By Jeofrey Bean
Make it easy for people to learn about your business and real customers to advocate for it.
People using social media have made customer experience more important than ever. People can share the experiences they have with your company before, during and after they become customers. Ultimately you want people using social media advocating for your company with the social media they choose.
In the past, people made shopping decisions based on trusted friends’ recommendations. Now, those recommendations have gone digital, encompass more people, and are crucial for the success of most businesses.
But social media options keep evolving. How are customers exchanging information about companies like yours? Yesterday it might have been TripAdvisor and Yelp. Today it might be Snapchat and Instagram. And tomorrow’s hot button might not even exist yet.
Learn why your customers use social media, which social media they frequent, and what devices they use. How are they influenced? Do they become influencers by rating or writing?
J. D. Power’s research shows that one-third of social media users get recommendations about a product or service from friends and family exclusively through social media. Today the most frequently used social media channels are Facebook (29 percent), followed by YouTube (19 percent) and Twitter (11 percent).
Social media is a major factor in business-to-business purchase decisions, too. Independent research firm International Data Corporation found that 75 percent of buyers worldwide use social media to support their purchase decisions.
If you know social media, you know exactly which social media platforms people will use to discover your business and which ones customers use to advocate for your business.
Another benefit of knowing social media is understanding which social media platforms you do not have to invest much time or effort. If the people in your market select and rely on LinkedIn and Google plus for business to business socializing, than is where you can concentrate your efforts. You won’t have to be as concerned with Facebook and Instagram.
You want customers using social media that works for your company to create advocates. Creating advocates is what delivering a great customer experience is about. Make it easy for your customers and your own decision making, know social media.
Jeofrey Bean is the author of the business leadership books Customer Experience Rules! and best-selling customer experience book The Customer Experience Revolution: How Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Starbucks Have Changed Business Forever.
He assists companies in making successful decisions about Internet marketing strategies and customer service improving customer experience, as advisor, keynote speaker and by leading training seminars or workshops.
Jeofrey is known for innovative yet practical insights delivered with a dash of humor at venues including J.D. Power Service Excellence Summit and as a guest on host John Hockenberry’s “The Take Away” program on National Public Radio (NPR – PRI). He also a part-time Professor of Business Management and Marketing at UC San Diego Extension teaching Internet Marketing and Customer Experience leadership.
Amazon Author Page Jeofrey Bean
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