Social media is an essential part of modern marketing, especially for New Zealand businesses, which are mostly SMEs. Business owners here often make decisions based on gut feelings. By effectively using the marketing funnel model, we can devise targeted strategies at each stage to maximise marketing impact.
Here’s how to run social media according to the marketing funnel in a New Zealand context.
1. Awareness: Building Brand Recognition
At this stage, the goal is to get more people to know about your brand. Here’s how:
- Post High-Quality, Engaging Content: Use stunning images, videos, and articles that grab attention and resonate with your audience.
- Tell Compelling Stories: Share your brand’s journey or customer success stories that Kiwis can connect with emotionally.
- Smart Ad Placement: Choose the right social media platforms and ad formats that align with your brand to ensure maximum exposure. Facebook and Instagram are quite popular in NZ.
- Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with local influencers who share your brand values and have a strong following. They can help amplify your reach.
- Leverage Trending Topics: Engage in current events or trends relevant to New Zealanders to stay timely and relevant.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Reach, Impressions, Views, Follower Growth Rate.
2.Consideration: Engaging Your Audience
In this phase, you want to interact with your audience and keep them interested:
- Interactive Activities: Run Q&A sessions, polls, and surveys to engage your audience and understand their preferences.
- Highlight Product Features: Use content or live streams to emphasize the unique selling points of your products.
- Encourage User-Generated Content (UGC): Motivate your existing customers to share their experiences with your products. This could include reviews, photos, or videos.
- Online Q&A: Host regular interactive sessions where potential customers can ask questions and get immediate responses.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Engagement (Likes, Comments, Website Traffic, Clicks, View Time).
3. Conversion: Turning Interest into Sales
This is where you aim to convert interested users into paying customers:
- Limited-Time Promotions: Create a sense of urgency with special deals and limited-time offers.
- Detailed Purchase Guides: Offer comprehensive guides, product comparisons, and user reviews to help customers make informed decisions.
- Instant Customer Service: Provide real-time support to answer questions and resolve concerns quickly.
- Clear Calls-to-Action (CTA): Include “Buy Now” buttons or links that direct users to purchase pages.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Conversion Rate, Revenue, Return on Investment (ROI).
4. Loyalty: Keeping Customers Engaged
Once customers have made a purchase, it’s crucial to keep them coming back:
- Exclusive Member Benefits: Offer special perks for repeat customers, such as discounts, early access to new products, or loyalty programmes.
- Collect Feedback: Regularly ask for and act on customer feedback to improve your products and services.
- Post-Sale Support: Address any post-purchase issues promptly to maintain customer satisfaction.
- Cross-Platform Engagement: Encourage customers to follow your brand on various platforms and participate in offline events, customer groups, or visits to physical stores.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), Customer Retention Rate, Customer Satisfaction.
5. Advocacy: Turning Customers into Brand Advocates
Happy customers can become your best marketers. Here’s how to encourage them:
- Referral Programmes: Create incentives for customers to refer friends and family to your brand.
- Group Buys: Organise bulk purchasing deals that benefit both the customer and the business.
- Reward UGC: Offer rewards for customers who create and share content about your products.
- Quality Products and Events: Ensure your products are top-notch and your events are memorable to naturally encourage word-of-mouth.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Reposts, Referral Rate, Customer Satisfaction, Brand Sentiment.