Many companies spend thousands sometimes millions of dollars in advertising. But no matter how much you spend, the cost can be counterproductive especially if you have poor customer service. According to studies, poor customer service costs American companies up to $41 billion each year. It does not matter what industry you belong to. Engaging customers can help improve not only customer service but also relationships and social media is about connecting and building a network. Companies join social media because they want to humanize their brand. They want to develop trust and relationship with their customers while at the same time improving their branding. Here are some ways you can use social media as a customer feedback tool.
Connections
Social media has an emphasis on connections. People do not only use them to connect with family and friends but also to know what is going on outside this group of people. Nowadays we use social media to know what’s going on in other countries, to read the latest news and gossip and to know the latest in tech and entertainment. Companies and individuals can capitalize on this by connecting directly to customers. If you’re selling pancakes for instance, connecting with customers via social media will give you valuable feedback. It’s like having free access to what they think about your product 24/7.
Interact
Interacting with customers is now possible thanks to social media. You can post a blog and discussions can happen in an instant. Your customers can read what’s new about your product. When they try it they can post comments and you can respond accordingly. This will not only give you insight as to what they think but also information on how you can improve your product or service. You can use blogging not only to spread word about your product but also as a tool to help you reach out to customers. When you develop your social media presence, customers will begin to trust you and look at you as an authority figure giving you and your product credibility. This simple interaction between you and your customers will strengthen your relationship.
Monitor Feedback
Tools like Google Analytics can be used to monitor what other people say about you on social media. You can use this information to improve your product or to see how the competition is doing. Google Analytics can also be utilized to find reviews of your product or service.
Competitor Check
Speaking of competitors, do you know that you can use social media to find out what they are up to? On platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you can follow your competitors so that you their latest news, what they are doing or what event they are hosting. You can use this information to get a competitive edge.
Improve Customer Service
Many companies use social media to improve their customer service as they can respond to queries in real time. Many customers prefer to use social media because they feel that it has a better response time compared to filling up forms on the website. They also feel that social media accounts are more “human” compared to websites so you will be able to receive more customer feedback through various platforms.
Keep Updated
Aside from knowing what the competition is up to, social media can also be used to know what the industry is up to. Customers are usually the first people to try when there is something new in the market and many of them are eager to share their experience on social media. Aside from this, it can also be used to monitor news and laws that affect the industry.
Emergency Updates
Sometimes the best way to find out if something is wrong is by going to social media to see customer feedback. If Gmail does not work for example, many people go to Twitter to find out what’s going on. Having social media pages can let you update your customers in situations like this.
Drive Traffic
Customer feedback can help drive traffic to your blog or website. If you regularly update your blog or company website, you can post these updates on social media with a link so that customers can click on it to find out what’s new. Posting on social media can help drive visitors to you main site and onwards.
The benefits of social media go beyond generating sales and leads. Companies can use social media to learn more about themselves and their customers. Social media gives companies a human component that is more approachable to customers.
