How to use social media for effective customer engagement? Everyone’s aware of the might of social media. From creating a phenomenon out of the lesser-known, sharing content far and wide, to making videos go viral, we’ve witnessed the ease with which people gain and spread information through the various social media platforms.
While a majority of us use these platforms for fun and entertainment, some of the top global companies have made using them an integral part of their marketing communication activity.
And why not? After all, that’s where everyone is, right? What better way to reach out to a large audience than connecting with them virtually and have them eating out of the palm of your hand!
Using social media to connect with existing and potential customers can be particularly beneficial to small businesses looking to build online presence, expand customer base, and eventually inflate the sales figures.
However it isn’t that easy. In order to engage your customers through social media, you need to figure out the right ways of doing so. That should help you create a meaningful relationship with them, and convert visitors into loyal consumers. An incorrect approach will only repel them and may even lead to negative word of mouth for your business.
Here are a few tips on getting it right.
Do Your Research on How to Use Social Media
Focus on making your page not just attractive, but also interesting and informative. Avoid using jargon and big words, and keeps things simple and relatable.
Maintain a professional yet friendly and helpful stance by offering advice, tips, and directing them to pages where they can more interesting information. Doing so will help you garner the goodwill and trust of a loyal community of people, who will value your inputs.
Make sure you use the same profile information and images on all your social media accounts to establish consistency.
Listen to Your Audience and How The Use Social Media
Join social media with an intention to bond with your customers and not to make a sales pitch from the very beginning. You will only drive people away if you do so. Listen to your audience to understand what they’re looking for, and you’re sure to strike the right chord with them.
If people talk to you positively about your product/service/organization, show your appreciation. If their feedback/comments are negative, offer them assistance or support and let them know you want to help.
Under no circumstances should you engage in a verbal battle with your audience on social media as it only portrays you and your organization in a negative light.
Give Timely Responses
You customers will greatly appreciate your timely responses to their comments on social media. By providing them with a quick response, you’ll make your customers feel like your business values their feedback enough to respond to them without making them wait.
Ask Questions
Sometimes it is best to ask questions and get clarity on what your customer is trying to say, rather than second-guessing the right answers. Doing so also makes your customers feel that you’re genuinely interested in understanding them.
Try and avoid close-ended questions and ask open-ended ones instead. This particularly holds true when a customer comes to you with a complaint. This will help you comprehend the situation better and give your customers exactly what they’re expecting.
Make It Visual
Make your social media pages more appealing and grab the customer’s attention by posting content in visual media. Your posts should contain photos and/or videos, rather than just plain text. Do not forget to use high-quality visual media, though. You don’t want to disappoint your customers with poor quality images and videos that aren’t in keeping with the content. Guard against this as it could result in them not returning to your page.
Be Honest
Be honest in all communication with your customers, especially when dealing with disgruntled ones. If your organization has not delivered on its promises or concealed the truth from them in any way, own up to it, apologize, and offer to help them set things right, instead of blatantly refuting their claims.
If the issue is a delicate one, you can contact the customer on phone to resolve the matter.
At the same time, understand that some customers will never be happy, irrespective of what measures you take to address their problems. However, it is important not to base your future actions on a small group of negative people and focus on the bigger picture instead.
Always Stay Informed
Social media is continually evolving. Hence, it is crucial that you stay updated about it as well. Use your social media presence to showcase your skills and knowledge and substantiate your organization as an expert in your field. Always keep your eyes and ears open for what’s trending and create your presence in the new networks.
Be Unique
In order to earn yourself an army of loyal followers, focus on being someone worth knowing. You can do so by ensuring that everything you share on social media is informative, factual, inspiring, and/or funny. Be original, unique and provide your customers with an exceptional brand experience and you’re sure to thrive. Remember, if you don’t do it, someone else will.
Conclusion
The emergence of social media has forced many companies to change their marketing communication strategies to align them with virtual platforms that enable them to bond with their customers more quickly and effectively. Knowing how to use these platforms to their full potential can go a long way in engaging your audiences and leave them asking for more. The above tips should be helpful in this regard.
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