If you think your business is not “doing” social media,
you’re wrong. Your company may not be active, but I guarantee your fans and
your non-supporters are there. It is the brand's responsibility to create a social
media experience that can turn a dissatisfied customer into a fan. These
days, social media has become the equalizer between companies and customers,
but utilizing social channels to their full potential can be complex if
social media is not incorporated into a customer engagement strategy.
In fact, this year social CRM could witness a significant shift
away from the use of social media as pure marketing, and instead
collaborating for customer support interactions, according to Jenny
Sussin, principal research analyst at Gartner . By 2015, the development
of social media teams will accelerate, and by 2017, social media could achieve
enterprise-wide clout. It is estimated that three percent of social media
interactions that companies have with customers today may grow to 20 percent
by 2016.
More and more businesses are experiencing the value of
social media as a tool to improve the customer experience. It is being used
as more than a communications platform, and is actually transforming into a
means to ensure product quality and services. Positive social media
interactions can contribute to customer satisfaction as well, but companies
need to consider accessibility to ensure customers have the same experience
whenever they interact with a brand on social media.
According to Sussin, developing a social media plan to
improve the customer experience begins with assessing the organization’s
social media maturity. Executives should then identify one aspect of customer
engagement that would be improved through social media. After engaging
stakeholders to bring social media into the customer engagement strategy, the
values for success should be agreed upon. Lastly, a company should deploy a
test and then iterate the strategy across the business.
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That being said, here are seven ways for your company to create
a memorable
customer experience on social media:
Give Your Customers a
Place to Talk
Companies are afraid to set up Facebook pages
because they allow customers to comment, which means someone might write
something negative. You should actually want customers to complain on
your company's Facebook page - when customers complain on your brand's Facebook
page, you can resolve their issues. And if you do it right, unhappy customers
will turn their opinions around and recommend you to friends.
Integrate Social
Media into Your Customer Service
Neglecting your social media properties when they're full of
customer complaints is brand suicide. Don't open up the floor for complaints
without a plan to handle them. Predict the complaints you may get and construct
policies for replying to them. You should also plan on responding to fans who
compliment you.
Activate Your
Customer Base
Most brands have more customers than they do Facebook fans
and Twitter followers. So, start building your social media fan base
by reaching out to your current customers. Think about how you contact your
customer base and how you can use those channels to draw customers to your
social media properties.
Be Proactive
Don't just wait for someone to post on your wall or tweet
your account. Set your brand apart by proactively interacting with customers
who are talking about your brand, whether you're thanking them for a compliment
or helping them solve a problem.
Find the social media influencers for your audience and give
them extras. This could be as simple as giving them advance notice of a special
promotion, or complex as giving them a free tour of your facilities. Reward
your brand ambassadors when they least expect it and you’ll see great results.
Create Compelling
Content
Give your fans something of value on your social media pages.
Every brand can create quality content. Social media can be a channel to make
customers or followers feel special, like they’re in an exclusive club with
your brand because they follow you.
Stand Out From the
Crowd
Some of the most memorable social media experiences are
created by going beyond text. The more interactive and engaging your social
media presence, the better. By giving
your fans a voice on social media, or encouraging participation through photos
and videos, you humanize the experience.
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