Negative online comments can damage a business’ reputation as well as its bottom line, so ignoring social feedback from customers is never an option. That said, standard generic responses are not enough to “cover your bases. Just monitoring brand references and aggregating metrics does not mean you’re on top of your social media presence. You must focus on improving the customer experience, which is ultimately what affects a company’s revenue.
Here are six social media management guidelines that will help you inspire loyalty in your customer base.
1. Be Timely
Instilling a culture of urgency among employees is important when closing the loop on social reviews. Not only is one customer watching, everyone else is as well. You don’t need to respond to every post, but it’s also important to respond to both good and bad posts because it shows future customers how involved you are.
2. Don’t Auto Respond
Every response is visible in stream, and the presence of scripted responses will quickly become apparent to followers. If your responses seem automated, they won’t seem genuine and you might as well not respond.
3. Don’t Get Personal
Remember to keep your tone professional. Picking a fight online is a great way to start a PR nightmare. It may seem unfair to businesses, but the customer is always right, at least on these forums.
4. Keep Responses Short
Social media venues are built for skimming and quick conversations. The social attention span is tiny and your responses aren’t only for the initial reviewer but for future consumers. Stay brief.
5. Thank the Customer
Give credit when an issue is uncovered. Embracing social feedback will make your company look good.
6. Fix Issues
Walking the walk is crucial to the success of your customer service management campaign and, ultimately, your bottom line. Over time, companies that have the same issues over and over again will not only have bad social scores but will show customers they are incapable of improving. You don’t want to be written off as a lost cause.
