Contributors:
Amol Ghemud Published: August 14, 2018
Summary
Let’s explore the transformative impact of social media on the buying habits of Indian consumers, contrasting the eras before and after its prevalence. It discusses how social media has revolutionized pre-purchase awareness, decision-making during purchases, and post-purchase feedback, with detailed examples of eCommerce brands excelling in social media marketing. This shift underscores the role of social media in broadening product awareness, enhancing customer choice, and facilitating direct consumer-brand interactions.
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Social media is reaching its boundless figures and rapidly growing especially, in developing country like India. The audience can be broadly accumulated as everyone using the internet and social media. Apart from the additional factors of using Social media such as Brand awareness etc., organizations are increasing their budget for its wider range of onlookers and perceived credibility.ทีเด็ด บอลเต็ง 99 วันนี้
Purchasing online has contributed a lot towards generating revenue. Also, the social media reviews and opinions affect the purchase decision process on a large basis. However, the tendency to share their experiences post purchase was low when social media did not exist.ทดลองเล่นสล็อตสล็อตเว็บตรง
Want to create a successful social media strategy to boost your brand awareness? Let’s look at two scenarios of buying a product – before and after social media became a boom. I have put them in 3 stages for better understanding – Pre-Purchase phase, During Purchase Phase, Post Purchase Phase.ทดลองเล่นสล็อตสล็อตเว็บตรงufabet911ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
Before social media era:
Pre- Purchase
The consumer would only know about a product from offline advertisements such as Newspapers, Radio, Hoardings etc.
People had the mentality of buying clothes only when they see/hear a big sale or discount advertisement.
During Purchase
The consumer will evaluate & purchase the product at the store without having much of choice to compare it with other contemporary stores.
There can be better selections available which are not accessible owed to distant locations or lack of awareness.
Time is a constraint
Post Purchase
If the consumer is pleased with the product, then that brand/store is a hit.
If the consumer has issues with the quality or they want to return the product, then there is a possibility of losing a buyer.
After social media era:
Pre- Purchase
An interested consumer would right away know about the sale, offers, discounts and can tell which product is best suitable based on the comparison choices available.
Non-attentive viewers can be converted to prospect customers & redirected to buy online perpetually.
During Purchase
As per the ratings and customer reviews, consumer can choose from a range of products.
There is no time, distance constraint giving a wide range of selections available.
Post Purchase
If not satisfied with the quality of the product you can take on to social media and post your concern.
To maintain the brand name response on social media for the concern is quick and quite helpful.
Return of products is easy.
Non-consumers or consumers know about issues resolved or not resolved based on the social/customer reviews.
To sum it all social media has advanced in the trends of purchasing, having a varied choice of products to buy from, responsive customer servicing through social media reducing the gap between consumer and seller.ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี pg
Examples of eCommerce Brands Rocking Social Media Marketing:
Etsy considers itself extra than a marketplace—however as an alternative as a logo on a undertaking to reimagine trade to “build a extra pleasing and lasting international.”
when it comes to social media advertising and marketing, Etsy has embraced fb, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter as its move-to structures for sharing and engaging. Of path, each submit consists of an picture or video, and the textual content and speak to to motion are tailor-made to the target market.
but it changed into the Etsy fulfillment facebook page—which is dedicated to assisting shop owners—that really caught my eye. On its fundamental fb page and different bills, Etsy is marketing to the cease customers.
With its achievement web page, Etsy is giving special interest to the makers, supplying suggestions to better market their groups, Q&As with save owners, and greater.
if you observe the social media accounts for most tour and lodges sites, you’ll regularly discover an image of a stunning scene—along with a caption encouraging you to e book now. but that’s now not how Airbnb plays it. สล็อต pg
Their social media advertising and marketing method is all approximately showcasing the journey enjoy, frequently sharing pics and stories from actual folks who’ve used their provider to travel the world.
And every channel has a completely unique angle. Twitter leans closer to enterprise vacationers, aiming to reveal them what their brief workplace should seem like in a number towns and attractive them to share. Finally, Facebook encompasses a little bit of everything, as well as some brand-building content.
This beauty store has a great tune document of using social media to its advantage. Sephora uses Instagram frequently to publish product pictures and pics of people wearing various makeup mixtures. It posts to Vine with smart videos as well.
Some are just product classified ads at the same time as others are a bit greater stimulated and display off short splendor hints. That’s quite amazing for simply six seconds of pictures! Sephora has definitely dominated Pinterest and is on Twitter and facebook, too, of course.
