Social customers love sharing their experiences and purchases with their friends, family and even strangers, on and offline

They will often take a lead from others when forming their opinions and enjoy the sense of belonging they feel when talking to or behaving in a way that’s similar to others they like or feel a connection with or affiliation to.

Social customers love hearing the opinions and reviews of others before and after they buy - and as they will talk to anyone, you never know who they will recommend your products or services to. But be warned - if they are unhappy or dissatisfied, they will also share that to the world.

Traits of social customers

• Community-focused
• Honest with feedback
• Needs personalization
• Trend and new product focused
• Values customer experience

Get their attention

• They love seeing pictures or reviews of what others have done or felt about your products or services. If enough of their peer group recommend, they'll feel more confident to buy.
• You need to be seen in the right place, saying the right thing. Social customers buy based on feeling as much as they do facts. You need to write, talk or say something that supports their point of view - or that makes you feel like part of their network. Being connected to things they care for, admire or follow will serve you well.
• Being part of their world can be as much about a cause as it could be about a style, an experience or a set of people.

Help them Purchase

• Because these customers have a strong need to feel part of a group, it is important that you can be identified as part of a group that they would also like to be connected to. 
• You can do this by bringing attention to your customer base, locality, product range or beliefs - ethical and sustainable for example could be a significant pull to a social buyer.
• If they have engaged with you try and include them anyway you can - ask them their opinion - let them feel involved in your business, your process, your product - they want to build relationships so that they feel connected.

How you will lose them

• If the brand doesn’t stand for something
• Too many facts and not enough feelings
• There is no human side to the business