CRM Tips: Using Social Media to Connect and Engage with Customers

While it’s obvious that technology has changed many things about society, many businesses are still operating on old-school principles when it comes to customer engagement. In the past, businesses engaged and collaborated with customers by the traditional ways of in-person meetings, phone calls and email. Today, however, there are multiple avenues with which businesses can engage with their customers and prospects, and they are all available with the touch of a button.

Social media has opened up the communication channels between customers and businesses and if your company is not using social media as a part of its social engagement strategy, you should be. More than just a marketing tool, social media is a way to encourage real conversation with your with customers and prospects. No matter the size of your business, your customers are looking for more personalized service, and social media can help.

Here are some tips to help you encourage real conversation on social media channels and improve your customer engagement:

• Choose 2-4 social media platforms to devote your attention and develop a plan of engagement. Spreading yourself too thin on social media channels will not help you accomplish your goals. If you are active on every social media platform around, you will not be able to personalize your communications and interact with your customers in the way they desire. Focusing on a few platforms, however, is more manageable and can transform your relationships with your customers .
• Use social media to introduce your followers to your employees. Your employees are the ones who will spend the bulk of the time interacting with customers and managing their accounts, so introduce them to your followers. Let your followers get to know your employees on a more personal level. You can do this through short feature bios, or you could even give one of your employees control over your social media accounts for the day to answer questions and interact with followers.
• Respond to posts on your social media channels, and use them to make a bad experience right. Your followers want to hear from you, so respond to their posts or mentions. Interact with them outside of posting your latest blog or promoting your newest product. Did someone recently post a poor review on your Facebook page? If you are using social media as part of your customer relationship strategy, you would not only respond to their post, but you would do everything in your power to make the situation right. This will show your followers that you are serious about maintaining your image and care about your customers.
• Post things your followers want to see. If you are relying solely on self-promotional posts, your social media efforts will fail before you even begin. Make your posts personal and find out what your followers what to see and hear from you. Once you have an idea of what your followers expect, deliver!
• Be helpful. Customers and potential customers like to use social media to get a feel for a company and its products/services without having to make a commitment. Make yourself available to answer any questions your followers may have. You never know who will continue on to be a loyal customer.

One last piece of advice – integrate your social media with your marketing. While you do not want to push your products too heavily on social media channels, using social media to further your campaign reach periodically is invaluable. Time after time we hear about companies who have gained clients through something as simple as a Facebook post. Don’t underestimate the power of social media; use it to your advantage.

Interested in learning more about positioning your business for success? Download our whitepaper, “The Four Wheels Driving Your Business into the Future,” to learn how you can use modern technology to win and engage new customers.