upward
discuss a task
    en

sales funnel on social media: how to attract, interest, and retain customers

Often SMM specialists, especially juniors, possess many tools, applications, and skills needed in social networks but don't know how to achieve results and solve tasks using all this.

Success of the project depends on understanding the product, its features, tasks that we face, and how we can achieve them. In social networks, SMM strategy is responsible for this. By the way, we have already written about how to develop it, you can read it here.

Of course, the goals of the business in social networks can be different, but most often it is sales. Let's figure out how to build a sales funnel in social networks based on the classic AARRR method.

Sales Funnel: in simple words

All buyers go through a similar path - from not knowing the company and its product to purchase. This path is the sales funnel. The process was described back in the early 20th century, but the sales funnel is still relevant and can be applied in almost any business because it relies on the laws of human psychology.

AARRR stands for:

If we describe each of the stages, then we have the following:

  • 1. Attracting an audience through advertising, sowing, or influencer marketing.
  • 2. Activating interest in the product and engaging the audience in brand content.
  • 3. Retaining the audience to increase loyalty to the product and brand.
  • 4. Selling the product to an interested audience.
  • 5. Recommendation of the product by buyers.

It is worth saying right away that activation and retention in social networks can be safely combined into one stage because the same content is used for these purposes.

If you understand the principle of the funnel well, you can use it not only in social networks but also everywhere where a person encounters content: blogs, websites, messengers.

Why bother?

Of course, you can just set up targeted advertising with a specific offer - a single post for each audience segment. And we will even get some results, especially if it is not a product with a long decision-making cycle or a complex business area where selling content may not be used at all. But to talk about the effectiveness of advertising and audience loyalty, we must get to know the person and "take him by the hand" to the purchase.

In current conditions, such a scheme of working with the audience is especially relevant because the funnel gently leads a person to the target action:

  • - calls to "buy now" irritate people and push them away
  • - advertising platforms are limited
  • - the approach to shopping has become more conscious - people make more thoughtful and longer decisions

After the pandemic, the traditional approach to sales became less effective, companies had to adapt and switch to online. A person could no longer touch the product in the store, so it was necessary to increase the funnel and replace this experience with stories/photos/videos.

Companies began to pay more attention to improving the user experience, in some businesses values and meanings changed, thanks to research, more customized offers appeared.

How does each stage of the sales funnel work?

Stage 1. Attraction

This is the widest part of the funnel - at this stage we work with the widest (and coldest) audience possible. The goal of this stage is to reach as many people as possible. We can attract them through targeting, seeding, collaborations with bloggers, contextual advertising, and mailings.

What type of content is suitable?

Introduction posts, facts about the brand or product, trends from your industry, working situations, cases that demonstrate your expertise, step-by-step instructions, posts with answers to frequently asked questions.

At this stage, it is important to relieve people of the stress of getting to know something new, not making them search for information for a long time. Write in as much detail and clearly as possible about you and your product. At the same time, take care of your profile - it should also attract an audience. Update highlights with important information, check the profile header, and align the funnel with the content plan so that it is clear from the last 3-6 posts what is happening here and what topics are being covered.

What to track?

Number of subscribers, likes, and comments, engagement, website traffic, content shares, and mentions of your profile.

It is important to gather an audience that has interacted with the content. These are the people we will work with further. If you lead people to the community page, then warm them up further with content, if you lead them to the mailing list - with further materials in it, and if you lead them to the website, you can create audiences for retargeting using the pixel.

Stages 2 and 3. Activation and Retention

The tasks of the stages are different, but the content for them is the same. It is important to explain to the audience what your USP is, what sets you apart from your competitors, increase interest in the product, explain what problems it can solve and address objections.

What kind of content is suitable?

Product reviews and usage examples, UGC content, expert interviews, inspiring stories, research results, checklists, surveys.

At these stages, targeted advertising does not require additional content since the audience is already familiar with your brand, and you can promote community publications calmly.

What to track?

The number of applications, website clicks, newsletter subscriptions, the number of users who have purchased from you the trip wire - an inexpensive offer that complements the main product line - if you have one.

Stage 4. Sales

We have attracted the audience, aroused their interest and trust. Now it's time to sell, both natively and "directly." The profitability of all the work that has already been done up to this point will depend on your ability to convert users into customers.

What kind of content is suitable?

Webinars and live broadcasts, newsletters with promotions and special offers, before/after posts, calls to action at the end of posts or directly selling posts.

What to track?

At this stage, it is important to track the number of sales, the average customer value, and the average order value.

Stage 5. Recommendation

Despite the fact that the sale has already been made, we do not forget about the last stage of the funnel. We need to ensure that the customer returns to us again and again and recommends our product to their friends.

What kind of content is suitable?

