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As the social media sphere continues to impact our online behaviours, expectations surrounding customer service are subsequently facing changes too. Consumers are no longer satisfied with being placed on hold for hours on busy phone lines or waiting days for email responses - in fact, 1 in 3 social media users say they would rather use social customer care than traditional methods due to its speed and convenience. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter have introduced a much faster means of communication between buyers and businesses, with roughly 50% of people wanting brands to reply to their messages within just a few hours. This has led to a rising requirement for a new role within companies’ workforces: the Community Management team. Community Managers are trained specifically to deal with everything from inquiries and complaints to customer feedback and general conversations across social media, offering consistent support in replacement of the now outdated as-and-when approach previously adopted by many brands.
Speedy Responses Boost Loyalty
Not only does answering your customers’ queries swiftly make them feel valued, it also builds brand loyalty. According to research from Gartner, people are much more likely to stick with a company in the long term when their customer service expectations are met. Being attentive to consumer needs, keeping up with any questions they may have and solving their problems through social media are all excellent ways of encouraging repeat purchases and demonstrating that your business genuinely cares about its customer base. 72% of millennials say they would be more loyal to a brand that responds to them instead of leaving their messages ignored.
Damage Control
Another key benefit of providing effective Community Management is its ability to take negativity away from the public domain and move it into a more private setting. With many people choosing to post online to vent negative feelings, it’s evident that unhappy customers often take to social media following dissatisfying experiences. That’s why it’s so important to have a strong strategy in place which can detect and resolve any unfavourable comments or moments of crisis before they spiral out of control, potentially harming your reputation for good. Social media is the new word of mouth - it doesn’t take long for damaging posts or Tweets to take off and go viral. Having a dedicated team on hand to monitor every interaction and calmly transfer public complaints over to private messages is the way to remedy this.
Get There Before Your Competitors
It’s essential to remember that your competitors are only ever a DM away from your existing and prospective customers. Taking too long to reply, giving unhelpful responses or failing to get back to them at all greatly increases the risk of your fans turning to rival businesses instead - who may be able to meet their needs more efficiently than you. Sprout Index data confirmed that 44% of consumers believe customer service distinguishes a brand from its peers, pointing to the fact that a diligent Community Management approach can give you that crucial competitive advantage and really set you apart from other businesses within your sector. Always stay one step ahead of the game!
Out of Office Hours
In line with modern customers’ expectations for quick communication, the assumption of day-to-night availability has increased too. Social media never sleeps and users are online 24/7, presenting the need for businesses to implement an out-of-hours procedure. However, 62% of marketers have claimed they find it difficult to offer this, meaning many early morning and late night messages get left unanswered. Enlisting the help of a specialised Community Management team such as 3sixfive can help solve this (we spoke in more detail about the benefits of using an agency in a previous blog post), as we’ll enforce a strategy that involves responding outside of your standard office hours - including weekends and bank holidays. This way, time-sensitive issues can get fixed on the spot and any concerns can be addressed before it’s too late and customers develop a poor impression of your brand.
Summary
Gone are the days of nonchalantly dipping in and out of your social inboxes throughout the week. It’s time for businesses to embrace the changes we’ve seen as a result of social media and make sure they’re living up to their customers’ expectations, in order to keep them on board and maintain that all-important sense of connectivity and approachability. Don’t forget you can get in touch with us if you need a hand managing your own online community.
