The 7 stages of the customer journey on Instagram

According to official Instagram data, 75% of American companies use this social network to promote their products and services. And for good reason, Instagram helps 81% of consumers make up their minds before investing in a service or product. According to IFOP, 95% of French people look for information on the web before buying a product or service.

Most of the time, therefore, it's on the web that the customer journey begins. Are you developing your business on Instagram, but don't know how to optimize your conversion rate? Have you never heard of the "parcours client"? You don't know the different levels of customer maturation?

In this article you'll learn to get to know your buyers better. But also, to better understand the whole process that takes them all the way to the purchase of your products or services. Thanks to the 7 key stages of the customer journey on Instagram, you'll be able to deploy a relevant strategy to increase your company's sales on this social network.

What'is a "digital customer journey" on Instagram?

The digital customer journey is defined as the various points of interaction a visitor has with a brand. In short, it's all the digital steps and actions taken by a web surfer towards a brand present on Instagram. A customer journey generally begins when a person discovers a brand for the first time. This is the beginning of a relationship, sometimes a long one, with a brand. This relationship is evolving - that's why we talk about levels of maturation.

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Nowadays, user experience (UX) is extremely important. It's a crucial point that determines the success of your business. Today, 80% of consumers consider their experience with a brand as important as its products. Consumers expect a consistent brand experience and responsive customer service. Accurately determining your customer journey will help you:

• improve the customer experience by limiting friction points at every stage;
• anticipate the needs and expectations of your buyers thanks to more refined customer knowledge;
• better control the relationship with your users, because you'll know when and how to communicate to provide them with all the information they need according to their position in the buying cycle.

Such an approach is necessary at a time when the points of contact between brands and customers are diversifying. The latter take multiple paths before finalizing their purchase: identifying and anticipating them is the first step in offering a fluid and homogeneous experience across all your channels, and thus building an omnichannel customer journey.

The 7 steps that define customer maturity on Instagram

<1/ The encounter between the web user and your Instagram profile (cold lead)

This is the first step in the customer journey - when they first discover your brand and products/services. For the consumer to get to the first step, it's because he's looking for something. They have a specific need, and they're looking for the best solution to meet that need. As a company expanding on IG, this stage is crucial since you need to be able to anticipate all customer needs and provide the right solutions.

<2/ The visitor consumes the content on your Instagram account (cold lead)

Once visitors discover your Instagram account, they'll discover your content visible on your Instagram feed: videos, carousels, photos, descriptions, biography, etc. To familiarize themselves with your brand image, they'll get to know you by devouring your content. Then, if your content strategy is well polished, the visitor will see that you're delivering quality content and look forward to your future posts.

<3/ L'instagrammeur.se views stories regularly (lukewarm prospect)

If the consumer loves what you're offering, they're curious to see the value of your future content. Indeed, most people are curious and like to identify with a brand. An instagrammer.se who starts consuming your stories every day is a prospect who is more inclined to buy your products or services.

<4/ The instagrammer.se gets to know your brand (lukewarm prospect)

Through the content you share on Instagram, the prospect gets to know you. This is the intermediate phase between a "lukewarm" prospect and a "hot" prospect. At this stage, the prospect begins to identify with your brand image. They like your communication and brand image, and are beginning to plan to invest in you.

5/ The subscriber trusts you (warm prospect)

For several days, even weeks, the subscriber has been paying close attention to your every move. He has analyzed your publications, your website, your customer reviews, the comments of your fanbase, etc. The prospect trusts you, and that's great news for your brand. From now on, he enters the circle of hot prospects, people ready to move on to interact with your brand.

6/ He engages with your Instagram content (hot prospect)

There we go. The prospect reveals their interest with your brand by leaving a comment on your latest Insta post, replying to your story or even sharing your content with their loved ones. After 5 long stages, the prospect has taken the time to appreciate you and is now one of the subscribers who like what your brand offers.

7/ The prospect is ready to buy (very hot prospect)

Now the prospect is ready to take action and buy your services or products. This buying stage turns your so-called "hot" prospect into a customer. However, during and after the purchase, the customer journey continues. You need to make it easier for your customer to buy. To do this, provide a responsive customer service team to answer all their questions and reassure them. Then, once the purchase has been made, make sure your customer has all the information he needs.

• How long does delivery take?
• If he needs to assemble the product, how should he go about it?
• Does the product have any conditions to meet in order to use it properly?
• etc.

Analyzing the customer journey on Instagram

Analyzing the customer journey on Instagram allows you to optimize your buying process. In fact, every step of customer maturation needs to be analyzed and optimized to maximize your company's returns on Insta. There are 3 questions you absolutely must ask yourself.

1. What the web user does throughout the customer journey.
2. What they think when discovering your brand and products on Instagram.
3. The quality of their buying experience. Ask them what they think! Don't hesitate to send an e-mail to your customers when they've placed an order. To thank them for ordering from you, but also to find out how their experience with your brand has been (positive, negative or mixed).

Bref, get to know your customers, and you'll have more keys in hand to optimize the user experience. The goal is for someone who has just discovered your brand to feel comfortable, understood and important.

The 7 stages of the customer journey on Instagram at a glance

1. The encounter between the web user and your Instagram profile (cold lead).
2. The visitor consumes content from your Instagram account (cold lead).
3. The instagrammer.se views stories regularly (lukewarm lead).
4. The instagrammer.se gets to know your brand (lukewarm prospect).
5. The'subscriber trusts you (warm prospect).
6. It engages with your Instagram content (warm prospect).
7. The prospect is ready to buy (very warm prospect).

Our experts Boostfluence share these 7 steps to give you a holistic view of your customer journey so you can improve your conversion process. To focus all your attention on this aspect, plan and automate your Instagram posts by subscribing to our Boostfluence services.