When it comes to customers, there are two types of shoppers: the thorough shopper and the efficient shopper.

Typically, the thorough shopper exhaustively researches multiple options before making a purchase. They want to make sure they get exactly what they’re looking for, which can lead to some serious research time.

On the other hand, an efficient shopper doesn’t want to waste time doing research—they just want to know if a product is worth their money.

Retailers that understand this distinction can shape their approaches to acquire and retain customers, including developing content and leveraging social media in a way that’s tailored to each consumer type.

Consumers with kids at home are less efficient shoppers

In a recent survey of roughly 1,700 consumers by Gartner, it was found that younger customers are far more likely than older ones to be efficient shoppers.

There were no significant differences between respondents’ gender or income, with one exception: the percentage of efficient shoppers (47 percent) is higher among female consumers with kids at home than female consumers without (36 percent), signaling to retail brands that family responsibilities can reduce the time spent evaluating product purchase options.

When it comes to shopping, thorough shoppers are meticulous. They’re committed to finding the perfect thing, and they don’t stop searching until they find it. Efficient shoppers take a different approach: they like what they see, so they buy it.

But while thorough and efficient shoppers may differ in their approach, they both want the same thing: a great product at a great price. And that’s why social media is such a powerful tool for brands—consumers are more likely to buy things they see advertised on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

This finding is particularly interesting because it supports the generation gap in social media usage.

One-third of efficient shoppers follow the accounts of social media influencers such as celebrities and other online personalities who promote or share brand-sponsored content—so they can do it too.

30 percent of thorough shoppers follow topic experts, such as popular YouTube channels or bloggers, who help them make informed buying decisions.

Social commerce has raised the stakes for brands, who now have to know how their customers are engaging with social media. This means that marketers need a better understanding of customer engagement than ever before in order to succeed on social platforms.

Product attributes are becoming more important to consumers.

In the past two years, most people have shifted their focus with regards to which product attributes they value when making a purchase.

The percentage of thorough shoppers who say that price is more important than it was two years ago has increased by 14 percent compared with last year’s number, while the proportion of efficient shoppers who place greater emphasis on getting the latest features rather than lower prices has dropped 9% over this same period.

For the same reason, it’s important for marketers to craft product descriptions that get across key features without confusing people who are looking to buy.

Social gaming platforms are emerging as a way for brands to appeal to Gen Z consumers. These virtual environments enable people to share and shop for products in styles that reflect their own personalities—even if the pieces aren’t necessarily affordable.

A continuous learning environment is a powerful tool for keeping your customers engaged.

The Thorough Shopper is an avid learner, and if your products require instruction to get up to speed, this type of information can be invaluable to her — both pre- and post-purchase.

Incorporating a learning environment, such as a university-type learning center with how-to videos, a blog for your product users or a tips newsletter, can be compelling ways to keep a Thorough Shopper involved with your product.

Effecient shoppers may just ignore this, or may use it sparringly but will never be turned off by more content unless it’s force on them.

Comparisons are useful for both types of shoppers: Both shoppers interested in learning more about the products you offer. He wants to explore all of her options, but he also wants to be able to easily flag specific products that interest him.

By displaying flagged products in a matrix, you provide your customer with the information she needs to compare and contrast different options. Quickly returning her focus on any given item will streamline decision-making for her.

Interactive Content works for All. This shopper is looking for a new laptop. She wants to see how it works in a variety of situations, like working on a plane or at the beach. She also wants to know how much money she’ll save by buying this particular model instead of others.

Help her make a decision by providing interactive content that shows how the product works in different settings and allows her to click on it for more information. The Efficient shopper may just browse, and the Thorough Shopper will go more in-depth.

This will help her understand how the product applies to her needs and discover uses she may not have considered. For larger purchases, interactive calculators showing the value of her investment can be highly persuasive. This shopper loves data so help her see how to use it in her decision-making process.

Diagrams and Product Features Help Everyone 
You’ve probably heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” But there’s another saying that we like even better: “A picture is worth a thousand sales.”

Do you know why? Because when a customer can see what they’re buying, they feel confident in their purchase and are much more likely to buy it.

