1. Monitor Customer Satisfaction
People who are unhappy with your product or service are far more likely to complain to their friends and family than they are to contact your business and tell you. The same goes for positive reviews.
2. Start a Dialogue
If customers do express dissatisfaction, social media platforms provide the perfect opportunity for you to respond positively and immediately. The customer, and, more importantly, everyone else, will see that you are interested in making sure their experience with your company is a good one.
3. Reach New Customers
Potential customers who see your interaction and involvement online may be impressed with your proactive approach to customer satisfaction, which in turn could make them more disposed to patronize your company.
4. Product Suggestions
The sales figures on your new product may show that it’s selling well, but only customer feedback on social media will hip you to the fact that customers don’t like a certain aspect of the product. For example, if the sales of your travel coffee mug are through the roof, you may only find out online that the mouthpiece is difficult to drink out of but customers still bought it because they like the graphic design.
5. Discover Your Clientele
Your market analysis staff may have told you that your primary customer is women ages 18-34, but social media responses may indicate it’s actually men in their 60s. This information allows you to expand your marketing efforts to include both demographics.
6. Learn About Competitors
Customers offering product feedback may mention how your service compares with that of a competitor. For example, if you run an auto body shop but don’t offer rental cars while work is being done, customers might point out that another shop does offer this service. Then, it may be time to change your rental car policy or at least provide an opportunity to explain why you don’t offer them.
7. Crisis Control
When something goes awry with one of your products and a lot of people may be affected, you might just learn about it first on social media platforms. This allows you to take prompt action while also assuring followers that you are working to remedy the situation.
8. Meet Influencers
There are some people on social media who clearly are plugged into a huge audience. These users are known as influencers. Consider reaching out to them to harbor a relationship that’s mutually beneficial.
9. Creative Marketing
As you gather more followers on social media, you can use this audience as a sounding board for innovative engagement or advertising initiatives. For example, you could ask if people would attend an event you host or whether they would use a discount coupon if you offered one.
10. Craft Your Message
Using your experience with customer engagement on social media, you can craft your message and ads in a way you have learned will appeal to your audience. If you discover, for example, that your primary customer is online at a certain time of day, you can post appropriately at that time. Or, if you learn most of your followers are night owls, you can create messages that encompass that fact. In the age of social media, it is not enough to just have a presence. Businesses must also engage customers who follow them. And, really, why wouldn’t they? There’s a treasure trove of information and feedback just waiting to be tapped.
