Your business is using social media to help customers find and learn about your business. But have you considered that social media might be a new way for you to connect with individual customers as well? Social media today is a valuable tool for two-way communication. It has evolved way past the days of simply pushing out your message over and over.
- According to Twitter, “When a customer Tweets at a business and receives a response, they are willing to spend 3–20% more on an average priced item from that business in the future.”
- A survey carried out by Q2 2016 Sprout Social Index found that approximately 34.5% of customers preferred conversing with businesses via social media channels over traditional mediums like phone and email.
- Ultimately brands that interact with customers on social media are more profitable. According to Business Research, “Social media interactions … ease the upselling efforts and reduce the risk of churn. These positive effects offset the … increases with regard to the number of service requests and the higher overall service cost.”
Here’s what you need to know about using social media to make the most of your customer interactions:
First, have a plan.
Put someone in charge who understands your brand and your online brand voice. And make sure they have the time to handle this responsibility – this isn’t a task you can ignore when things get busy. It might not take a lot of time each day, but it does take consistent attention. (As a side note, responding to negative online reviews is a whole different skillset that you might want someone to learn.)
Second, make sure you respond promptly.
People expect quick responses on social media. Realistic or not they may even imagine that, just like their BFF, you are staring at your screen waiting for their query. While we know that’s not realistic, you do need to respond in a timely manner. Don’t be afraid to utilize some of the simple bot responses most social platforms offer to answer questions and help manage expectations.
Finally, check your DMs.
According to Business News Daily, “A lack of attentiveness contributes to a poor response, which reflects negatively on your brand.” You need a system for monitoring your social media channels so that you don’t miss any customer interactions. One person might ask about your hours on a post. Another may want to know more about the product featured in a video you posted. And some will use direct or private messages to send over their question. Make sure you have set up alerts for all the different ways a customer might send your business a message.
Social media is more than an avenue to promote your business. It’s a place to conduct business and position your brand as one that takes care of its customers. If your small business needs help creating content and monitoring social media, Riley & You has the tools and expertise to help.
