Turning business on it’s ear
Providing people to express their opinions about brands
Social media is definitely turning business on its ear, by providing people a way to express themselves, advocate for things that matter, and ultimately influence others to buy, sell, or provide feedback about their experiences with a product or service.
Social media has also enabled businesses to interact with their customers in a variety new ways through Twitter, Facebook, and the hundreds of other social networks. This new reality has captured the culture and turned business on its ear.
“Users say they’re more likely to buy if a business answers their questions on Twitter.” (NYTimes.com)
What businesses need to realize is that the customer has changed, as well. Their expectations should shape a business’s strategies. Their needs govern a business’s road map. They speak, a business must listen. The quality of their experience is the most important goal of any business.
It’s not enough just to tune in to what customers are saying. To succeed in a world where everything is written in a Tweet or a Timeline, businesses must find and use creative, tools to keep ahead of social trends. Businesses need to monitor the conversation and then interact—hear the voice of the customer, then respond, and ultimately build relationships with them. Businesses should strive to give customers the kind of service that will make them into enthusiastic fans and loyal ambassadors.
The formula of success when providing social customer services is to find your customers on all the channels–on all the social networks. On Twitter and Facebook, on chat or email, on mobile apps or forums or blogs. Wherever they are on the Internet, elevate their experience, quickly and efficiently answer questions, solve problems, and co-create.
“I have never seen such a trans-formative change as the one that we are living through today. We moved from about 11% to 12% of our media investment in digital to 36%, close to 40%” over the past 2-1/2 years.” – Antonio Lucio, global chief marketing, strategy and corporate development officer at Visa.
