Social media is meant to be social, so why do so many brands get it wrong?
Picture this scenario. You meet a stranger in a coffee shop line and excitedly mention that you can get 25p off the cost of your drink if you bring your reusable cup. What a great share! The stranger loves this concept and promptly responds. In the meantime, you turn, collect your drink and walk away. The stranger is left feeling jilted then immediately tells the rest of the line how rude you were.
Would you actually do this is in real life? Probably not, yet it happens all to often on social media platforms. Every day, brands and posters are sharing great content and opinions online yet fail to follow up the conversation. If you are managing social platforms effectively, it’s worth checking how social you are actually being!
So how can you get your online social interactions right? Here are 3 reasons why developing your online chat is so important for your brand:
1. Good manners
Responding is simply about having good manners. Always check your posts and answer responses in a timely manner, using your brand style. Don’t forget to check your DMs and replies frequently so messages are not forgotten, otherwise your audience will lose interest and this will be detrimental to your brand.
2. Good customer service
Hands up who doesn’t like good customer service? The value of customer service is huge on social media and this often gets overlooked. You aren’t just answering the sender, you are showing commitment to your wider audience. Make sure you are representing your brand in the best way possible.
3. Good conversation
Many brands forget, social media is about being social! Responding to posts creates a feel-good factor with your followers. Ensuring their voice is heard in on a busy platform will make you stand out and followers will value what your brand has to say.
Remember that your followers are interested in what your brand has to say so make sure you are listening to them too!
And what happens if the conversation turns bad…?
Brands can be subject to an online bashing as social media can ignite some intense conversations — particularly in the case of poor customer service — and need to be handled with care.
If you find yourself in that situation, act swiftly by taking the conversation off line and respond accordingly.
Not all conversations will be favourable but by answering messages and keeping responses consistent with your brand, you are on the way to creating a strong presence on social media.
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