We are all aware of the prevalence of social media. Whether we use Facebook to keep track of old flames, Instagram to show our friends what we had for lunch, or Twitter (News - Alert) to update the world on the funny things our cats do every day, we can find countless uses for these sites and applications. But people are using social media for more than just connecting with loved ones. More and more people are utilizing the power of social media to talk to – or about – a company, and social media is becoming an immediate and massive platform for expressing the customer experience. This raises several questions for businesses – namely, “What should my social media strategy be?” and “What tools are available to help me accomplish my goals?”
Fortunately, there is a solution for this dilemma: West Social Media Solutions, in fact. I recently spoke with Dan Gordon, SVP of strategy and development, and Marshall Mallum, VP of client operations, at West about the social media solutions and how they can benefit businesses and customers alike.
As Gordon pointed out, social media platforms provide people with immediacy and reach. They can now send a message about a customer experience to thousands of people in an instant. Gordon went on to say that the companies that work with West have realized the experience they are providing across all channels.
Mallum noted that more and more customers are using these social channels to talk about experiences – both good and bad – they had with a company. But even more than that, Mallum believes that social media is becoming the right conduit to best understand customer perception, even if it can be a bit noisy.
Mallum stated that just about every company he speaks with is at least curious about social media, and most have some kind of social media strategy, though many are not doing enough. He stressed the importance of companies knowing what they want. Are they looking to get in there and engage customers? That only works if they have an engagement strategy. They need to develop a plan, a community management approach, choosing which posts to address, especially when there is an escalated experience for a customer. Gordon added that, once companies dive in and understand the power of social media, they look at other ways to leverage the technology. They can solicit feedback, crowdsource opinions, create sales and lead gen initiatives and more.
Once companies decide what their intentions are when it comes to social media, they can develop a coherent strategy, gaining insight and using data for performance feedback and to change business processes. Mallum said that, when companies engage with customers that have problems, the customer feels as if the business is listening, and this goes a long way to creating customer satisfaction, even if a problem is not immediately resolved. Companies can gain brand advocates, and happy customers can start promoting the brand themselves.
For companies that wish to pursue this avenue, West’s suite provides listening and engagement solutions for social media, even going so far as to provide social media engagement specialists to respond to these various posts. West also works to provide back-office tools and support to its customers. These solutions help companies figure out what they need to know, whether it is positive or negative, providing reports about what affects customer perception, navigating through the noise. Companies can monitor their social media initiatives, get analytics and more. The social media channel empowers customers to voice their opinions, and West Social Media Solutions empower companies to leverage the same communication tools for the benefit of their own business.