How to use social media to shape consumer decision-making

According to an article in the McKinsey Quarterly - based widely on an article published by Edelman in the Harvard Business Review in December 2010 - social media has four primary functions:

1. To Monitor
   Know what's said about your products and services continuously and forward that information to relevant functions within your company. This way, companies can gain insights about product design and marketing as well as advance warning of potentially negative publicity. 
   
2. To Respond
   Monitoring is a good start but companies also need to engage in conversations at a personal level. Companies can respond to provide customer service, uncover sales leads, and engage in crisis management. Companies should also respond to counter negative comments and reinforce positive ones. Proactive, rapid, transparent, and honest conversations are key and can positively influence consumer sentiment and behavior.
   
3. To Amplify
Amplification involves "designing your marketing activities to have an inherently social motivator that spurs broader engagement and sharing." Companies should invite customers into an experience that they can choose to extend by joining a conversation with the brand, product, fellow users, and other enthusiasts. It means that companies should offer experiences that customers are excited about sharing with others.


4. To LeadCompanies should use social media to lead customers toward long-term behavioral changes. This might involve enhancing brand awareness by driving web traffic to content about your company or market offerings. Companies might also generate buzz through product launches or solicit consumer feedback after the purchase.

For more information about these four primary functions of social media, check out the following article Demystifying social media - McKinsey Quarterly