Let’s talk social media. Why do you even need to be there? Chances are, if you aren’t, your customers already are. Conversations about your brand are happening with or without your participation. The last thing you want is for your brand and its reputation to be in the hands of someone it shouldn’t be.
When social media first began, it was very much a customer service tool. Customers would complain about an experience or product in the hopes of getting a refund or perk from the company. Couples would tweet travel brands that they had an anniversary coming up in order to be upgraded. Brands were quick and creative in their response many times offering a bigger, better experience or going above and beyond in service recovery.
Companies such as Southwest led the way with full corporate departments committed to fulfilling these types of requests – until they realized just how demanding and robust their response would need to be. We learned very quickly that social media was here to stay and consumers were in the driver’s seat.
In attempt for businesses to gain back some control, platforms transformed into more of sales tools with advances in advertising and business features. Businesses abandoned customer service and became sources of information and promos rather than hubs of communication. In this transition from customer service to sales, a major piece of the social media puzzle was overlooked. Communication with our customers.
According to Sprinklr, 80% of consumers use social media to engage with brands and 89% of social messages are actually ignored by brands. That’s a huge missed opportunity. Especially when 1 in 3 customers go to a competitor when they’re ignored on social media.
I believe this is the true, missed heartbeat of social media. Genuine content. Genuine interaction. Just like we aren’t delivering the same extravagant responses we were in 2012, consumers aren’t demanding them. More times than not, consumers just want to know that they’ve been acknowledged. Once they experience that, then you have their attention for other sales/marketing information.
Here are some stats from Hootsuite that prove how important it is to keep communication with your customers at the forefront of your strategy:
· Half of people globally said that direct messaging a company makes them feel more connected to the brand.
· 40% of holiday shoppers say they are more likely to consider buying from a brand they can message.
· 57% of consumers said customer service increases brand loyalty.
Are you missing a social opportunity with your customers? If so, make a decision today to enhance the way you communicate on social. If you don’t have a way for customers to direct message you, get one. When they message you, respond immediately in a genuine way to enhance the image of your brand.