How Social Media Shapes the Customer Journey in 2025

Social media has completely transformed the way customers interact with brands, and in 2025, it’s safe to say it is the customer journey.

From discovery to decision-making, all the way to advocacy, social media is where your audience turns to find solutions, voice concerns, and share their experiences.

The Social Media Landscape: More Than a Marketing Channel

Let me tell you about a client we worked with recently …

They thought their social presence was solid—posting regularly and running ads—but they were missing the big picture: social is not just a marketing channel; it’s where customer care happens, too.

Once we realigned their strategy to focus on responding to comments and DMs quickly and with personalized care, they saw a boost in customer loyalty. It’s proof that the way you show up on social matters at every stage.

Here’s how you can replicate that success.

1) Customer Expectations Are Higher Than Ever

Today’s customers demand speed. In fact, 73% of consumers said they’d buy from a competitor if a brand didn’t respond to their customer service question on social. Ouch.

When one of our consumer electronics clients was getting overwhelmed with inquiries, we helped them implement a dedicated social care team.

They went from responding in hours (sometimes days!) to under 10 minutes. Not only did their response times improve by over 3,000%, but they started having critical customer conversations that led to more trust, more loyalty, and ultimately more data for the brand.

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It’s proof: speed = satisfaction.

2) (Hyper) Personalization is Non-Negotiable in the Customer Journey

Here’s the thing: generic doesn’t cut it anymore. Customers want “white-glove” service on social, and that means tailoring your responses to their specific needs.

We like to call this hyper-personalization.

Once, a retail client came to us with a social care dilemma—they were using canned responses to manage their DMs.

We introduced personalization tools and some good old-fashioned human empathy. The difference? Not only did customer sentiment improve, but they saw a measurable lift in cart completions after social media customer conversations.

Pro tip: Even a small detail, like using the customer’s name or referencing past purchases, can make them feel seen and valued.

3) Social Media: The Gateway to Discovery

For most customers, the journey starts on social — sometimes months before a purchase. They’re watching how you respond to others, lurking in your comment sections, and researching your brand through hashtags and reviews.

According to recent data, roughly one in three US consumers start their customer journey by discovering new products and brands on social media, meaning a significant portion of the US population begins their shopping process through social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok; with many also making purchases directly through these platforms.

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Finally, with this in mind, position your social media channels in a way that meets your customer where they are.

From Discovery to Purchase

Social media shapes the customer journey by offering a place to both connect with friends and as a powerful tool for influencing consumer behavior.

Whether it’s discovering the latest trending product or receiving a glowing endorsement from an influencer, today’s buyers are making decisions directly on social platforms.

• Social media has a very high usage rate: Around 50% of US consumers report making a purchase through social media.
• Position your social media as a discovery channel: Social media is a prominent channel for discovering new products and brands.
• Influencer impact: A large portion of consumers are influenced by recommendations from social media influencers.

4) Proactive Social Listening Builds Trust and Loyalty

If you’re not listening to what your audience is saying about you, you’re missing opportunities to connect and correct. According to a Sprout report, 93% of consumers believe brands need to combat misinformation more aggressively.

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We worked with a pet brand struggling with rumors circulating about their products. Using social listening tools, they were able to spot and address false claims quickly.

The result?

Their community not only trusted them more but began defending them against misinformation, too.

5) Engagement Beats Volume

Let me say it louder for the brands in the back: stop posting just to post. Customers aren’t filing “missing brand” reports if you skip a day or two. Promise!

We often tell clients, “Focus on conversation, not content.” When even offer a free course that teaches you how to do exactly that!

[Check out the course here!]

When one of our staffing clients stopped churning out daily posts and leaned into real-time engagement, their follower growth actually accelerated.

Turns out, people don’t want a barrage of salesy posts—they want meaningful interactions.

6) Social Care as a Catalyst for Advocacy

This one’s my favorite: when you nail social care, you turn customers into cheerleaders.

Most interactions on social are public, which means people are watching. How you handle complaints—or even a simple question—can influence more than just the person you’re responding to.

In our most recent ‘State of Social Care Report’, we show you how to tackle social media customer care with empath and AI:

[Download your free copy today!]

One of our SaaS clients learned this the fun way. A customer tweeted about an issue, and their team responded quickly with a fix and a little humor.

The customer shared the thread, calling it “the best customer service I’ve ever had.” That tweet? It lead to a 200% increase unique website views that week.

7) The Role of Analytics in Optimizing the Customer Journey

Social media analytics provide invaluable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and pain points. And trust me, this doesn’t have to be hard.

If it were up to me, I’d have you start with the three metrics I listed above.

They will be enough if you use these metrics to:

1. Identify patterns in customer interactions.
2. Adjust strategies for improved engagement.
3. Measure the impact of your efforts on key performance indicators (KPIs).

Data-driven decisions lead to more effective and personalized customer experiences. Putting your focus where will increase your return on social media.

Incorporating Social Media into Your Customer Journey

Social media is no longer just a marketing channel; it’s the hub of the customer journey.

From setting expectations to fostering advocacy, every interaction matters. By prioritizing speed, personalization, and meaningful engagement, brands can exceed customer expectations and build long-term loyalty.

So, ask yourself: Is your brand ready to embrace social media as a central part of the customer journey? If not, there’s no better time to start. Your audience is waiting.

Howdy! ??? I'm happy you're here. I mostly write about customer experience -- including acquiring & retaining customers -- through social media. ?? To see more posts like this, be sure to follow me here on LinkedIn or subscribe to our monthly newsletter, From Lost to Loyal: How to Make It Right When CX Goes Wrong (same name, more in-depth content!).