But I think what’s simply putting this retailer apart is their gumption to create their very own social network. sure, you examine that efficiently. again in March, the organisation announced its extraordinary social website online, The splendor Board. This social website online features all of the content material from Sephora’s other on-line communities along with beauty communicate, The sleek, Sephora tv, and Sephora to go.
Conclusion:
Ultimately, on the way to understand which social media strategies are driving the most ROI and income to your ecommerce commercial enterprise, you need to be monitoring and reading records on a regular foundation.
You should be monitoring data from in the social media equipment themselves, as well as the use of Google Analytics and some other tools you operate to music site visitors and conversions as they arise for your website.ufa191
To drive the most ROI, allocate some time every month to assess your metrics and decide what modifications you’d like to make to your ordinary social media strategy.
Watch How Social Media Shapes Indian Consumer Buying Habits
For Curious Minds
Social media has transformed the pre-purchase phase from a passive experience driven by offline ads to an active, perpetual discovery process. This shift is vital because it allows brands to convert non-attentive viewers into prospective customers through targeted engagement and compelling content. E-commerce brands must now master this environment to capture initial interest and guide consumers toward a sale. The modern strategy involves: creating a continuous stream of value-driven content that educates and inspires, using targeted ads to reach specific demographics with relevant offers, and partnering with influencers to build credibility. By focusing on these digital touchpoints before a customer even thinks about buying, a brand like Etsy can establish a strong presence and redirect interest directly to its online marketplace, moving beyond the limitations of traditional advertising. Learn more about mastering each phase in the full article.
Social media reviews and user opinions function as modern-day word-of-mouth, acting as a powerful form of social proof that heavily influences purchase decisions. This is critical for credibility because authentic user experiences are perceived as more trustworthy than brand-controlled advertisements, directly impacting a consumer's choice during the evaluation phase. Before social media, a buyer had limited ability to compare options. Today, they can instantly access a wealth of information:
Ratings and testimonials provide a quick quality check.
User-generated photos and videos show the product in a real-world context.
Community discussions reveal both the strengths and weaknesses of a product.
Brands that actively encourage and showcase positive reviews build a transparent and reliable image, reducing purchase friction. Explore how to harness this power in our complete guide.
The post-purchase experience has shifted from a private, often frustrating process to a public and highly visible interaction. Previously, a dissatisfied customer had limited recourse, potentially leading to a lost buyer; today, they can voice concerns instantly on social platforms, forcing brands to be highly responsive to protect their public image. The primary difference is the demand for speed and transparency. A slow or unhelpful response can damage a brand's reputation far beyond a single lost customer. Successful brands whose sellers are on platforms like Etsy understand they must now proactively manage public feedback, offer easy return processes, and use social media as a customer service channel to resolve issues swiftly. This public resolution not only retains the unhappy customer but also demonstrates accountability to potential buyers. See how top brands manage this in the full post.
E-commerce marketplaces can cultivate a loyal seller community by creating dedicated social media channels that offer targeted support and resources, separate from their main consumer-facing accounts. Etsy's 'Etsy Success' page is a prime example, providing value specifically to its makers rather than just marketing to end-users. The benefits of this dual-audience strategy are significant. It helps sellers improve their own marketing, fosters a sense of partnership, and gathers valuable feedback. Key tactics include hosting Q&As with successful shop owners, sharing tips to better market their businesses, and building a peer-support network. This investment in the supply side of the marketplace ultimately enhances product quality and variety, which in turn attracts more buyers. Discover more proven brand strategies inside.
Brands can convert passive viewers into active prospects by implementing a strategy that combines inspiration with a clear path to purchase. This involves moving beyond static product posts and creating an engaging ecosystem that captures attention and simplifies the buying process. Based on successful models from brands like Etsy and Airbnb, key tactics include:
Shoppable Posts and Stories: Tagging products directly in images and videos on Instagram and Facebook allows users to move from discovery to checkout with minimal friction.
User-Generated Content Campaigns: Encouraging customers to share photos with a specific hashtag creates authentic social proof and a steady stream of relatable content.
Influencer Collaborations: Partnering with creators who align with the brand's values introduces products to new, engaged audiences in a trusted context.
These methods effectively bridge the gap between casual browsing and a purchase decision, perpetually redirecting users to buy online.
A new e-commerce brand should structure its social media strategy around the distinct phases of the modern consumer journey: pre-purchase, during purchase, and post-purchase. This ensures you are meeting customer needs at every critical touchpoint, turning passive scrollers into active buyers. A practical plan involves a few key steps:
Pre-Purchase Phase: Focus on brand awareness and discovery. Use visually appealing content like that on Instagram or Pinterest to showcase your products in lifestyle contexts. Run targeted ads announcing sales and unique offers to capture initial interest.
