There is so much noise and buzz going on about social media and its importance for today’s business owners and entrepreneurs. True, social media networks are exerting an increasingly greater influence on how we see companies and of course how or whether we do business with them. And social media is another great way to reach out to existing and prospective customers, solve problems and build trust. In otherwords social media should be used to extent and perfect the customer service index of a business or company.

While many entrepreneurs look at social media engagement as a complex and sophisticated means of promoting and strengthening a business brand you should see it as such. Social media should be a tool to help the business owner give a greater service experience. Social media is not about uploading delightful pictures of your products, posting flattering notes of your service and product offerings. It is not just a platform to publicise your company promos, giveaways, discounts etc. Social media is far more useeful than that for businesses and companies.

21st Century Customer Service
Social media should also b used as a tool to stretch the limits on customer service. Just less than two weeks ago one of the readers of this blog made a bitter comment on one of our articles on a leading bank in Nigeria. He was bitter because a bank attendant had utterly wasted time with processing his application for a domicilary account to enable him make a very important payment overseas. That staff’s indifference cost the customer dearly as he failed to transfer the overseas payment before deadline. How does a company address such grievances?

While we advised him to complain on the bank’s twitter page will he get the needed attention from the bank’s social media team?

Prior to the coming of social media there were few channels open for customers to expressly direct their discontent. A customer could call customer care via the telephone but that was not an attractive option for many customers. That meant many companies never really knew how satisfied their customers were with the service they got.

Social media has changed all that. Real time companies can engage in discussions with complaining customers and quickly resolve all issues of discontent before they become tools for disuadding prospective customers from doing business with the company.

Urge Customers to Interact and Share Their Feelings
Many people think they have to avoid embarrasing questions from customers on social media platforms but I think it is better to get your customers to spill their gut on your twitter page where you address issues than have them blog about how insincere and deceitful your business is. If your customers complain over your products or services on your facebook page you can apologise and solve whatever problem they are complaining about but if you have disgruntled customers putting up bad notions of your company all over the net you don’t have control over that and your brand suffers for it.

Quality in Place of Quantity
Many online business brands quickly get into advertising as a means to grow their fans or followers quicker. That could backfire because your company ends up having fans or followers who are not really in your target audience and therefore have very little possibility doing business with you or visiting your site. In this case it is better a few targeted and qualified prospects join your social media platform than you buy your way into thousands of unqualified prospects.

Get Your Existing Customers to Join You
If possible create a way to get your existing customers to join you on whatever social platform you are on. Let them know that by joining you on Facebook they can partake in fabuluos promos, get regular discounts and more importantly get all their concerns and complaints treated immediately by your social media/customer relations team.

Related Posts:

• Social Media Marketing Strategies: How B2B Companies Can Increase Lead Generation and Improve Services Delivery