So if your product solves an issue that your customers have, or if it helps them achieve something they want (like helping them lose weight or get fit), consider adding diagrams or illustrations that show the process for using your product.

 They will help boost their confidence that your product will solve their problem and that they can use it competently.

When she asks for product information, give her more than just a list of features. Tell her why each feature is important and what it will accomplish.

 Some shoppers will go in-depth, like the Thorough Shopper: She’ll research everything from buying guides to expert analysis, user manuals and use cases before deciding whether or not a product is right for her.

The Efficient Shopper, however, will use the list to comparison shop, and probably won’t go too in-depth but again, won’t be turned off by the information provided.

Customer-generated content has always been a great way to get your customers involved in the marketing process. But what’s the best way to use it?

One of the most effective ways to engage with your customers is by showcasing how they use your products in their everyday lives. Just look at GoPro, which has capitalized on this concept and made it central to its marketing strategy—and notice how powerfully that resonates with audiences.

By showing your customers how other people use and enjoy the products you sell, they have more opportunities to get excited about what’s possible. And because these images represent real humans just like them, it makes them feel connected—like part of a community!

Customer-generated content is a good resource for both types of shoppers because it offers immediate information and allows customers to continue searching if they need more.

When it comes to eCommerce, these are the best of times and the worst of times. Online shoppers have never had so many choices, and online sellers have never faced so many challenges.

Because eCommerce is growing worldwide, and online-only discounters continue to put pressure on traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, it’s more challenging than ever for business owners to differentiate their products.

But if companies are going to meet the demands of all types of shoppers, they first need to learn how to recognize — and satisfy — those demands.

Social media is a powerful tool to build relationships with your customers and attract new ones. But if you’re not careful, your business can waste time, energy and money on strategies that don’t work because you have, to be frank here, a horrible social media team.

I’m not sure why this happens, even with all the training, knowledge and tools that are available. Part of it is that many Chief Marketing Officers don’t have the time to monitor every single daily aspect of their marketing, and often see social media as nothing more than a customer service platform and haven’t really thought of it as a core marketing platform.

Don’t let your Social Media Team get away with being lazy, learn what they are doing, or more importantly, what they are not doing right.

They Post without a Strategy 

You can’t believe how many companies just “trust” their social media team to do whatever they say they are doing. You should be asking simple questions of them, if you aren’t already and getting lots of feedback. Do they write and schedule your social media posts in advance? Do they review analytics statistics to see what kind of audience is responding well—and which parts are falling flat? Every business needs a social media strategy.

The goal of content marketing is to spread a company’s message and grow its audience. A variety of goals can be achieved through effective content marketing, including increased sales or long-term customer relationships 

Develop a strategy for your business and understand how it will benefit you. You must consider things such as the amount of time you want to dedicate to the project, and what products or services are best suited for this particular market—and remember that all businesses have their most successful customers (the ones who account for 80% of sales).

A common mistake is that some companies just don’t have a social media strategy. They post content and hope that it will work out well. However, if you’re posting without any plan or goal in mind, then chances are your posts won’t convert into sales or leads because they won’t align with the goals of your target audience.

Posting all about you 

Are all your posts about the business or products you sell? Do you try to get people to buy from you in every post? You may be turning off customers who dislike hard selling.

One way to attract attention and build your audience is by posting about yourself. However, remember the 80:20 rule of content marketing: only 20% of your posts should be self-promotional; the other 80% should offer value to readers—for instance, tips or news shared from others within your industry. Because of this, you’ll need to alter your ratio from month to month depending on market conditions.

It’s important not to get too wrapped up in yourself. No one is going to buy from you if they don’t know what you have to offer, and if all your posts are about your company or product, it will be hard for potential customers to find out. Posting all about yourself can also come across as self-serving and turn off potential buyers.

 Instead of posting one long advertisement per day or week (which would make people ignore them), post a variety of content that has value for different types of people—from customers interested in making purchases to those who just want tips or interesting articles they can share with their friends.