During Purchase Phase: Build trust by highlighting customer reviews, ratings, and user-generated content. Make it easy for users to click through to your online store with clear calls-to-action.
Post-Purchase Phase: Use social media as a responsive customer service channel. Encourage happy customers to share their experiences and promptly address any concerns.
This structured approach ensures you build a complete funnel.
A frequent mistake is ignoring, deleting, or defensively responding to negative public feedback, which magnifies the issue and signals a lack of accountability to other potential customers. A superior approach involves viewing public complaints as an opportunity to demonstrate excellent customer service and transparency. The solution is to embrace public resolution. Acknowledge the customer's concern publicly and promptly, then move the specific details to a private channel like a direct message to resolve it. After the issue is fixed, a follow-up public comment thanking the customer for their patience can showcase your commitment. This method not only salvages the relationship with the unhappy customer but also builds trust with everyone watching, turning a potential negative into a powerful positive testimonial.
Brands must shift their strategic focus and budgets from traditional, one-way advertising channels toward a more dynamic, engagement-focused digital presence. As social media becomes the primary arena for discovery, evaluation, and service, its role expands from a simple marketing channel to a central business function. This requires a significant reallocation of resources. Key long-term adjustments include: investing heavily in high-quality content creation, building a dedicated social media customer service team to ensure quick responses, and allocating funds for influencer collaborations. The budget for offline ads like newspapers and radio should be critically re-evaluated, with funds redirected to where the modern consumer spends their time, ensuring a wider range of onlookers and perceived credibility.
A rapid response to customer concerns on social media directly builds trust and demonstrates a brand's commitment to satisfaction, which is crucial for both retention and acquisition. When potential buyers see a company quickly and effectively resolving an issue for another customer, it serves as a powerful, real-time testimonial to the quality of its customer service. This transparency reduces the perceived risk of making a purchase. For the existing customer, a swift and helpful response can turn a negative experience into a positive one, reinforcing their loyalty. In the social media era, every customer interaction is a public performance, and brands like Etsy's most successful sellers use this to their advantage by showcasing their reliability and building a reputation for excellent post-purchase support. Find out more about this dynamic in the full piece.
Brands can bridge the gap between awareness and revenue by enriching their social media content with elements that actively facilitate the 'during purchase' phase. The problem is often a lack of clear calls-to-action and trust-building signals, leaving interested followers unsure of the next step. To solve this, integrate conversion-focused tactics directly into your content strategy. This includes: systematically showcasing customer reviews and ratings in posts, using shoppable tags on platforms like Instagram to create a direct path to purchase, and running Q&A sessions that address common product questions. By providing comparison points and social proof, as exemplified by brands like Etsy, you give consumers the confidence and information they need to move from consideration to purchase without leaving the platform.
A structured process for handling public concerns ensures consistency and turns potential crises into opportunities to build trust. This approach shows both the affected customer and onlookers that your brand is responsive and accountable. Here is a four-step plan for effective resolution:
Acknowledge Quickly and Publicly: Respond to the post within hours. A simple "We're sorry to hear about your experience and want to help" shows you are listening.
Move to a Private Channel: Ask the user to send a direct message with their order details. This takes sensitive data offline and allows for a focused conversation.
Resolve the Issue Internally: Work with your team to find a solution and communicate it clearly to the customer.
Follow Up Publicly: Once resolved, add a final public comment like, "Glad we could get this sorted out for you via DM!" to close the loop publicly.
This method, critical in the post-purchase phase, demonstrates professionalism and care.
The core purpose of brand marketing in the pre-purchase phase has shifted from broadcasting a one-way message to cultivating an ongoing relationship through engagement and value. Before social media, marketing was about capturing attention at a specific moment with a sale advertisement in a newspaper or on the radio. Today, the goal is to be a continuous, credible presence in a consumer's daily feed. This requires brands to earn attention rather than just buy it. The focus is now on building a community, providing useful or entertaining content, and establishing authenticity long before a purchase is even considered. This always-on approach, seen with brands like Etsy and Airbnb, ensures that when a need arises, the brand is already top-of-mind and trusted, making the path to purchase much smoother. Explore this strategic shift further in our analysis.
Amol has helped catalyse business growth with his strategic & data-driven methodologies. With a decade of experience in the field of marketing, he has donned multiple hats, from channel optimization, data analytics and creative brand positioning to growth engineering and sales.
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