How to Take the Customer Experience on Social to the Next Level

By Heidi Thiel

One of the most powerful marketing tools that small businesses have today is social media. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have become the norm when it comes to online social communication, with most digital consumers accessing these platforms multiple times each day.  Why is social media crucial to your business?  

The answer is simple:

Keeping up on customer service using social media is vital to retaining your current customer base and reaching out to new consumers. Through social media channels, you’ll be able to boost and grow your brand in new and exciting ways.

Focus on these 8 social media strategies to improve the customer experience:

1. Optimize the right social media channels

If you want to optimize your social media posts and communicate with consumers, you need to know what platforms your target customers are using. Once you know where your customers are hanging out, you’ll be able to create content that’s relevant to your brand. 

Here’s how you can narrow down which social media sites your customers regularly use:

• Customer surveys – Set up a survey to collect data from consumers. Ask questions such as what social media platforms they use, what websites they use for information, and what influencers they follow and pay attention to.
• Research social media statistics – Popular social channels can provide you with current statistics to narrow down which platforms you should be creating content for. You’ll be able to find out how many people are using the platform each month as well as data about the average age of users. 
• Match marketing goals to social platforms – As a last check, make sure your marketing goals are a good match for the social media platforms you decide to use to promote your brand. For instance, if you have a lot of visual content, choose platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest.

2. Build your brand tailored content

Everyone on your team, from social media managers to customer service, needs to be on the same page of your social media strategy. Your message should be clear and consistent as you define your brand and build your online presence. Maintaining this brand consistency makes it easier for consumers to remember who you are and what your business is all about.

When your social media posts are tailored and coordinated throughout your business, you eliminate those confusing messages that may push your target audience into leaving you behind and going to the competition. Consumers are looking for quick and smart solutions and want to be engaged with businesses they understand and feel connected to.

3. Find your voice

Another way that you can build your brand on social media is by finding your voice and keeping it consistent. The tone of your online communication should reflect the character of your brand both in words and visually. The way you say something will leave a lasting impression on your current and potential customers – so find a voice that’s authentic and true to your business.

Once you’ve established this “voice,” utilize the same tone across every social media platform that you’re using. Switching from one voice to another can easily distract buyers from your brand. With social media marketing becoming the norm, consumers are quick to avoid brands that are inconsistent in tone. Regularly take the time to review your content on social media to be sure your voice is synchronized across all platforms.

4. Post regularly

You want to make the most of each post on social media. Not only do your posts need to contain quality tailored content and have a consistent tone, but you also need to post regularly. But what is “regularly” and when is the best time to post?

Consistency

The most important posting strategy to employ is that posting consistently is just as vital as how frequently you post. Don’t run a series of posts for one week and then disappear for the next week. When you’ve established a stream of posts with your customers you need to continue the flow to maintain trust and show that you’re reliable. 

Frequency

The frequency of your posts matter. If you post content too often, consumers will start to ignore your posts. Yet if you post too infrequently, you won’t be able to build your brand and people will quickly forget who you are. As a guideline, post at least once a day on each social media platform, aiming for two posts.

Timing 

Once you’ve decided how often you’re posting, you want to get the timing right. The time of day you post can affect customer engagement and the number of views you receive. Each social media platform has its own statistics for when most people are online. Do your research and schedule to post during these peak times.

5. Engage with customer reviews

Before making a purchase, consumers will do their research by reading reviews. This means you need to respond to each and every customer review whether it’s positive or negative. By responding, you show that you’re listening and care about what your customers feel and are saying about your product or service.

It’s also important to keep in mind that when you reply to one specific customer that you’re also responding to all your current and future customers. By taking care of that one customer, you show all potential buyers that you care about their experience and are ready to listen and act. Even if the review you’re responding to isn’t relevant to all of your customers, these responses build trust in your brand and show that you’re open to all communication and customer engagement.

6. Respond quickly

When customers reach out to you through social media, they expect a fast reply in a matter of hours. Waiting days to respond leaves your customers feeling ignored, which can lower your level of service and negatively impact the customer experience.

This is where chatbots can come into play. Chatbots can answer specific questions in an efficient and timely manner that doesn’t keep your customers waiting. This quick communication not only builds brand loyalty, but it also increases consumer confidence in your business.

7. Create human connections

Consumers today want to interact and engage with real people rather than being just another consumer who buys from a big corporation. By creating human connections with consumers you’ll be able to build more trust in your business and the character of your brand. When done the right way, you can build meaningful and strong connections with your customers – and it’s these relationships that will encourage customers to share your brand on social media.

Here are some of the ways you can make a human connection with your followers:

• Ask for opinions – Social media lets you reach out to your customers and easily lets them share their opinion about your products or services. 
• Act on customer feedback – When customers give you their feedback, be prepared to act on it and make improvements. This action allows you to connect and let people know that they’re interacting with a business that values who they are.
• Build your social media presence – In order to sell, you need to share information about what you’re selling. But your social media content and posts don’t need to be all about business and sales tactics. Share related content that gives you that human connection, such as informative articles your customers may be interested in or a post about what’s happening in your business.

8. Learn from customer insights

As you build your online presence, remember that social media marketing isn’t just about making more sales and getting more followers – it’s also about improving your customer experience. 

Using social media marketing provides you with a lot of insights and information about how your customers are feeling and what they think about your business. You’ll have a lot of opportunities to engage with your current customer base and reach new buyers. Use the data and information you collect on your social media platforms to improve customer experience and grow your brand. 

Some of the ways you can use social media to boost customer experience include:

• Share insights with your team – You and your team can learn a lot from social media feedback from your customers. Use what you learn to improve your customer service on all levels. 
• Personalize your marketing strategy – When you know what customers want, you can create content that’s more relevant and personalized to your target customer. These messages will reach more consumers on a personal level that they can understand, linking your brand to this recognition. 
• Show your brand culture – Take the insights you collect from your communication with customers via social media and show off your brand with creative posts. It’s these insights that can help you leverage your social media presence and differentiate you from the competition. 

Final words

Implementing social media strategies in your marketing plan is an effective way to communicate with consumers on their own level. Social media lets you reach your customers and anticipate their concerns and needs so that you can build trust and value for your brand. Use these 8 social media tips to engage your business and brand with consumers and improve customer experience. 

About the Author: Heidi is a writer and content creator based in New York City. When she isn’t covering articles on social media, leadership, and HR topics, you can usually find her with her nose in a book or taking a walk through Central Park. Take a look at more of her work on the Chattermill blog.

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