You see no growth over time.
If you’re not seeing an increase in your follower count, it’s not always a sign of a problem. However, if your followers aren’t growing and your engagement rates are low, then you may have a problem on your hands. If you don’t want to post more often than once or twice a week—and this is fine!—then find ways to engage with those who already follow you more frequently and make sure they feel appreciated for their loyalty.

It’s easy to get caught up in what we’re posting about and forget that it’s the people behind social media accounts who are part of the equation (not just us). If no one is responding positively to what we do online—not even our closest friends or family members—then something needs changing ASAP!

Your team isn’t Investing in Needed Skills

Social media marketing is a complex area of marketing and if you have no marketing background, ask yourself the following questions:

Do you know how to craft customer personas? Can you design the right sociable brand—one that engages your customers and builds earned relationships with influencers?

If your team can’t explain how to use social media in a way that generates desired results, will they be able to tell whether their efforts are successful? 

I’ve noticed a lot of people who were “experts” when Facebook was young and new, but haven’t updated their resume at all in that time. Many teams have become lazy and haven’t taken the time to grow their knowledge base.

Your team is  Distracted by Flashy Tactics 

If you focus on one-off tactics rather than creating a social media strategy, your business will never grow beyond where it is right now. To figure out how to proceed with your marketing efforts, you need to think about what business goals you want to achieve and then come up with a strategy for doing so in the most cost-effective manner possible.

Understand that everything takes time, and you must assess whether the time used to complete a project will be worth what it’ll give you. Consider your return on investment (ROI). Beware any flashy tactic: They usually become obsolete quickly.

You Act Like a Big Brand – You’re Not 

If you try to model your social media marketing strategy after Coca-Cola or Nike, chances are you will fall short of their success. Top companies like these have built brand equity over decades—and unless you’re prepared to go to market with immense budgets, trying copy them probably won’t work.

Small to mid-sized businesses working on a limited marketing budget need to work extra hard (and smart) in order for their social media efforts not simply be ignored. Never assume that people will understand what you’re trying if they don’t already know about your business—everyone has an audience of one, so make sure it’s the right one

Be realistic, humble and hardworking as you build your brand.

Even the most well-known brands have to stay true to who they are and what their customers like.

To be visible, focus on your product or service—not yourself. Communicate what makes you unique: products/services, culture and mission.

If you want to successfully promote your employer or client, don’t just talk about how great they are; focus on what sets them apart from everyone else in their industry and why people should care.

Social media is about building relationships with your followers, and if you aren’t doing that, it’s not working!

If you’re not posting content that showcases your personality or the personality of your brand, people will stop following you.

Don’t get me wrong – I love social media. But it’s a tool, not the whole strategy. You can’t just set up accounts, post once in a while and expect to see results. Social media takes time and effort, but when done right it can be one of the most powerful tools for your business. Especially now, with economic downturn, owned media channels like social media are important more than ever and if you’re not optimizing that channel, you’re missing out a great opportunity to grow even now.

Social media is a powerful tool to build relationships with your customers and attract new ones. But if you’re not careful, your business can waste time, energy and money on strategies that don’t work because you have, to be frank here, a horrible social media team.

I’m not sure why this happens, even with all the training, knowledge and tools that are available. Part of it is that many Chief Marketing Officers don’t have the time to monitor every single daily aspect of their marketing, and often see social media as nothing more than a customer service platform and haven’t really thought of it as a core marketing platform.

Don’t let your Social Media Team get away with being lazy, learn what they are doing, or more importantly, what they are not doing right.

They Post without a Strategy 

You can’t believe how many companies just “trust” their social media team to do whatever they say they are doing. You should be asking simple questions of them, if you aren’t already and getting lots of feedback. Do they write and schedule your social media posts in advance? Do they review analytics statistics to see what kind of audience is responding well—and which parts are falling flat? Every business needs a social media strategy.

The goal of content marketing is to spread a company’s message and grow its audience. A variety of goals can be achieved through effective content marketing, including increased sales or long-term customer relationships 

Develop a strategy for your business and understand how it will benefit you. You must consider things such as the amount of time you want to dedicate to the project, and what products or services are best suited for this particular market—and remember that all businesses have their most successful customers (the ones who account for 80% of sales).

