Navigating Customer Loyalty through Effective SNS Engagement Strategies

Enhancing Customer Loyalty through Social Media Engagement

In a rapidly evolving marketing landscape, the importance of social media for businesses cannot be underestimated. Recognizing this, NAVICUS, headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, organized a free webinar on March 24, 2026, aimed at BtoC companies. The session titled "Driving Repeat Purchases through Social Media Engagement: The Importance of Affinity" was specifically designed for social media managers and marketing professionals.

The Objective Behind the Webinar

Many businesses are experiencing a disconnect between follower growth on social media and actual sales conversions. As highlighted by NAVICUS, despite an increase in followers, many social media managers feel unsure about the correlation between these numbers and actual revenue. In response, this webinar aimed to bridge that gap, focusing on effective engagement strategies.

Data from NAVICUS's research revealed that about 30.1% of long-term customers—those who have consistently purchased from a specific brand for more than a year—follow the brand's official social media accounts. Importantly, nearly 70% of these followers engage actively by liking or sharing content, showcasing that social media serves not just to attract new customers but also to maintain active relationships with existing ones.

Unveiling the Uncomfortable Truth About SNS Operations

The webinar kicked off by addressing common pitfalls businesses encounter in their social media strategies. Many organizations overly prioritize the increase of follower counts as their key performance indicator (KPI), overlooking a significant opportunity: the deepening of relationships with existing customers.

While factors like price, quality, and design provide a sense of value, they alone don't guarantee loyalty. The risk of customers switching to competitors persists unless brands can attach emotional value to their functional offerings. Leveraging social media to enhance both functional and emotional value—infusing expectations and familiarity into the customer experience—is deemed crucial for inducing repeat purchases.

Analyzing Customer Behavior Through Data

Furthermore, analysis of social media interactions revealed three key positive emotional shifts among existing customers engaged with a brand's official accounts. Notably, 46.1% reported an increased anticipation for new products, and 40.2% expressed a growing sense of familiarity with the brand. Additionally, 41.9% acknowledged that the brand enhances their quality of life, while 31.3% viewed the brand as a partner in their everyday life.

These insights illustrate that social media surpasses being merely a communication tool; it fosters deeper emotional connections with customers.

Implementing a Four-Step Approach for Repeat Purchases

To facilitate repeat purchases through social media, the webinar introduced a four-step process:
1. Fostering Expectations: Generate excitement around new products and initiatives.
2. Building Familiarity: Integrate the brand into customers’ daily lives through regular postings.
3. Establishing Trust: Create a sense of reliability, ensuring customers feel secure in their choice to purchase from the brand.
4. Making it Personal: Encourage customers to identify the brand as an essential part of their lives.

The webinar recommended a post design balance of 3:4:3, emphasizing expectations, affinity, and trust. It also organized content into ten categories, such as 'New Products,' 'Staff Highlights,' and 'Expert Insights,' pairing them with emerging trends expected to shape 2026.

Looking Ahead

NAVICUS commits to continuing its support for BtoC companies through workshops and information dissemination on effective social media practices. They provide comprehensive support from strategic planning to operational execution and account analysis.

Individuals or businesses grappling with social media engagement challenges, such as “Why are our followers rising but sales aren’t?” or “Are our current strategies genuinely resonating with existing customers?” are encouraged to reach out. NAVICUS aims to provide solutions tailored to specific needs.

Webinar Details:

- Date: March 24, 2026
- Time: 12:00 to 13:00
- Format: Online (Zoom)
- Theme: Building Customer Loyalty through SNS Engagement
- Speakers:

- Akina Tomita, Instagram Media Master, NAVICUS Consulting Division
- Naomi Makuta, Community Manager, NAVICUS Consulting Division

About NAVICUS

NAVICUS specializes in social media strategy design, offering communication support for businesses and local governments, focused on building customer loyalty. They accommodate various sectors, including manufacturing, retail, and gaming, aligning optimal strategy design and execution with specific business goals and phases. As of May 2025, their client base had exceeded a total of 101.62 million followers across all supported channels.

With their integration into the PR TIMES group starting December 2023, NAVICUS continues to expand its support capabilities.

Services Provided:

- Communication strategy design
- Campaign planning and management
- Social media management (X, Facebook, Instagram, LINE, TikTok, YouTube, Discord, etc.)
- Digital advertising management
- Planning and executing fan events (offline events, live broadcasts, etc.)
- Hosting marketing seminars
- Conducting analyses of communication initiatives
- Specialized support for the gaming and entertainment sector
- Supporting regional government SNS promotions
- Instagram recruitment assistance
- Comprehensive IT and web service consulting