At this stage, content creators should not be us but the buyers themselves. To do this, we build a system that makes the audience want to share information about the brand and become its ambassadors.

What to track?

The main metric of this stage is the virality factor, which is calculated as follows:

The more viral it is, the faster information about the product spreads, which means the more the audience likes it.

What's next?

For new audiences, we repeat the sales funnel, and for existing ones, we work on loyalty. Our goal is to retain the customer, increase the average order value, purchase frequency, and LTV - the amount a customer brings in during their lifetime.

The sales funnel should draw customers into the vortex of the deal. To do this, it is necessary to clearly outline the business stages. They will be different in different areas, but the sequential principle will be the same.

By using such structuring and pinpoint analytics, we will be able to understand at which stage of the journey most people drop off and make changes to improve conversion.

We actively explore
the world branding and advertising
Subscribe to our social media
accounts to explore the world together.

Privacy Policy

1. An overview of data protection

General

The following gives a simple overview of what happens to your personal information when you visit our website. Personal information is any data with which you could be personally identified. Detailed information on the subject of data protection can be found in our privacy policy found below.

Data collection on our website

Who is responsible for the data collection on this website? The data collected on this website are processed by the website operator. The operator’s contact details can be found in the website’s required legal notice.

How do we collect your data?

Some data are collected when you provide it to us. This could, for example, be data you enter on a contact form.

Other data are collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit the website. These data are primarily technical data such as the browser and operating system you are using or when you accessed the page. These data are collected automatically as soon as you enter our website.

What do we use your data for?

Part of the data is collected to ensure the proper functioning of the website. Other data can be used to analyze how visitors use the site.

What rights do you have regarding your data?

You always have the right to request information about your stored data, its origin, its recipients, and the purpose of its collection at no charge. You also have the right to request that it be corrected, blocked, or deleted. You can contact us at any time using the address given in the legal notice if you have further questions about the issue of privacy and data protection. You may also, of course, file a complaint with the competent regulatory authorities.

Analytics and third-party tools

When visiting our website, statistical analyses may be made of your surfing behavior. This happens primarily using cookies and analytics. The analysis of your surfing behavior is usually anonymous, i.e. we will not be able to identify you from this data. You can object to this analysis or prevent it by not using certain tools. Detailed information can be found in the following privacy policy.

You can object to this analysis. We will inform you below about how to exercise your options in this regard.

2. General information and mandatory information

Data protection

The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data as confidential and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this privacy policy.

If you use this website, various pieces of personal data will be collected. Personal information is any data with which you could be personally identified. This privacy policy explains what information we collect and what we use it for. It also explains how and for what purpose this happens.

Please note that data transmitted via the internet (e.g. via email communication) may be subject to security breaches. Complete protection of your data from third-party access is not possible.

Notice concerning the party responsible for this website
The party responsible for processing data on this website is:

ICU CO., LTD.
Telephone: +66815434565
E-Mail: hello@icu.agency
Company registration number: 0845566007085

The responsible party is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data (names, email addresses, etc.).

Revocation of your consent to the processing of your data

Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You may revoke your consent at any time with future effect. An informal email making this request is sufficient. The data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.

SSL or TLS encryption

This site uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and for the protection of the transmission of confidential content, such as the inquiries you send to us as the site operator. You can recognize an encrypted connection in your browser’s address line when it changes from “http://” to “https://” and the lock icon is displayed in your browser’s address bar.

If SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transfer to us cannot be read by third parties.

Information, blocking, deletion

As permitted by law, you have the right to be provided at any time with information free of charge about any of your personal data that is stored as well as its origin, the recipient and the purpose for which it has been processed. You also have the right to have this data corrected, blocked or deleted. You can contact us at any time using the address given in our legal notice if you have further questions on the topic of personal data.

Opposition to promotional emails

We hereby expressly prohibit the use of contact data published in the context of website legal notice requirements with regard to sending promotional and informational materials not expressly requested. The website operator reserves the right to take specific legal action if unsolicited advertising material, such as email spam, is received.

3. Data protection officer

Statutory data protection officer

We have appointed a data protection officer for our company.

Alexander Rusin
ICU CO., LTD.
Telephone: +66815434565
E-Mail: hello@icu.agency
Company registration number: 0845566007085

4. Data collection on our website

Cookies

Some of our web pages use cookies. Cookies do not harm your computer and do not contain any viruses. Cookies help make our website more user-friendly, efficient, and secure. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and saved by your browser.

Most of the cookies we use are so-called “session cookies.” They are automatically deleted after your visit. Other cookies remain in your device’s memory until you delete them. These cookies make it possible to recognize your browser when you next visit the site.

