Chances are you love the social media strategy of large consumer brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, Oatly, and Gymshark. As an owner of a professional service business, the social media strategy changes. Let’s dive into the 10 ways consumer brands and professional services differ while identifying how it impacts your social media strategy.
1. Tangible vs. Intangible
Consumer Brand: Products can be shown in photos or videos, making them easy to market visually.
Professional Service: Services are intangible and based on expertise.
Social Media Impact: Professional services need to focus on educational content such as articles, webinars, or case studies to demonstrate expertise, rather than relying on visuals.
2. Decision-Making Time
Consumer Brand: Shorter decision-making process, often driven by impulse.
Professional Service: Requires longer, thoughtful decision-making.
Social Media Impact: Professional services must focus on long-term relationship-building, using consistent content to guide prospects through an extended buyer journey, rather than quick calls to action.
3. Price Point
Consumer Brand: Lower-cost, easy purchases.
Professional Service: Higher-cost, complex engagements.
Social Media Impact: Professional services should provide value-driven content to justify the high price point, such as sharing success stories, client testimonials, or ROI metrics.
4. Emotional vs. Rational Purchase
Consumer Brand: Often driven by emotion (e.g., aesthetics or social influence).
Professional Service: Typically more rational, based on trust and expertise.
Social Media Impact: Content needs to emphasize credibility and thought leadership, showcasing expertise and building trust through detailed insights, not emotional appeals.
5. Risk Level
Consumer Brand: Low risk; most purchases are easily returnable.
Professional Service: High risk; poor service can have lasting consequences.
Social Media Impact: Professional services need to address risk concerns by showcasing their expertise through client reviews, detailed case studies, and thought leadership to build confidence in their capabilities.
6. Customer Journey
Consumer Brand: Shorter, focused on quick purchases.
Professional Service: Longer journey with more research and decision-making steps.
Social Media Impact: Professional services should create content that nurtures leads, providing helpful information at different stages of the journey, such as educational content, news-related content, and objection handling.
7. Customization
Consumer Brand: Products are usually mass-produced with limited personalization.
Professional Service: Services are highly customized to client needs.
Social Media Impact: Use social media to emphasize custom solutions through personalized content, showcasing specific ways the service can adapt to meet individual client challenges.
8. Post-Purchase Engagement
Consumer Brand: Engagement may include product reviews or customer service after the purchase.
Professional Service: Ongoing engagement, relationship building, and follow-up services.
Social Media Impact: Professional services should use social platforms to maintain ongoing client relationships, sharing relevant updates, follow-ups, and continued support to stay engaged post-sale.
9. Immediate vs. Long-Term Satisfaction
Consumer Brand: Instant gratification from the product.
Professional Service: Satisfaction based on long-term results and ongoing engagement.
Social Media Impact: Share long-term success stories and results, providing evidence of the long-term value clients gain from working with the service.
10. Impact of Reviews and Referrals
Consumer Brand: Product reviews offer quick social proof.
Professional Service: Referrals and testimonials are critical for building trust and credibility.
Social Media Impact: Highlight client testimonials, case studies, and endorsements prominently to establish trust and showcase proven results through real customer experiences.
By recognizing these differences, professional services can shape a more tailored, strategic social media approach that focuses on building trust, demonstrating value, and nurturing long-term relationships.
MarketingBound.com powers this newsletter. We do social media for high-ticket offers. We’re giving all our secrets away so you can do it yourself. If you don't want to do it yourself, we’re always here to help.
Comments