Customer service on social media is severely underrated. In Canada alone, over 22 million people are on social. Those people are YOUR people – your customers, or future customers, or potential customers… so where they are, you need to be!! And they are on social! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with them.
- Relationship: Social media offers the chance to establish a relationship with your customers. It’s a way of communication for you and them. You can share your voice on social, highlighting special projects you are involved with, or services you provide. This works two ways! It’s a chance for your customers to connect with you. You can get their feedback on new products or ideas, and see what works and what doesn’t (inexpensively too, I might add). Bonus: By posting often on social, you are keeping on top of their mind, so when they are ready to purchase, they think of your company!
- Reputation: Reputation management happens on social. It really can make or break you. The other day, I posted about a tripod that crumbled when I tried to use it. I wrote a review on Amazon, and the company sent me a new one in the mail. It was amazing customer service! I edited the review, and then they got free publicity on social from me talking about their service. That could have gone two ways – which is why you social listening is extremely important. If they ignored my complaint, they could have lost a lot of money because I was actively turning away people from their business. Instead, because they are dedicated to hearing the customer, they rectified the situation immediately. Be on social, and be listening to the conversation so you can handle situations as they arise.
- Relatable: It’s simple: people buy from people they trust. Consumers don’t naturally trust big corporations (or small ones for that matter), but they will trust a person who endorses it. This is why you have celebrities on commercials, and why they get dumped quickly when they mess up in their personal life (think Lance Armstrong and the LiveStrong brand). Social media gives a human voice to your brand. When you post the funny memes, or conduct a poll, you become a friend to them. social enables this relationship to grow in this way. The more relatable you are, the more trust you get. And when people trust you, they are willing to support your business and purchase the item.
There are a ton more reasons why you should be on social, but upping your customer service game is one of the most important things. You want to serve your customers, be available!