Scroll, Stop, Act

Melissa Perez
Oct 12
2 min read

Why Your Audience Clicks (or Doesn’t)

We’ve all been there—scrolling Instagram at midnight, double-tapping a reel, saving a post we might come back to. But how do we, as marketers, get someone to actually act—book a tour, DM an agent, or sign up for an event—rather than just scroll on by?

This week’s materials on consumer attitudes and connected customers gave me some big “aha” moments. They showed me that behavior isn’t random. It follows a pattern we can design for—if we know the right levers.

Meet the “Always-On” Consumer

Today’s buyers are “Generation C”—constantly connected, multitasking across devices, and expecting instant relevance. Social media isn’t just where they see us; it’s where they decide if we’re worth their time, money, or attention. That means timing and context matter. A generic post on Tuesday morning might flop, but a geo-targeted ad before a weekend open house could spark action.

Attitudes Alone Aren’t Enough

One of the biggest lessons I took away from Ajzen’s work on consumer attitudes is this: broad feelings (“I like luxury properties”) don’t predict specific actions (“I’ll book a viewing this Saturday”). If we want behavior, our content has to be just as specific—target, action, time, and context all lined up.

That’s where the Theory of Planned Behavior comes in. It says people act when three things are true:

They like the idea (attitude).
They feel others support it (social norms).
They believe they can do it (perceived control).

When all three click, intention forms—and intention is the best predictor of action.

Turning Theory Into Posts

Here’s how this translates into content I’d build for Clients

Build positive attitudes → A carousel breaking down ROI, location perks, or a property’s best features.
Show social norms → Testimonials, local voices, or “12 people saved this today” cues.
Boost control → One-tap WhatsApp links instead of clunky forms. The easier it feels, the more likely people follow through.

It’s not just about “pretty posts.” It’s about matching the specific behavior we want to the content we design.

My Next Test

This week, I’m going to A/B test two versions of property content:

A detail-rich carousel (numbers, maps, projected returns).
A quick lifestyle reel (sunset views, laughter by the pool).

Both will include a social proof cue and an easy, one-tap call to action. I’ll track not just likes, but intent signals—bookings, saves, and DMs. Because at the end of the day, intention is where scrolling becomes showing up.

Final Takeaway

If there’s one thing I’m carrying forward, it’s this: the magic isn’t in going viral—it’s in designing posts that make people feel good about the action, see others doing it, and believe it’s easy for them too. When we line those up, clicks turn into commitments.