Social media can be a useful platform to help a business connect and engage with its core customers. If done correctly, social media can prove to be a very powerful tool to help expand a business’s marketing efforts. Below are some interesting ways social media influences consumer behavior:

• Social media works as an extension of the word of mouth marketing. In the past, you had to ask your friends about particular products or services. Today with social media, you know what your friends think about a product or service directly on your newsfeed. This elevated sense of awareness is what makes social media recommendations so powerful. Read this article.
• Building social proof. It is a very well known fact that humans tend to be bias towards attitudes and behaviors that are common among peers. Social media can serve as a social validator of a product or service. The more interactions, likes, and positive comments, a particular product or service has, the more likely it is for other people to have a positive association with that particular brand.
• Social media can influence consumer behavior subconsciously. Just like in the past, subliminal messages and images had a profound effect on television; today social media can be used for subconscious marketing. A brand can promote a particular piece of media that is both viral and has a subliminal message. When people engage with the media, they will be spreading the message as social proof and the subliminal message can help influence other non-engaged people.
• Social media can be used to change brand attitudes. Consumer behavior is tied to several variables but among the most salient ones is positive brand perception. If people resonate with your product or service, this helps them reinforce the image they have of your brand and can help you increase customer loyalty. Among one of the most dominant factors that make social media a powerful tool is the fact that clients can become brand advocates and further expand the marketing message organically. See this publication.

Social media is a very powerful tool for public relations, brand management, and overall marketing. By creating a cohesive and consistent social media presence, your business can reap the benefits of social media’s ability to influence customer’s behavior.