With so many digital and social media channels giving consumers hundreds of paths to choose in their purchase – or decision – journey, it’s become increasingly difficult to predict the content and platforms that will be certain to land your product or service on a consumer’s short list. Mike Samec, vice president of digital strategy for Gibbs-rbb’s sister agency, G & S Business Communications, offers insights into a consumer’s decision journey and tips for reaching them along the way.

Gibbs-rbb: What are the components of a consumer’s “decision journey” as s/he searches for a specific product or service through online and social platforms?

Mike: It starts with Awareness.  Your audience must be aware of you or that you provide the specific product or service they need.  Next comes Consideration.  Consumers weigh options, often going online or asking friends, relatives and neighbors for suggestions. Then comes the Purchase decision – the key moment of truth when a consumer finally decides to buy.  Many marketers focus on sales because it’s easy to identify.  However, without Awareness and Consideration, even for impulse purchases where the journey happens almost instantaneously, a consumer may be left on the fence and unable to commit to a purchase because a key concern hasn’t been addressed.  Lastly, we can’t forget about Loyalty.  It costs far more to acquire a new customer than selling to an existing one.  Building Loyalty is a great place to start for any new  marketing program.

Gibbs-rbb: Tell us about “BrandGravity” and how this process connects brands with customers and consumers?

Mike: Simply put, consumers are either gravitating toward your brand or they are drifting away, possibly toward a competitor.  We labeled this dynamic BrandGravity to help clients visualize the purpose and process behind our strategy. Applying BrandGravity to the decision journey gives us a framework for planning content and measuring results, adjusted according to each client’s needs.  For instance, if Awareness is a key issue, we can align resources accordingly.  Of course, clients eventually want to see sales impact and so we always want to consider the entire decision journey.

Gibbs-rbb: What are some ways to maintain customer loyalty through social media?

Mike: Studies have shown that consumers typically begin following a brand on social media when they are close to making a purchase or if they are strong advocates of the brand.  In either case, sharing information about social responsibility and sustainability, providing product demonstrations, and showcasing new products all help potential new customers – as well as loyal customers – feel connected to the brand.  Let your brand’s personality come alive!

Gibbs-rbb: How do you know which social media platform is right for a specific market?

Mike: Choosing the wrong platform means communicating to no one, which is a waste of resources.  The right platform(s) are where your consumers spend time or turn to during the decision journey.  The best way to find out where your consumers congregate is to ask them.  You also want to know how they use the platform and what they would like to see from you for that specific channel.  For example, some consumers prefer to see updates on new product lines on Instagram, but prefer Snapchat for daily specials.  Honor those preferences; don’t simply broadcast the same content across all channels.

Gibbs-rbb: What are some up and coming digital and social media platforms we should be paying attention to?

Mike: Snapchat and Periscope are the current social channel “darlings.”  New channels will continue to pop up.  However, rather than chasing after the newest “darling,” stay in tune with your market and adopt a channel if it makes sense for you – not because the media is pushing it.

Mike has more than 19 years of experience working on B2B and B2C accounts and serves as the vice president of digital strategy for G & S Business Communications, a joint venture partner in Gibbs-rbb Business Communications.  In this role, Mike develops the agency’s cross-platform capabilities and provides clients with direction to ensure their brand message most effectively resonates across relevant channels and media.