Perspectives & Strategy

The question “Where do I find my customers, or prospects?” is a very important one with respect to leveraging social media channels as a communications medium. It is one that has previously been discussed on this site The easy answer is probably any site you can think of, plus a few more besides.

Much of the answer is about knowing your customer and what drives their behaviour. Indeed there is a whole branch of psychology about how consumers think, feel, reason, and what drives them to select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products, and the retailers they use). That same psychology can also give some clues to the Social Media choices that individual may make.

Let us be clear here that whether the customer/prospect is an individual or a corporation it is a person that will make the final decision to purchase or not. Get inside their mind at the precise moment of that decision and we may have the key to the greatest breakthrough in customer relationship management. Without it we have to understand generally held knowledge about what drives the customer.

The customer will use different criteria according to the different types of purchase that they are making. There is a distinct difference between buying in a closed office from an on-line store than in a shopping mall with friends ever present. Individuals are influenced by those around them.

If we look at the decision to purchase a camera. Through the web we may look at the possible candidates, know the specifications, prices, capabilities, accessories available etc. Yet going out to the mall to look at the specific models and having just decided on the right model to purchase one friend makes a passing remark “I wouldn’t buy that one it doesn’t look kewl“. Logic has taken you to the edge of the purchase – it has everything you want, it is on your shortlist, and it feels right. The friend has used emotion and potentially an irrational thought to dissuade you from making the purchase, even worse they may persuade you to purchase something you don’t want.

Moving into the world of Social Media it is possible to have the same influences act upon the purchaser as at the shopping mall. The influential friend will have an opinion, but then so can 200 other people that you are connected to, even including the manufacturer, or an industry expert. Ask the question – Which camera should I buy on Facebook and you will receive a wide variety of opinions. The answers that stand out will be the ones that answer the question and give a reasoned logic. If one of the answers comes from a manufacturer and gives a fair overview of where their camera performs better than others listed and where it under-performs the competition then it is possible that you have a logical basis upon which a decision can be made.

“The X-12 gives a superior depth of field when in landscape mode”

or

“The Y-7 provides excellent portrait options”

This information can aid in the final purchase. is the buyer interested in portraits or landscapes? This may be at the nub of their purchase decision – the logic that can seal the deal in the mind of the purchaser.

Going back to the original question where do we find our customers and prospects? To a large extent they will find you by just being available on the communities they are active on. Yet with some specialist products it is important to be active in the right places. A corporation selling health-care products needs to be active on a community where health-care professionals congregate.

In addition almost every organisation needs to have a brand or product presence on Facebook and Twitter. Being present is generally enough to build a following. Yet the following you build and the amount of trust generated will increase if you are active in the community.