Social media isn’t just another way to communicate with customers—it’s radically redefining how companies engage with their audience and share their company’s story. It’s also not just a free form of marketing—it takes real talent, the help of technology, and time, but when done right, a solid social media presence can remake a brand. I bring up these reminders because it’s time to stop thinking about social media as just another tool in our communications toolkit.
Social media is bigger than that. It’s a whole new way of doing business and, in some ways, it’s reaching more customers than ever before.
Recent surveys have shown that customers are increasingly turning to social outlets to meet their needs. These surveys found that:
- Over 50% of consumers use social media to communicate their satisfaction, complaints, and questions with a company
- One in three social media users prefer talking to a company through social media rather than by phone
- Customers who are engaged with a brand’s social media spend up to 40% more than other customers
Consider that when you respond to a complaint on Twitter, you’re not only communicating with that customer. You’re also showing other customers how responsive you are to issues as a whole. You’re also leaving a public trail where future customers with the same question can find information without having to contact your company again.
As a company, social media also provides more touch-points with your customers. When issues arise, such as defective products, you can go directly to your audience and share the information in a few quick Facebook posts or tweets. Receiving feedback from customers is also easier—from customer polls to monitoring new discussions that involve your brand.
Never before was a company able to ask questions about their product or service and receive feedback from a huge customer base, almost immediately.
The benefits of social media for a company are huge and can provide a better experience for both the company and customer. The best way to start building your social media presence is by listening to the discussions that are already taking place out there about your brand. Social media management tools can automate that process for you and deliver new conversations to your agents for a response. Engaging customers directly can make a huge impact, as we highlighted in the Twitter exchange between Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Meyer and CNN’s Piers Morgan.
Has your company made social media a greater priority? What are the benefits you’re seeing?
