Your customers are talking about you online, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. But, do you want to stop it when you can join the conversation? Online discussions and reviews give you a window into your customers’ minds, and, when handled correctly, that opportunity can persuade them to open up their hearts and wallets as well.
Many companies participate in discussions online with their customers. Even more companies generate a lot of their business through reviews and social media. Culinary Connection, for example, receives prospective clients from social media and a list of endorsements (including a mention on Larry King Live) because of these online interactions. So, don’t wait to interact with your customers but rather listen and respond to their needs, wants and concerns.
Here are just a few tools to help your business succeed online:
Hootsuite for Customer Service
You can check in on your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts separately if you wish, or you can get a social media dashboard like Hootsuite to manage them all from one panel. Hootsuite also provides an analytics program that gives you an in-depth look at your audience and the key influencers you should friend. Because this tool uses a full dashboard, you might want to consider a smartphone with a larger screen so you can see everything at once.
Moz
Many people see Moz (formerly SEO Moz) as a tool for improving search engine rankings. But, Moz can do much more including help you research competitors, measure and analyze your social presence and get more out of content marketing. Moz is definitely not only for SEO (although it sure can help).
Mention
This tool has one purpose: to monitor brands or keywords across the social media spectrum. You get real-time alerts and can connect your social media accounts to the Mention dashboard to reply immediately. The analytics tool gives you a graphical look at mentions over time. Turn your smartphone into a social media listening tool by getting the Mention app for Android or iPhone.
SurveyMonkey in Customer Experience
Do you want to know what your customers are thinking? Ask them! SurveyMonkey helps you format, send and collect survey questions designed to pull information from your audience. This is a great way to learn more about your target market and adjust your business strategy based on real customer feedback.
TweetBeep
Designed specifically for Twitter, sign up for a TweetBeep account to receive email notifications when the brand or keyword you are tracking is mentioned. This means you don’t have to log into anything but your email account.
Facebook Insights
Once your Facebook page gathers at least 30 Likes, you can activate the Facebook Insights analytics tool. Gather inside information on likes, reach and engagement. This way you can see who is connecting with your brand as well as what is getting the most attention and how it is perceived on social media.
A good rule of thumb is to talk 80 percent of the time about other people and 20 percent about yourself. Don’t use social media to beat your own drum but rather use it to forge deeper relationships with your customers and prospects.
