Post, Tweet and Friend Your Way to Greater Customer Satisfaction

It wasn’t long after the first post and tweet that savvy business owners worldwide realized the marketing potential social networking has to offer. Still, these new mediums have pros and cons for small business owners, many of who worry about competitors connecting with their clients or an unflattering post tarnishing their reputation. The lack of control over messaging and the moment-to-moment response time can be intimidating. With the proper strategy in place, these situations can almost always be avoided and, in fact, present an opportunity to further your customer relationships.

One-on-one communication with customers on forums like Facebook and Twitter gives businesses the opportunity to solicit feedback, distribute updates on product information, manage your brand and address any complaints. In fact, a recent study conducted for salesforce.com reported that just over a quarter of respondents have posted a complaint about a company in a public forum, but 41 percent would be impressed by a proactive response. If you find yourself with a customer service complaint posted on your businesses Facebook or Twitter page, follow these three tenants for renewed relationships and long-term success:

1. Answer questions

When you answer customer questions in a public forum, you’re potentially answering that same question for several customers, saving time and energy. People want to speak to a real person when they have questions or concerns, social networking allows them to do just that and eliminates the need for call centers or automated response systems.

2.  Engage in conversations

Nothing puts a human face on your organization like personally responding to customers online. Becoming “friends” and starting dialogue may take time, but it builds a long-term relationship that is invaluable. It also gives you valuable insight into what customers actually think about your brand, allowing you adjust your products or processes accordingly.

3.  Get real

The age-old public relations rule of “Tell it all, tell it first” applies here. Give real responses and answers to posts. When you find a complaint, ask how you can help and remedy the issue. It’s easier than ever to research the truth of an organization’s processes. Be sure to be transparent and honest in your practices.

Remember, social networking isn’t just for customers with complaints or questions, it’s also a forum for your biggest fans to sing your praises. Studies show that testimonials go a long way toward influencing future, potential customers. Many major corporations are now using comments from their social networking in their advertising (for example, Target and Toyota) and eliciting great results.

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