Numerous advantages of social media communication create better customer service and increased sales.
Social media gets a bad rap for our lack of socialization, but perhaps it could get some credit for helping us to communicate more.
There is no second-guessing the fact that communication among businesses has changed tremendously, thanks to social media and other advancements in technology. Communication is undoubtedly a vital piece in the entire system, and it is crucial for businesses to keep themselves as close to customers as possible—no matter what device they use.
When social media started, it was more relevant to users who wanted to exchange personal information or common interests with each other, and businesses rarely came into that equation. However, social media communication has increased among businesses and has changed the dynamics of how businesses communicate internally and externally. Social media is one of the most important communication channels for businesses. Companies that are serious about reaching customers can’t afford to invest in it.
Although there is a more generic approach to leveraging social media—by advertising on this platform—there are other ways through which a business can communicate with its customers using social media.
Here are four unique ways that have evolved:
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Connections
The current market is less focused solely on pushing a product or a service to a customer with the end goal of making a sale. While that is still what the company eventually hopes will happen, it is more about connecting with the customer, aligning the customer with the brand, and engaging them continuously with unique content.
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Campaigns
Unlike in the past where promoting services or products and getting customer feedback consumed a vast amount of time and effort, social media has made this process exponentially faster. Within minutes of a marketing campaign going live, customers begin engaging with the brand. Social media allows businesses to constantly monitor and track the performance of their campaigns.
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Visualization
When businesses connect to their customers using a social media platform, they can provide better visualization to customers, who can then make faster decisions on whether to buy a product or service from a specific brand. Unlike in the past, where visualization was limited to sharing a company image or logo, today, there are more personalized and customized experiences for customers to go after.
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Round the clock presence
Social media has literally proven the old adage “round the clock engagement” is necessary. Taking just a brief look at the top two platforms, Facebook and Twitter, one can see businesses relaying messages during non-working hours. The reason customers use these platforms is the flexibility in time that it provides. As an audience, you don’t need to be available during the time zone of the business to communicate with them.
One thing is for sure, smartphones have completely transformed the way businesses engage with customers through social media. Today, customers don’t have to wait to go home and turn on their computer to check email and reply; it is right there on their smartphone or tablet. Many businesses have begun to leverage this flexibility for their advantage.
Further, with social media platforms providing a plethora of tools to work on, the tasks of marketers have been made even easier, especially when it comes to relaying messages to a specific target audience.
If you are not on social media, you are practically invisible to your customers. Social media is a valuable asset through which you are likely to get more loyal customers, interact and engage with them directly, form honest and trustworthy relationships, and create an environment in which they want to return again and again and tell their friends and family about as well.