You can configure your browser to inform you about the use of cookies so that you can decide on a case-by-case basis whether to accept or reject a cookie. Alternatively, your browser can be configured to automatically accept cookies under certain conditions or to always reject them, or to automatically delete cookies when closing your browser. Disabling cookies may limit the functionality of this website.

Cookies which are necessary to allow electronic communications or to provide certain functions you wish to use (such as the shopping cart) are stored pursuant to Art. 6 paragraph 1, letter f of DSGVO. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the storage of cookies to ensure an optimized service provided free of technical errors. If other cookies (such as those used to analyze your surfing behavior) are also stored, they will be treated separately in this privacy policy.

Server log files

The website provider automatically collects and stores information that your browser automatically transmits to us in “server log files”. These are:

Browser type and browser version
Operating system used
Referrer URL
Host name of the accessing computer
Time of the server request
IP address
These data will not be combined with data from other sources.

The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) DSGVO, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract.

5. Analytics and advertising

Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service. It is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

Google Analytics uses so-called “cookies”. These are text files that are stored on your computer and that allow an analysis of the use of the website by you. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

Google Analytics cookies are stored based on Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior to optimize both its website and its advertising.

IP anonymization

We have activated the IP anonymization feature on this website. Your IP address will be shortened by Google within the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area prior to transmission to the United States. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address sent to a Google server in the US and shortened there. Google will use this information on behalf of the operator of this website to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services regarding website activity and Internet usage for the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with any other data held by Google.

Browser plugin

You can prevent these cookies being stored by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, we wish to point out that doing so may mean you will not be able to enjoy the full functionality of this website. You can also prevent the data generated by cookies about your use of the website (incl. your IP address) from being passed to Google, and the processing of these data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

Objecting to the collection of data

You can prevent the collection of your data by Google Analytics by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set to prevent your data from being collected on future visits to this site: Disable Google Analytics.

For more information about how Google Analytics handles user data, see Google’s privacy policy: support.google.com

Outsourced data processing

We have entered into an agreement with Google for the outsourcing of our data processing and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.

Demographic data collection by Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics’ demographic features. This allows reports to be generated containing statements about the age, gender, and interests of site visitors. This data comes from interest-based advertising from Google and third-party visitor data. This collected data cannot be attributed to any specific individual person. You can disable this feature at any time by adjusting the ads settings in your Google account or you can forbid the collection of your data by Google Analytics as described in the section “Refusal of data collection”.

Google Analytics Remarketing

Our websites use the features of Google Analytics Remarketing combined with the cross-device capabilities of Google AdWords and DoubleClick. This service is provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

This feature makes it possible to link target audiences for promotional marketing created with Google Analytics Remarketing to the cross-device capabilities of Google AdWords and Google DoubleClick. This allows advertising to be displayed based on your personal interests, identified based on your previous usage and surfing behavior on one device (e.g. your mobile phone), on other devices (such as a tablet or computer).

Once you have given your consent, Google will associate your web and app browsing history with your Google Account for this purpose. That way, any device that signs in to your Google Account can use the same personalized promotional messaging.

To support this feature, Google Analytics collects Google-authenticated IDs of users that are temporarily linked to our Google Analytics data to define and create audiences for cross-device ad promotion.

You can permanently opt out of cross-device remarketing/targeting by turning off personalized advertising in your Google Account; follow this link: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/?hl=en.

The aggregation of the data collected in your Google Account data is based solely on your consent, which you may give or withdraw from Google per Art. 6 (1) (a) DSGVO. For data collection operations not merged into your Google Account (for example, because you do not have a Google Account or have objected to the merge), the collection of data is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing anonymous user behavior for promotional purposes.

For more information and the Google Privacy Policy, go to: https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/.

6. Newsletter

Newsletter data

If you would like to receive our newsletter, we require a valid email address as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the specified email address and that you agree to receive this newsletter. No additional data is collected or is only collected on a voluntary basis. We only use this data to send the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.

We will, therefore, process any data you enter onto the contact form only with your consent per Art. 6 (1) (a) DSGVO. You can revoke consent to the storage of your data and email address as well as their use for sending the newsletter at any time, e.g. through the “unsubscribe” link in the newsletter. The data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.

The data provided when registering for the newsletter will be used to distribute the newsletter until you cancel your subscription when said data will be deleted. Data we have stored for other purposes (e.g. email addresses for the members area) remain unaffected.

Data processing is based on Art. 6 (1) (a) DSGVO. You may revoke your consent at any time by unsubscribing to the newsletter. The data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.

The data provided when registering for the newsletter will be used to distribute the newsletter until you cancel your subscription when said data will be deleted from our servers. Data we have stored for other purposes remains unaffected.

Thanks for signing up!

Wrong email format!

Your message has been sent successfully!