1.15 billion people use Facebook. Half of those users have made checking Facebook part of their regular morning routine, with nearly a third logging on before they get out of bed in the morning.
Social media has become central to our customers’ lives. Our customers put tremendous time and energy into constructing their social personas—their digital presentation of their idealized self—through Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram photos, and more. They’re also extremely responsive to the information being shared by their friends.
Through technology, the average person has an ability to connect with people and organizations on a scale that was unfathomable a generation ago. It’s time we talk about what this change means to our customers, especially in terms of their purchasing decisions.
Technology Changes, People Remain the Same
When you walk down the street, pay attention to how many people are “plugged in”—their focus on a smartphone screen, almost completely oblivious to the physical world around them. This behavior may seen to be a relatively new phenomenon, but it has its roots deeply planted in mankind’s history. As long as there have been people, we have been driven to communicate with each other. We have an innate need to connect.
Maslow first articulated how important it was for humankind to belong to a group of like-minded individuals. The drive to belong to a community is one of the strongest motivating forces shaping human behavior. We make all kinds of decisions—what types of clothes to wear, what entertainment we enjoy, where we go to school, even who we consider a suitable romantic partner—based in large part on how it will strengthen our connection to our communities of choice.
This is a very biological aspect of our being. Stress levels drop off, with lower blood pressure, less gastrointestinal distress, and fewer associated complaints in environments where people feel like they belong. These environments can exist online or off: our customers see the two interchangeably.
Examining Your Customers’ Idealized Selves
When we look at our customers on Facebook, it’s important to understand that the information they choose to post and share, from photos of their vacation to their favorite music, movies, and books, is an elaborate communicative dance designed to signal to all viewers essential elements of that individual’s idealized identity. Our customers put a tremendous amount of time developing their social media presence, and they pay a lot of attention to the information their friends are sharing.
Social media has become a driver of demand. As Brand Managers, we need to understand what communities our customers belong to, and watch those communities to identify emerging trends. The conversations that occur on social media don’t necessarily tell us who our customers are—they tell us who our customers want to be. This is a critical understanding for the brand who wants to put customers first.
Be A Better Brand Manager: The Essentials
- Social media is a platform for your customers to present their idealized self. Look to social media to discover not who your customers are, but who they want to be.
- All customers are motivated by the need to find a community where they belong and are valued.
- Social media has become a driver of demand, as customers seek out items they’ve seen members of their community of choice post about.