Without any second thoughts, customer experience has indeed become the topmost priority of every other business firm or organization out there. In the present era, customers form their perception of a brand or business based on the moments they share with it. Most importantly, such moments don’t just happen on the service line or at the checkout page. Social media networks have emerged as a critical touchpoint in building and maintaining the Customer Relationship Management (CRM). If used in the right manner, these social media networks are way more than just a platform to respond to complaints – they are how you build long-lasting connections and develop brand loyalty. Brands and businesses have now just only begun to unlock and utilize the full power of social media. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn don’t just offer the sole purpose of promotion. They are an excellent means of connecting with your target audience as well. As per various reports and surveys conducted, 80% of the customers across the globe look forward to brands connecting with them through social media. So, let’s now make ourselves familiar with a few tips on how to get started with building such long-term customer relationships.
1- Listen to your Customers First Before You Start Talking
Without any doubt, building and maintaining customer relationships are all about delivering immense value to them. By offering informative, relevant, useful, engaging, or entertaining content, you will find people always looking forward to connecting with you and your brand. Hence, all you need to do is stay away from the “what’s in it for me” approach, flip the script, and initiate by listening to your target audience. There is a dire requirement to get an overview of what your potential customers are talking about online for collecting relevant keywords and posting meaningful content on social media platforms. In your overall Content Marketing Strategy, you should put in sincere efforts to come up with the content that responds to your audience and shows them that you value their feelings and thoughts.
2- Respond as soon as possible
Listening to your customers is only the first piece of the puzzle, as you also need to respond wisely to what you hear. According to Digital Marketing experts, customers expect an online response within 30 minutes. Failing to respond to your customers’ queries or address their concerns shall make them annoyed. Therefore, you need to keep track of what your customers are saying and then offer quick responses to cater to the convenience and speed that they crave.
3- Ensure Personalizing Conversations
Although quickly responding to your customers is essential, opting for a standard automated message may not suffice. By using Chat Bots, you can show your customers that you care for them in all aspects. For building connections on social media, you should always talk to your customers directly, address them with their first name as and when possible, be friendly towards them, and end the conversation with your company name or team name. Remember, making them feel comfortable and secure at all times is what deserves your due attention.
4- Showcase your Human Side
You should never reserve your unique and dynamic personality while having a one-on-one conversation with your customers. Undoubtedly, social media is the place in today’s digital age, where every individual can showcase his or her style and tone of voice. For building customer relationships on social media, you need to give your brand a heart and show off your human side. You can introduce people to your staff by using videos, bios, stories, and pictures. You can use emojis that are a perfect fit for your brand and indulge in fascinating conversations and trends. Furthermore, you can effectively make use of live streaming options to deliver an unfiltered view of your company.
5- Reward your Customers from Time-to-Time
Building customer relationships on social media isn’t about bribing your followers. Instead, you should appreciate them as they are choosing your brand over all the others out there. Coming up with contests and competitions is a terrific idea like in the form of asking people to vote for their favorite product on a poll (Instagram Stories). Not only will you end up generating buzz around your business, but shall also expand your brand reach. Additionally, you can also come up with awards like “client of the month” to emphasize customers’ achievements.
6- Make the most of Customer Feedback and Reviews
Listening to customers on social media networks shall result in more positive reviews than the negative ones. However, there are always a few chances that you might come across someone unsatisfied with your business. Instead of trying to conceal the negative issues, you should appreciate the customers for making you aware of what’s going wrong with your offerings to handle the same. It is essential to make a point of the fact that it takes only a single great experience to remind your customers what they like about your brand. So, respond both quickly and wisely to transform even the most unsatisfied customer into a brand advocate.
7- Delight your Customers with something Extraordinary and Unexpected
For building long-term relations on social media, going to the extra mile shall always offer fruitful results. You can give exclusive discount offers or conduct events as everyone appreciates them. Also, you can provide your target audience with helpful resources like a user guide and answer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to develop their interest further.
8- Give Importance to User-Generated Content
There are several things other than respect, which you need to keep in mind for building customer relationships on social media. If you want customer loyalty, then you should give the utmost value to your customers’ opinions. The most convenient way of doing the same is by giving priority to user-generated content as it allows you to take their ideas and views into consideration while building your brand entity. It is also a brilliant way of generating sales and creating social proof. What you can do is ask your customers for ideas and tips corresponding to what your business should do next. It will not only inspire you but shall also make the customers consider themselves as an integral part of your brand.