by Soleil Manara, Social Media Asset Manager
Photo via www.spiral16.com
NOTE: Breaking up via FB relationship status change is only done by guys with the smallest balls.
“Stupid brand! I will never waste my money on your products again!”
LIKE LOVE, when you put yourself out there, you have to prepare yourself for rejection. Customers are powerful, now more than ever, because of Social Media. They shape the conversations about your brand. They can bring you up but they can also drag you down. When this pops on your brand feed, what can you do? Your fans, technically, have every right to take a dump right on your Facebook brand page. Accept the fact that not all fans visit your page because of brand love; some purposely go there for vengeance. When faced with this dilemma, what do you tell them? Do you respond, or do you ignore it?
Here are some tips on improving your social customer care strategy.
1. Value Feedback
Sure, you are in social media to announce your brand’s activities! But hey, social media has been increasingly used for customer service too. In fact, 42% of people on social media expect customer support from brand’s social accounts.1
While this reality is unfolding right before our eyes, most clients are still often too obsessed with planning what their brands have to say. They fall into the trap of not caring about the fan conversations in their pages – making the communication one-way. Having great content is king but listening to what your fans have to say is equally important.
Photo via http://bit.ly/1aNBWZM
The updated version has an earpiece for listening.
2. Customers are not always right but they are always first.
Angry fans are powerful. What they say about your brand in the social media world can be taken as a universal truth by anyone who sees it.
Image by http://bit.ly/1bEG4X5
Because what everyone says about you online defines who you are.
By the way, you’re naïve. Take it!
You may not always agree with what they say (you don’t have to) but you must always try to understand where they are coming from to be able to respond to their needs.
3. Be genuine. It will show.
Don’t fake it. Your fans will truly appreciate it if they will feel that you are conversing with them just as a human person would. That is the main point of social media anyway.
Screencap from Globe Facebook Page, 09 Feb 2014
Go on, community manager. Click “See more”.
4. Be prepared (or at least try to).
Timeliness is key. You certainly wouldn’t want the issue to spread like wildfire before it gets to you.
Photo via http://chzb.gr/1bl9PSk
Says your boss. Bye, lucrative account!
As a community manager, you need to have a complete understanding of what the issue is, otherwise, you’ll end up aggravating the situation.Lay down the facts and think of it as an opportunity for your brand to educate your consumers too.
Are your fans ready to break up with you? If so, what’s your next move?
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It's So Social 