(3 min. read)
The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t just change the way people work, it also changed how customers connect with businesses. The number of U.S. social media users is expected to increase by more than six million in 2023 to a staggering 308.27 million . Now is the time to focus on creating a customer care strategy as you continue to build your social media presence.
It can be a daunting task and a little scary to think about. However, your brand is already out there on social media platforms, connecting and interacting with your customers. Turn that connection into something positive that helps your customers and your business. Here’s how to start.
Monitor the Platforms
Social media is just that – social. If your brand regularly pushes posts out just to stay active, you may be missing the point. Be involved. Review the comments that followers make on a post. If you like to work off a schedule, set aside a specific time to review comments. Keep an eye out for mention of your brand in general posts. Users who want to catch your attention will tag your brand within their post. It is up to you to find it and respond to it. Once you do that, continue to monitor the online conversation or switch over to direct messaging with the consumer. It’s a best practice to not share every interaction with the entire social media universe.
Timely Responses
As a business owner, you do not have the luxury of monitoring social media all day, every day. Keep in mind that without your customers there would be no business. Find a balance between the two worlds. According to Sprout Social’s Social Media Trends for 2022 and Beyond, most consumers expect a response within 12 hours. If you see an increase in direct messages, there are options to keep you from spending all your time replying. To keep your engagement human, you should contract with a social management partner like GLM Custom, which will ensure that responses are genuine and timely. However, if your scenario does not require a personal touch, you could consider investing in an automated chatbot that provides some simple acknowledgements. While not ideal, and less satisfying to customers, it will help them feel as if they are making progress while they await your response. Ultimately, you or a member of your team can respond to demonstrate that a human is on the other side of that screen.
Have a Tracking System
Some conversations require more follow up than others. Develop a simple tracking or case system to keep you on top of the things that need to be resolved. This will help remind you to touch base with the customer. In addition, you may uncover some common issues that need to be addressed at a brand, company or even shipping level. This tracking system can also be used to generate reports for presentation purposes.
Consistency is Key
The fastest way to build brand trust and loyalty is to demonstrate to customers that you’re paying attention to what they are saying. Stick to the response time that you initially established. Maintain an appropriate escalation strategy and use the same tone in your response. If a customer initially reached out via a public post to your social media profile, then post your response there as well. Simply thank them for the response and alert them that you have sent them a private message. This is a way to transition a complaint from the public forum to a private conversation. If you consistently handle similar situations in the same manner, customers will learn what to expect.
Creating compelling, relevant content that connects your business with existing customers, while driving new customers in the door is incredibly important, but it’s time- consuming work. We are here to help!
For more than 40 years, GLM has served as an asset and a proven go-to partner. Our extensive experience allows us to support, guide and continually improve the standard for our clients. Our hands-on customer care approach and impeccable reputation have allowed us to maintain relationships that span decades.
Give us a call today – (844) GLM-2456 or visit us at www.glminc.stagingdevs.com