Dec 2014 | Marketing Solutions | Multi-channel marketing

I posted a while ago, providing some thoughts on Social Media’s place in cross channel marketing. After a webinar I hosted recently, I thought we should revisit this topic, more specifically around the customer journey to purchasing a product or service.

From FMOT to ZMOT

The growth of mobile and the increasing reliance on digital content by consumers has meant that the path to purchase is becoming more and more of a social experience.

In days past, brands could rely on consumers following a well trodden path of FMOT (just to note, there are many other models that can be applied but maybe that’s for consideration in another post):

  1. Stimulus – the customer being exposed to a product or service through marketing and advertsing
  2. First moment of truth (FMOT) – the purchase of the product or service
  3. Second moment of truth (SMOT) – the customer’s experience of product or service purchased.

However, digital channels have empowered consumers to engage with brands like never before. Now, they look to create, curate and consume information in the pre and post purchase journey, ensuring that the proliferation of content to support the sales cycle is not just going in one direction. Thus, there are two additional stages to consider in this customer journey.

  1. Zero moment of truth (ZMOT) – when a customer is considering their purchase through research
  2. Ultimate moment of truth (UMOT) – when the customer is sharing the experience with the world
Content in Context - web

Social Media is the channel in which consumers not only share these moments (UMOT) but also take them in and digest them (ZMOT).

What can you do?

Adapting to this will not only see you engage with customers better and enhance the customer experience. It will also help to build an advantage against your competitors. Here are four tips to help do this, all of which are covered in the webinar.

  • Define a purpose – make sure you know why you are interacting in this channel and how it is adding value to your customers.
  • Storify – tell a story and let your followers not only join in this process but be the creators of content.
  • Listen –  understand your key communities, when, how and why they interact, what content they like and who are the right people to speak to to ensure the message is amplified.
  • Target & Engage – define not only how you interact with customers on social sites but also utilise this information in contact strategies for other channels.

Any strategic initiative and tactical elements built around these will give your brand a great chance to not only be effective in social channels but also enhance how interactions move across other channels in the customer’s path to purchase.