When you begin to market your business on social media, you might wonder how to keep it professional and how often you should actually interact with your followers. We’re here to help!
Why is Building Customer Relationships on Social Media so Important?
In the era of massive e-commerce, and most especially in the era of COVID-19, customers do more and more of their shopping and brand interactions online. Social media is an incredible avenue for real-time communication and relationship-building. Moreover, posting consistently on social media and interacting with customers and potential customers helps show the heart behind your business. Showing the faces of the business owners and employees helps humanize your brand and builds positive feelings and trust.
If you are a consistent presence on social media and you build a habit of actually engaging with customers, they are more likely to post about your business and promote it. When people share a story or post and tag you to talk about how great your business is, they really like to receive some kind of response from you. Sending them a Direct Message (DM) with a thank-you for the shoutout or sharing their post to your own story can encourage them to interact again in the future.
Statistics about Customer Interaction on Social Media
A survey of over 1,000 consumers and 250 businesses commissioned by Sprout Social found that, after having positive interactions with a brand on social media, consumers were more likely to:
- Buy from that brand
- Recommend that brand to friends, family, and others
- Develop a stronger bond with that brand
- Spend more than they previously did with that brand
Furthermore, according to 2021 data, 43% of customers have increased their use of social media platforms to discover new products and companies over the last year. These data points show just how important it is to build thriving social profiles and use them to interact with your current and future customers.
How to Interact with Customers on Social Media
First, Find Out Where Your Customers Live Online
Arguably the most important step in building a thriving online social life for your business is finding out where your customers (and potential customers) hang out on the web. Are you targeting stay at home moms? Try Pinterest. Young business professionals and entrepreneurs? Twitter or LinkedIn might be your best bet. Choosing the right platform to focus on isn’t always simple, which is why we have a complete post on choosing the right social media platform for your business here.
Next, Establish Credibility and Consistency
For people to trust you, you have to build a habit of showing up. This doesn’t mean you have to post daily, but it is a good idea to make your presence known at least weekly. This way, you build a history on your page. Another way you can establish credibility and make your brand relatable is by showing the faces of business owners and employees.
Respond Quickly to Customers
Have you ever noticed the Facebook indicator that tells you how long it usually takes businesses to respond to messages? Generally, it will say something like “This business is very responsive” or “This business usually responds to messages within a day.” While not all social media platforms have such a clear indicator of how likely you are to get a real response from a brand, customers have come to expect that businesses will be accessible 24/7 on social media. Don’t let these platforms take over your life, but know that it’s a good idea to keep an eye on them and do your best to respond to messages within a few hours. Regardless of whether messages are negative or positive, a quick response can help increase your odds of a positive outcome.
Does your business use social media to interact with customers and build a brand identity? Let us know in the comments!