A common mistake is that some companies just don’t have a social media strategy. They post content and hope that it will work out well. However, if you’re posting without any plan or goal in mind, then chances are your posts won’t convert into sales or leads because they won’t align with the goals of your target audience.

Posting all about you 

Are all your posts about the business or products you sell? Do you try to get people to buy from you in every post? You may be turning off customers who dislike hard selling.

One way to attract attention and build your audience is by posting about yourself. However, remember the 80:20 rule of content marketing: only 20% of your posts should be self-promotional; the other 80% should offer value to readers—for instance, tips or news shared from others within your industry. Because of this, you’ll need to alter your ratio from month to month depending on market conditions.

It’s important not to get too wrapped up in yourself. No one is going to buy from you if they don’t know what you have to offer, and if all your posts are about your company or product, it will be hard for potential customers to find out. Posting all about yourself can also come across as self-serving and turn off potential buyers.

 Instead of posting one long advertisement per day or week (which would make people ignore them), post a variety of content that has value for different types of people—from customers interested in making purchases to those who just want tips or interesting articles they can share with their friends.

You see no growth over time.
If you’re not seeing an increase in your follower count, it’s not always a sign of a problem. However, if your followers aren’t growing and your engagement rates are low, then you may have a problem on your hands. If you don’t want to post more often than once or twice a week—and this is fine!—then find ways to engage with those who already follow you more frequently and make sure they feel appreciated for their loyalty.

It’s easy to get caught up in what we’re posting about and forget that it’s the people behind social media accounts who are part of the equation (not just us). If no one is responding positively to what we do online—not even our closest friends or family members—then something needs changing ASAP!

Your team isn’t Investing in Needed Skills

Social media marketing is a complex area of marketing and if you have no marketing background, ask yourself the following questions:

Do you know how to craft customer personas? Can you design the right sociable brand—one that engages your customers and builds earned relationships with influencers?

If your team can’t explain how to use social media in a way that generates desired results, will they be able to tell whether their efforts are successful? 

I’ve noticed a lot of people who were “experts” when Facebook was young and new, but haven’t updated their resume at all in that time. Many teams have become lazy and haven’t taken the time to grow their knowledge base.

Your team is  Distracted by Flashy Tactics 

If you focus on one-off tactics rather than creating a social media strategy, your business will never grow beyond where it is right now. To figure out how to proceed with your marketing efforts, you need to think about what business goals you want to achieve and then come up with a strategy for doing so in the most cost-effective manner possible.

Understand that everything takes time, and you must assess whether the time used to complete a project will be worth what it’ll give you. Consider your return on investment (ROI). Beware any flashy tactic: They usually become obsolete quickly.

You Act Like a Big Brand – You’re Not 

If you try to model your social media marketing strategy after Coca-Cola or Nike, chances are you will fall short of their success. Top companies like these have built brand equity over decades—and unless you’re prepared to go to market with immense budgets, trying copy them probably won’t work.

Small to mid-sized businesses working on a limited marketing budget need to work extra hard (and smart) in order for their social media efforts not simply be ignored. Never assume that people will understand what you’re trying if they don’t already know about your business—everyone has an audience of one, so make sure it’s the right one

Be realistic, humble and hardworking as you build your brand.

Even the most well-known brands have to stay true to who they are and what their customers like.

To be visible, focus on your product or service—not yourself. Communicate what makes you unique: products/services, culture and mission.

If you want to successfully promote your employer or client, don’t just talk about how great they are; focus on what sets them apart from everyone else in their industry and why people should care.

Social media is about building relationships with your followers, and if you aren’t doing that, it’s not working!

If you’re not posting content that showcases your personality or the personality of your brand, people will stop following you.

Don’t get me wrong – I love social media. But it’s a tool, not the whole strategy. You can’t just set up accounts, post once in a while and expect to see results. Social media takes time and effort, but when done right it can be one of the most powerful tools for your business. Especially now, with economic downturn, owned media channels like social media are important more than ever and if you’re not optimizing that channel, you’re missing out a great opportunity to grow even now.