Social media is a powerful way to reach customers across a variety of platforms. However, there is definitely a right and wrong way to use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as a marketing tool. If done wrong, your social media activity will be ineffective or, worse, it will make your business look unprofessional. If done correctly, your social media campaigns can lead to increased awareness, better customer relations, heightened brand reputation, and more. To make sure you're approaching it the right way, here are six suggestions to better connect with customers on social media.
1. Respond quickly to your customers
Customers are increasingly resorting to social media as a form of customer service, whether it's by sending direct messages to ask a question, posting public comments on business pages, or leaving online reviews. As with any other form of customer service, it's important to respond to these inquiries by connecting through social media. In particular, delivering a quick response to any public customer questions or concerns shows that your company cares about delivering great customer service. If it is in a public space, other followers and individuals will be able to see the dedication and care you deliver to your customers. Do well in this regard, and customers are likely to share their great customer service experiences with their friends, family, and coworkers.
2. Don’t focus only on your business
A constant stream of content that focuses only on your products and services can be boring and disengaging. To avoid this, make sure to include other types of relevant information such as articles, blog posts, photos, and videos. In particular, behind-the-scenes images and videos of your business can help create a personal connection with your customers. Display pictures of staff parties and celebrations to give the customer a candid look at the people that are behind the products they use. It will make them appreciate your company and products/services even more.
3. Know your audience
By knowing what message you want to convey and to whom, you can correctly and effectively personalize campaigns that you know will get the right message across. For instance, if your company is targeting older individuals, shoot for Facebook instead of Instagram or Twitter to convey your message. Additionally, knowing your audience will help you decide what sort of written posts, videos, and photos will be most effective.
4. Show, don’t tell
Instead of cramming your entire feed with wordy paragraphs, add some pictures! It will keep your customers engaged and keep them from scrolling right past the message you are trying to convey. Video, in particular, improves click-through rates by 200 - 300% and helps 90% of customers make purchase decisions.
5. Reward your followers
Your social media followers support your company already, so reward them by sharing unique promos and information that is available only to them. It will create a special bond and a new appreciation between your company and customers. If you are using the SpotOn customer engagement platform, you can easily do this by sharing a deal directly to your Facebook and Twitter pages right from your SpotOn dashboard.
6. Create hashtags
By using a widespread and popular hashtag, you can encourage your customers to get involved and feel like they are more connected to your company. In addition, it can get you some free publicity, widespread sharing, and increased awareness of your brand. For the best practices and tips on how to properly use hashtags, check out our article “Avoid These 5 Social Media Pitfalls.”
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