Do you use social networks often? Social media has grown to become one of the largest platforms of communication and news in the world over the last decade. Manufacturers and sellers of products have taken notice of this as well. Social media has become one of the most powerful tools for advertising by companies.
There are four ways that social media can influence consumer behavior. Click on the interactive below to go through these methods
In the consumer buying process, the consumer identifies a problem and then wants to search for ways to solve it. This can be done by researching on social media. If the people on social media make posts about a product, more people learn about that product.
Question
Sarah wants to apply to nursing school. She does not know where to apply. How can she use social media to help her?
She can search on social media for best nursing schools near her. She will find information about the schools and she will also see posts from other users talking about the different nursing schools. She can also search the social media accounts of local nursing schools to see what they have to offer.
Social proof is when a decision you make is reinforced by other people around you. As more and more people post about a product on social media, the popularity of the product can create great demand. Posts on social media multiply rapidly. This is called going viral.
Question
John is looking for a new jacket. He looks on social media and sees a new brand-name leather jacket that is the most popular jacket on a social media site. How would this influence his decision to buy the leather jacket?
By seeing the popularity of the jacket on social media and how many people have already bought it, John is now having social proof from people around him that he should buy the jacket.
Social media is an inexpensive platform to post sales and promotions of a product. A company can post a discount or a special deal on social media and it goes directly to users of the social media platform. This can immediately influence people to go and buy the product.
Question
A store posts a new sale on social media for a brand-name perfume. There is a 50% discount for the weekend. How would this influence people to make a purchase?
People see this sale on the social media site and decide to purchase the perfume because of the sale. With the popularity of social media, people who see this are directly influenced to make a purchase.
One of the most powerful marketing tools is the use of social media influencers. These influencers are people who have many followers on a social media platform, and their posts can influence their followers to make a purchase. This is a type of celebrity endorsement.
Question
Maria is browsing on social media and sees that a popular social media star has made a post about her favorite new beauty product. How would this influence Maria to purchase the same product?
She sees that the product is perfect for her skin routine and decides to buy it because her favorite star is endorsing it. The influencer is persuading Maria to buy the beauty bar.
