With the rise of social media, Customer Engagement is quickly becoming synonymous with Customer Service.
No longer are the days when conversation between producer and consumer was a simple “Q&A”. Now, in order to ensure your business is effectively serving your clients, you have to talk to, relate to, and engage with them on a conversational level.
Social media has become the primary method when it comes to customer engagement, and rightly so. It not only provides the necessary means for branding your business, but it also builds a long lasting community.
By becoming part of the conversation, you are better-equipped to serve your customers, able to see what they are saying about you, and most importantly, build mutual respect that extends beyond just the product.
Talk With Your Clients
Chances are, people are talking about your business. Online, offline, it’s happening. Why not respond? 20% of businesses fail to respond to any customer complaints on Social Media. Whether positive or negative, creating conversation around customer feedback creates valuable engagement.
By openly communicating and responding to your clients, you accomplish several goals that can only improve your business:
- It shows that you care about clients’ needs and take pride in your services.
- You create a sense of transparency, showing that you are honest in working to solve problems.
- Customers feel respected and involved in your brand’s community.
With mediums like Twitter and Facebook at your fingertips, it has never been easier to directly speak to customers. And when your customers are increasingly on those platforms, your online presence and conversations are becoming increasingly impactful.
Get Them Talking About You
There’s a rumor going around that Starbucks baristas purposely misspell names. People say it’s a marketing strategy to get customers Snapchatting, tweeting, and posting pictures of their mislabeled cup of coffee. No one can deny that it’s a cunning way to get customers talking about the brand. What’s better advertising than from your own customers?
Another way to get clients talking about your business? Just ask. Ask them how your service held up. Ask them if they were satisfied doing business with you. Most importantly, ask them to write a review.
In a survey conducted in 54 countries, 84% of consumers felt word-of-mouth recommendations were their most trustworthy source. Online review sites and forums such as Yelp, Facebook Reviews, and Google Reviews now extend the word-of-mouth across digital borders. So when you get a good, well-stated review about your business, it can do a tremendous amount of good.
Get Customers Involved
It’s one thing for you to actively reach out to your clients, but it’s another thing when they reach out to you. People want to be involved, and they want to be part of a community. Let them connect with your business through social media where their voices can be heard!
With over 100 thousand followers on Instagram, Pabst Brewing Company takes full advantage of social media. A key component of their success? User-generated content.
Unlike most businesses, the majority of the PBR’s posts on Instagram are created by their followers, not the brand itself! Through this, they are able to build a community that advocates for and engages with their brand with little effort on the business’ side.
Whether it’s PBR-inspired art, a selfie with their classic can, or the PBR pet of the week, followers are all too eager to send in their submissions to the company social media page.
Put simply, promotions are good, but voluntary, client-created posts are great.
Build Your Business
One of the best things you can do for your businesses is to get involved with your clients, and get your clients involved with you. Social Media is precisely the platform where you can do it!
Build mutual respect that eventually leads to building a community. From there, the business opportunities are boundless.
