy one to make.

Examples of great Decision content: free trials, live video demonstrations, consultation offers, sign up incentives. Also great: limited offers, exclusive VIP benefits.

Your Social Sales Funnel

All throughout the sales funnel, you should be posting social content that is engaging and valuable. Respond to every comment as if they were from a potential customer. Run paid content for each funnel stage with your customer’s pain points in mind. Make sure your business has a strong presence on the platforms where your customers spend their time. Audit your entire social media presence for tactical funnel opportunities.

Your social media accounts are a valuable tool in your marketing toolbox. Align your social content with your customer’s path to purchase, and your social media accounts can become lead generators for your business.

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