WEEK 2 POST 1


     Thanks to social media, finding out what your customers (and potential customers) think about a product or service is easier than ever.  Being able to find out what your consumers want or are thinking about your product or service is a crucial part of creating and maintaining customer satisfaction.  In fact, it can also lead to better developments in your product or services that you hadn't thought of before.  Not that long ago, the majority of marketing was more of a one-way conversation.  Mostly talking at the consumer, less listening.  Businesses were telling and showing the customer what they had to offer.  Unless they conducted a group study or did something else to gather input from consumers, they really didn't have much feedback.  Sales would be the best way to tell if something was working or not.  But now, with social media, companies can engage one on one with their consumers and can make it a personal and thoughtful experience.  They can build relationships with people and that goes a long way in building trust and brand loyalty.  Social media provides multiple avenues for companies to engage in personal relationships with customers.  So, when someone is unhappy with a product and posts about it, it's public.  Addressing those concerns on that platform can not only win back the customer but can also help you make changes to a product or service you hadn't thought of before.  "You want to see that in more colors?  We can do that.  You don't like the tag because it's scratchy?  We didn't know that.  We can fix that."  By addressing a customer's negative concerns, it can help the company to gain more public trust as they see that the company is willing to address a customer's complaint publicly and that they genuinely value their customer's feedback.  It shows that the company values its customers and that its customers have a voice.  Replying to positive feedback is important as well.  It lets the customer know that you appreciate them and don't just take them for granted.  Recognizing customers who take the time to review a company's product or service is an effective way to create a personal bond with them, regardless if it's positive or negative.  Having the platform so visible to so many people is unlike anything we've ever had in history.  Businesses can now establish a personal relationship with their customers, in a short amount of time, for little money, on a level like we've never seen before.  That's what social media has done for businesses today.  

     I really appreciate reading customers' feedback on the products or services I'm buying, but I don't write them very often myself.  I usually am prompted to post reviews based on the two extremes of my personal experience; I've either had a great one or a horrible one.  If it's just "meh", I don't bother, unless the food, product, or service cost me more money than I think it should have.  I usually try to be specific about what I loved or disliked about a product or service when I'm writing a review.  I don't want to use the forum just to vent, although that can be very effective as well.  I think for most of us, it's time-consuming and tedious to write reviews.  But, when a company offers you something extra like $10 off your next purchase if you post a review, that can be a very effective marketing tool because based on my own experience I can easily get distracted or forget about doing a review, but if there's an incentive, I find that I'm much more likely to do it.  I personally think that's smart marketing.   

     When I have my own company, no matter how big it gets, I will always want to participate in reading and responding to customers who take the time to leave a comment or review.  If it's negative, that's a customer I will want to win over even more so.  I would take the time to address their concerns and if it's feasible, make any adjustments I could (within reason) to make them happy.  I will always appreciate the customers who like my product, but negative reviews can hold a lot of value in them, especially when they are valid and taken seriously.  

     

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