why search + social = success for brands

WHY SEARCH + SOCIAL = SUCCESS FOR BRANDS

THE ROLE OF SEARCH AND SOCIAL WITHIN THE CUSTOMER LIFE CYCLE* *A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Catalyst

Boston

CATALYST AND FORRESTER: WORKING TOGETHER

SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016

Brands are waking up to a world in which their customers have access to more information, across more channels, and have more control in their relationships with brands than ever before. – Forrester Consulting

“


It’s more complex than ever for brands to choose the right channels... – Forrester Consulting

“


Search & Social Have a Unique Power to Bring Consumers and Brands Together.


FROM THE WHITE PAPER

•  March 2015, we commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate how online consumers use search and social media through all the various touchpoints of their purchase journey.

•  Forrester tested our idea that search and social are crucial components of the customer lifecycle, and play a complementary role to one another.

•  There was an online survey of 999 consumers who had used online channels to shop within a 3 month period across multiple verticals…


…AND HERE ARE THE RESULTS!

UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE


The customer lifecycle begins with channels that:

•  Reach your customer by painting an appealing image

•  Support depth in the product exploration process

•  Solidify the relationship, engagement, and emotional bond customers have with a brand.

THE CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE

Reach

Depth

Relationship

ExploreDiscover

Buy

Engage


All of which promote discovery, exploration, purchasing, and continual engagement.


Search & Social are imperative to product discovery, choice, and interaction with companies and brands.

THE POWER OF SEARCH & SOCIAL


SEARCH & SOCIAL CHANNELS EXAMINED

Search Channels in The Study Include: •  Customer Searches on Search Engines •  Customer Searches on eRetailers •  Customer Searches on Social Media

Social Channels in the Study Include: •  Major social platforms •  Video sharing sites •  Blogs (company or personal) •  Review sites and communities

SEARCH: A PRIMARY TOOL IN THE CUSTOMER’S LIFECYCLE


SEARCH IS A TOP SOURCE OF INFORMATION

90% The percentage of the 999 consumers questioned who USE SEARCH when discovering, exploring, and engaging with products and services.


Search Provides Insight.

At all stages in the lifecycle, Search is there to

provide information and insight on products &

services.


Search Outpaces Traditional Media. Search activity for discovery and product engagement is on a continual rise, as discovery and engagement from traditional advertising channels is falling.


Percentage of consumers who turn to search in the discovery phase of the lifecycle versus…

…the percentage of those who turn to TV advertising for product discovery.

95% 50%

SEARCH OUTPACES TRADITIONAL MEDIA


Which of the following ways do you use Search to:

Discover/find out about new products, brands, or services?

Research products brands or services? Keep in touch with products, brands, or services?

SEARCH IS THERE THROUGHOUT THE FULL CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Reach

Depth

Relationship

ExploreDiscover

Buy

Engage


REACH



DEPTH



RELATIONSHIP



Search is the Best Way to Reach Customers. It is a gateway to brand content and effective in building and maintaining relationships.


Search is… The main way for customers to access information they need to make informed decisions about what products they want to buy.


Search is… A true launch pad for customers to find what they are looking for on brand sites and retail locales.


Search is… A valuable tool for customers to re-visit retailers and companies, and even to see how other customers are using the products they had also purchased.

SOCIAL: DRIVING INCREASED BRAND VALUE


SOCIAL IS ABOUT QUALITY OF CUSTOMER – NOT QUANTITY OF CUSTOMERS

Reach

Depth

Relationship

ExploreDiscover

Buy

Engage

At all stages in the lifecycle, Social is an impactful media channel for the 999 surveyed customers, however, this impact is seen more in the QUALITY of interactions with friends and brands, rather than the quantity. How do customers use social media throughout the purchase journey?


REACH


DEPTH


RELATIONSHIP


Let’s dive deeper into how social media drives value in the lifecycle…


REACH & DISCOVERY: FRIENDS DRIVE PRODUCT AWARENESS IN SOCIAL MORE THAN BRANDS

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

I saw a friend's post about a brand

I asked my friends on social about a brand

I saw a brand's post about their products

I saw a sponsored post on a social site

52%

27%

43%

14%

Consumer Influencers in Social: 81% by friends, 58% by brands


81% Of consumers are interested in various products or services because of the influence of a friend’s post.

Versus

Of consumers are interested in various products or services because of the influence of a company’s post. 58%

A “friend’s” post or product suggestion is more valuable and influential to a customer in a purchase decision than a company’s own product post or advertisement.

DEPTH & RESEARCH: INFO GATHERED ON SOCIAL CHANNELS DRIVES VALUE & TRUST


Social Drives Value and Trust for Customers. Customer review sites are the top social media channel, as they are used to research products, driving trust.


Social Drives Value and Trust for Customers. 73% of customers would pay more for a brand they “like” on social and 76% of customers would share information on products and brands with friends and family in the space as well.


Social Drives Value and Trust for Customers. Customers who use social channels to research products are likely among the company’s best, with 52% saying they spend $250 or more online after visiting a social site.


