Brands are waking up to a world in which their customers have access to more information across more channels than ever before. It’s more complex than ever for brands to choose the right channels to drive discovery, exploration, and post-purchase engagement. Read this summary of the joint Catalyst-Forrester whitepaper "Search + Social = Success For Brands" to uncover the benefits of using Search and Social channels throughout the customer life cycle.

1. WHY SEARCH + SOCIAL =
SUCCESS FOR BRANDS
THE ROLE OF SEARCH AND SOCIAL WITHIN THE CUSTOMER LIFE CYCLE*
*A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Catalyst
Boston

2. CATALYST AND FORRESTER:
WORKING TOGETHER

3. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Brands are waking up to a world
in which their customers have
access to more information,
across more channels, and have
more control in their
relationships with brands than
ever before.
– Forrester Consulting
“

4. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
It’s more complex than ever for brands to
choose the right channels...
– Forrester Consulting
“

5. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search & Social Have a
Unique Power to Bring
Consumers and Brands
Together.

6. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
FROM THE WHITE PAPER
• March 2015, we commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate how online
consumers use search and social media through all the various touchpoints
of their purchase journey.
• Forrester tested our idea that search and social are crucial components of
the customer lifecycle, and play a complementary role to one another.
• There was an online survey of 999 consumers who had used online
channels to shop within a 3 month period across multiple verticals…

7. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
…AND HERE ARE THE RESULTS!

8. UNDERSTANDING THE
CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE

9. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
The customer lifecycle begins with
channels that:
• Reach your customer by painting an
appealing image
• Support depth in the product
exploration process
• Solidify the relationship, engagement,
and emotional bond customers have
with a brand.
THE CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE
R
each
Depth
Relationship
Explore
Discover
Buy
Engage

10. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
All of which promote
discovery, exploration,
purchasing, and
continual engagement.

11. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search & Social are imperative
to product discovery, choice,
and interaction with companies
and brands.
THE POWER OF SEARCH & SOCIAL

12. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
SEARCH & SOCIAL CHANNELS EXAMINED
Search Channels in The Study Include:
• Customer Searches on Search Engines
• Customer Searches on eRetailers
• Customer Searches on Social Media
Social Channels in the Study Include:
• Major social platforms
• Video sharing sites
• Blogs (company or personal)
• Review sites and communities

13. SEARCH: A PRIMARY TOOL IN
THE CUSTOMER’S LIFECYCLE

14. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
SEARCH IS A TOP SOURCE OF INFORMATION
90%
The percentage of the 999 consumers questioned who
USE SEARCH when discovering, exploring, and
engaging with products and services.

15. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search Provides
Insight.
At all stages in the
lifecycle, Search is there to
provide information and
insight on products &
services.

16. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search Outpaces
Traditional Media.
Search activity for discovery
and product engagement is on
a continual rise, as discovery
and engagement from
traditional advertising channels
is falling.

17. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Percentage of consumers who turn to search
in the discovery phase of the lifecycle versus…
…the percentage of those who turn to
TV advertising for product discovery.
95% 50%
SEARCH OUTPACES TRADITIONAL MEDIA

18. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Which of the following ways do you use Search to:
Discover/find out about new products, brands, or
services?
Research products brands or services?
Keep in touch with products, brands, or services?
SEARCH IS THERE THROUGHOUT THE FULL CUSTOMER JOURNEY
R
each
Depth
R
elationship
Explore
Discover
Buy
Engage

19. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
REACH
SEARCH IS THERE THROUGHOUT THE FULL CUSTOMER JOURNEY

20. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
DEPTH
SEARCH IS THERE THROUGHOUT THE FULL CUSTOMER JOURNEY

21. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
RELATIONSHIP
SEARCH IS THERE THROUGHOUT THE FULL CUSTOMER JOURNEY

22. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search is the Best Way to
Reach Customers.
It is a gateway to brand content
and effective in building and
maintaining relationships.

23. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search is…
The main way for customers to
access information they need to
make informed decisions about
what products they want to buy.

24. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search is…
A true launch pad for customers
to find what they are looking for
on brand sites and retail locales.

25. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search is…
A valuable tool for customers to
re-visit retailers and companies,
and even to see how other
customers are using the products
they had also purchased.

26. SOCIAL: DRIVING
INCREASED BRAND VALUE

27. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
SOCIAL IS ABOUT QUALITY OF CUSTOMER – NOT QUANTITY OF CUSTOMERS
R
each
Depth
Relationship
Explore
Discover
Buy
Engage
At all stages in the lifecycle, Social is an
impactful media channel for the 999 surveyed
customers, however, this impact is seen more
in the QUALITY of interactions with friends and
brands, rather than the quantity.
How do customers use social media
throughout the purchase journey?

28. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
REACH

29. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
DEPTH

30. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
RELATIONSHIP

31. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Let’s dive deeper into how social media drives
value in the lifecycle…

32. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
REACH & DISCOVERY: FRIENDS DRIVE PRODUCT AWARENESS
IN SOCIAL MORE THAN BRANDS
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
I
saw
a
friend's
post
about
a
brand
I
asked
my
friends
on
social
about
a
brand
I
saw
a
brand's
post
about
their
products
I
saw
a
sponsored
post
on
a
social
site
52%
27%
43%
14%
Consumer
Influencers
in
Social:
81%
by
friends,
58%
by
brands

33. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
81% Of consumers are interested in various products or
services because of the influence of a friend’s post.
Versus
Of consumers are interested in various products or
services because of the influence of a company’s post.58%
A “friend’s” post or product suggestion is more valuable
and influential to a customer in a purchase decision than a
company’s own product post or advertisement.

34. DEPTH & RESEARCH: INFO
GATHERED ON SOCIAL CHANNELS
DRIVES VALUE & TRUST

35. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Social Drives Value and Trust for Customers.
Customer review sites are the top social media channel, as they are
used to research products, driving trust.

36. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Social Drives Value and Trust for Customers.
73% of customers would pay more for a brand they “like” on social
and 76% of customers would share information on products and
brands with friends and family in the space as well.

37. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Social Drives Value and Trust for Customers.
Customers who use social channels to research products are likely
among the company’s best, with 52% saying they spend $250 or
more online after visiting a social site.

38. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Social Drives Value and Trust for Customers.
The more hype around a product or service on social media, the more
valuable the information is to customers.

39. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Social is the Way Brands Reach
Their Most Engaged Customers.
Customer review sites, blogs and personal
social networks providing social content to
customers has inherent value for the most
engaged set of people looking for and
purchasing products.
In return, customers reward brands with
repeat purchases, continued brand loyalty,
and word-of-mouth advertising within their
respective social circles.

40. ONGOING RELATIONSHIP: SOCIAL MEDIA ENCOURAGES
ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS
SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Lifecycle” GroupM commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2015
Reference 1: Please see slide 15 for the full breakdown of customer response to social use throughout the customer lifecycle
88%
87%
• 88% of customers use Social in the
Reach & Discovery phase
• 87% of customers use Social in the
Depth & Purchase phase
• 66% of customers continue
relationships with brands on
Social after product purchase1

41. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
While 66% is lower than the other phases of the customer lifecycle for
Social, these customers who do engage continue to naturally promote
the brand and buy again, becoming ambassadors for their favorite
products online within their social networks.

42. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Social helps customers stay
connected long after
purchase, as it provides an
outlet to share the benefits
of products that they loved –
all while promoting
prolonged brand
engagement.

43. SEARCH & SOCIAL: YOUR BEST
CUSTOMERS ARE USING BOTH

44. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
The entire purchase journey is heavily connected to
both Search and Social channels:
• Algorithms in search engines favor social content,
promoting back and forth activity between the two media
types
• They drive trust among consumers over online stores and
the best customers use both to discover products,
research, purchase and then engage with brands again…
SO HOW DO SEARCH & SOCIAL WORK TOGETHER?
SEO
algorithms
favor
Social
Content
Info
from
Search
&
Social
drives
more
trust
than
online
stores
Your
BEST
customers
are
conAnually
using
both
Search
&
Social
…Proving that there is a significant benefit to integrating
search marketing & social media messaging.

45. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
MOST CUSTOMERS USE SEARCH & SOCIAL
TO INFORM SHOPPING BEHAVIOR
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Yes
No
I
don't
recall
58%
29%
13%
Customers Who Used Search and Social Media
To Influence A Purchasing Decision
SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Lifecycle” GroupM commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2015
• Search is a lead-in to content customers use to find,
consider and follow up on purchases they make.
• Over half who use the Search channel, ultimately
also use Social to inform their shopping habits.
• Those who combine the two channels reward brands
they like by spending more with these companies,
and promoting them to friends and networks.

46. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Customers Who Use Both
Search & Social Spend More.

47. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
Search & Social Are Key Ways
Customers Relate to Products &
Services.
It’s imperative that brands include Search and
Social in the marketing media mix.
Customers actively use Search to efficiently
access product details for purchasing
decisions, and utilize social by interacting with
friends and company content, directly
influencing buying habits.

48. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
• *Use Search to drive volume and site traffic*
• *Use Social Media to drive value and trust*
• – but most importantly –
• *Combine Search and Social for the greatest impact
and results for business goals*
• Employing the Search + Social strategy presents a
strong opportunity for brands to drive value for
customers and proven results for themselves
throughout the full customer lifecycle.
R
each
Depth
Relationship
Explore
Discover
Buy
Engage

49. APPENDIX

50. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
CUSTOMER SHOPPING BEHAVIOR BY VERTICAL

51. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
SEARCH + SOCIAL = AMPLIFIES RESULTS
0.37%
CVR
0.39%
CVR
S+SSearch
Only
Social
Only
Customers are 4.8 times more
likely to convert when both the
Search and Social channels are
used together.
By investigating the customer
journey on a single-user level, we
can isolate their online paths,
revealing the tendency to convert
by channel:
• Search only
• Social only
• Search + Social.
Search Only CVR is blended across all SEM & SEO clicks
Social ONLY CVR is blended across Facebook and Twitter paid ad clicks
SOURCE: S+S Amplification Case Study, GMSS April 2015

52. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
SEARCH + SOCIAL INTEGRATION DRIVES RESULTS
1.89%
0.39%
0.37%
Search + Social Search Only Social Only
CVR
by
Channel
Engagement
5.13x
Lift
4.8x
Lift
There is a considerable lift in the rate at
which customers convert when both Search
and Social channels are in their purchase
journey verses just search or just social.
• 4.8X lift over Search path engagement only.
• 5.13X lift over Social path engagement only.
Search Only CVR is blended across all SEM & SEO clicks
Social ONLY CVR is blended across Facebook and Twitter paid ad clicks
SOURCE: S+S Amplification Case Study, GMSS April 2015

53. SOURCE: “Why Search + Social = Success For Brands, The Role of Search and Social in the Customer Life Cycle” Catalyst commissioned Forrester White Paper, 2016
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Users who engaged and clicked on Search (SEO/SEM) and Paid
Social assets are 4.8X more valuable to advertisers.
LET’S CAPITALIZE ON THE SEARCH + SOCIAL SYNERGIES:
Strategic Recommendations
• Employ retargeting of organic and paid search clickers in social to maximize reach into
customers who are engaged in both channels to drive social conversion volume.
o This can result in a 13.7x lift in conversion rate.
• Employ remarketing of social clickers in search to maximize reach into users who are engaged
in both channels to drive search conversion volume.
o This can result in a 3.4x lift in conversion rate.
SOURCE: S+S Amplification Case Study, GMSS April 2015

54. DOWNLOAD THE WHITEPAPER
www.catalystdigital.com/forrester-sem-social-media-marketing-success/

55. © 2016 by Catalyst Digital. All rights reserved.
www.CatalystDigital.com