If you’re thinking of marketing on social media, then you may be wondering how it can influence the behaviour of your consumers. Social commerce has become a huge part of a customer’s journey, with sites like TikTok even offering a shop function that allows purchasing to be done seamlessly without the need to leave the app entirely. 
 
Whether you’re selling on social media or building brand awareness, your marketing can influence the way consumers behave towards you and interact with your content. 
 
Here are 4 ways your social media marketing influences consumer behaviour. 

Social Proof 

Social Proof is where consumers can see what others think of your business, what they have to say and acts as a signal as to whether new audiences can trust you. Part of social proof is likes, comments, shares – any type of engagement on your post that shows if your products, services and/or business is credible. The more positive this social proof is, the better it is for your business. Responding to comments will also help you build loyalty and a relationship with your audience, showing new consumers that you care about their experience. 
 
Reviews also are a great form of social proof, and encouraging them from your customers allows you to have a stream of positive comments from those happy with your service. If you do get any negative reviews, responding promptly and professionally is the way to go - offer a solution but deal with it in private and take it away from your public timeline. Show you are willing to listen to any complaints, but also acknowledge if any review you receive turns out to be fake. Being transparent helps develop trust in your business and boosts your reputation amongst consumers. 

User Generated Content 

You can influence a consumer’s behaviour and buying intent by platforming user-generated content (UGC). UGC shows real-life examples of your products/services working and solving problems for people that your customer can recognise elements or traits of themselves in, helping to convince them your business is the right one for them. Having UGC be a part of your strategy helps to build a relatability between your brand and your audience, showing a genuine, authentic side to your content and your brand. Influencer Marketing is also helpful here. Influencers already have loyal, dedicated audiences that listen to what they have to say - 63% of people are more likely to buy a product when it’s promoted by an influencer that they trust. 

Engaging Content 

Creating content that engages your audience, is professional and communicates your brand values will all help to encourage interactions and shares – helping you reach more people. You should be using a mixture of content – videos, infographics, live streams, polls – anything that you think is helpful for your business to produce and matches with your brands style. You should also decide on a purpose for your content – what value will it bring to your audience? If consumers don’t feel swayed or interested, they’ll stop interacting entirely. Depending on the type of business you run, you must decide on a style that aligns with your brands personality and with your audiences wants and needs. 

Social Listening 

Social listening lets you discover what your audience are saying about you – being aware of the way your business is being perceived allows you to change your strategies in real time, effectively engage with your audience and identify the way consumer behaviour changes over time. Social listening is good for more than just studying consumer behaviours – allowing you to ensure you are keeping up with the latest trends and remaining at the forefront of your industry. Social listening tools can help with monitoring all of the information and data you need to study the way your marketing and business is perceived, giving you more opportunities, helping you avoid a potential crisis (if necessary) and allowing you to discover influencers you can work with. 
Consumer behaviour can be tough to predict, but the more your brand begins to understand your audience, the easier it will be for you to bring in more sales, grow your business and form loyal, lasting relationships with customers and followers. 
 
 
Need further advice? 
Get in touch to discuss your specific requirements and see how we can help you grow your social media presence 
 
Tel: 07963216248 
Email: info@2222marketing.co.uk 
 
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