Social Drives Value and Trust for Customers. The more hype around a product or service on social media, the more valuable the information is to customers.


Social is the Way Brands Reach Their Most Engaged Customers. Customer review sites, blogs and personal social networks providing social content to customers has inherent value for the most engaged set of people looking for and purchasing products.

In return, customers reward brands with repeat purchases, continued brand loyalty, and word-of-mouth advertising within their respective social circles.

ONGOING RELATIONSHIP: SOCIAL MEDIA ENCOURAGES ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS

SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Lifecycle” GroupM commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2015 Reference 1: Please see slide 15 for the full breakdown of customer response to social use throughout the customer lifecycle

88%

87%

•  88% of customers use Social in the Reach & Discovery phase

•  87% of customers use Social in the Depth & Purchase phase

•  66% of customers continue relationships with brands on Social after product purchase1


While 66% is lower than the other phases of the customer lifecycle for Social, these customers who do engage continue to naturally promote the brand and buy again, becoming ambassadors for their favorite products online within their social networks.


Social helps customers stay connected long after purchase, as it provides an outlet to share the benefits of products that they loved – all while promoting prolonged brand engagement.

SEARCH & SOCIAL: YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS ARE USING BOTH


The entire purchase journey is heavily connected to both Search and Social channels: •  Algorithms in search engines favor social content,

promoting back and forth activity between the two media types

•  They drive trust among consumers over online stores and the best customers use both to discover products, research, purchase and then engage with brands again…

SO HOW DO SEARCH & SOCIAL WORK TOGETHER?

SEO algorithms favor Social Content

Info from Search & Social drives more trust than

online stores

Your BEST customers are conAnually using both Search & Social

…Proving that there is a significant benefit to integrating search marketing & social media messaging.


MOST CUSTOMERS USE SEARCH & SOCIAL TO INFORM SHOPPING BEHAVIOR

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Yes No I don't recall

58%

29%

13%

Customers Who Used Search and Social Media To Influence A Purchasing Decision

SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Lifecycle” GroupM commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2015

•  Search is a lead-in to content customers use to find, consider and follow up on purchases they make.

•  Over half who use the Search channel, ultimately also use Social to inform their shopping habits.

•  Those who combine the two channels reward brands they like by spending more with these companies, and promoting them to friends and networks.


Customers Who Use Both Search & Social Spend More.


Search & Social Are Key Ways Customers Relate to Products & Services.

It’s imperative that brands include Search and Social in the marketing media mix.

Customers actively use Search to efficiently access product details for purchasing decisions, and utilize social by interacting with friends and company content, directly influencing buying habits.


KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

•  *Use Search to drive volume and site traffic* •  *Use Social Media to drive value and trust* •  – but most importantly –

•  *Combine Search and Social for the greatest impact and results for business goals*

•  Employing the Search + Social strategy presents a strong opportunity for brands to drive value for customers and proven results for themselves throughout the full customer lifecycle.

Reach

Depth

Relationship

ExploreDiscover

Buy

Engage

APPENDIX


CUSTOMER SHOPPING BEHAVIOR BY VERTICAL


SEARCH + SOCIAL = AMPLIFIES RESULTS

0.37% CVR

0.39% CVR

S+S Search Only

Social Only

Customers are 4.8 times more likely to convert when both the Search and Social channels are used together.

By investigating the customer journey on a single-user level, we can isolate their online paths, revealing the tendency to convert by channel: •  Search only •  Social only •  Search + Social.

Search Only CVR is blended across all SEM & SEO clicks Social ONLY CVR is blended across Facebook and Twitter paid ad clicks

SOURCE: S+S Amplification Case Study, GMSS April 2015


SEARCH + SOCIAL INTEGRATION DRIVES RESULTS

1.89%

0.39% 0.37%

Search + Social Search Only Social Only

CVR by Channel Engagement

5.13x Lift

4.8x Lift

There is a considerable lift in the rate at which customers convert when both Search and Social channels are in their purchase journey verses just search or just social. •  4.8X lift over Search path engagement only.

•  5.13X lift over Social path engagement only.

Search Only CVR is blended across all SEM & SEO clicks Social ONLY CVR is blended across Facebook and Twitter paid ad clicks



KEY TAKEAWAYS

Users who engaged and clicked on Search (SEO/SEM) and Paid Social assets are 4.8X more valuable to advertisers.

LET’S CAPITALIZE ON THE SEARCH + SOCIAL SYNERGIES:

Strategic Recommendations

•  Employ retargeting of organic and paid search clickers in social to maximize reach into

customers who are engaged in both channels to drive social conversion volume.

o  This can result in a 13.7x lift in conversion rate.

•  Employ remarketing of social clickers in search to maximize reach into users who are engaged

in both channels to drive search conversion volume.

o  This can result in a 3.4x lift in conversion rate.


DOWNLOAD THE WHITEPAPER www.catalystdigital.com/forrester-sem-social-media-marketing-success/

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