In my previous post I said I’d give you some tips for using social Media to potentially turn around negative talk about your brand. In my just published article I’ve listed 15. I thought I’d post them here. While the effects of these tips may be long term, all that’s really needed to immediately set up any of these tactics is the willingness to listen to what customers are saying, and the determination to act on their feedback.
Social Media offers marketers an unprecedented opportunity to hear what people are saying about them and, if it’s negative, turn this to their marketing advantage. So here’s the list. You can read the full article here.
1. Set up an internal forum, or blog to discuss and act on the issues your customers are discussing. Encourage internal staff to contribute ideas.
2. Set up an external blog or forum where people can connect with you and discuss issues related to your service. Establish posting guidelines, but be approachable and open. Let customers know you are listening to them
3. Assign someone in your organization to be the designated responder. This person should be a Social Media user, personable and sociable – not someone who gets defensive about your brand
4. Commit to act on what people are saying…if something isn’t working the company must find a way to get it fixed. If front-line people need to be empowered, empower them. Be prepared to own the outcomes.
5. Read all comments, blog posts, forum posts and any related commentary that people post – wherever they post it.
6. Listen. And then listen some more.
7. Raise some topics yourself. You’ve plenty of feedback. Have you improved something since a customer raised it? Blog about it, make it a “good news” story. Track your progress, ask for comment.
8. Before responding, make sure you understand all the issues. Simply jumping in will just come across as defensive.
9. Make your responses friendly, human and personal. Think personal email, person to person when crafting your messages.
10. Don’t quote corporate policy, mission or vision statements. They mean nothing when your customer can’t get hold of a live person on the phone, or feels their problem is unsolved
11. Step back and take note of reactions to your responses
12. It may not be appropriate to resolve some individual concerns on your blog. Provide relevant contact details and email on your website, blog and in your posts – and ensure all queries are promptly followed up. Even better, have a senior person, like the CEO or VP respond. See Comcast’s example
13. Thank your customers for their input and encourage their feedback on making further improvements. Offer an incentive if necessary. Be creative. And act on their feedback otherwise you will appear insincere
14. Share the outcomes on your blog – this demonstrates your responsiveness and furthers engagement. But don’t expect overwhelming praise.
15. Rinse and repeat.
Customers are talking and they have been for some time. Companies need to listen. Because within those conversations are the issues marketers need to hear about.
Share your thoughts.
How are you using Social Media to listen to your customers? Have your turned a -ve experience into into positive buzz? Are you planning to use Social Media for customer feedback if you don’t already? How important do you feel the customer experience is to your brand? Share, so others can benefit.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for posting the article, was certainly a great read!
Thanks for commenting Dan. What aspects made it stand out for you? Which parts were the most useful to you?