The Significance of Social Media and Customer Feedback (Good or Bad)

It’s probably safe to say you’ve already heard what we’re about to tell you. But it’s important enough that a reminder won’t hurt.

Happy customers are valuable ones, and loyal happy customers are even more so. Unhappy customers, on the contrary, are worse than worthless. Disgruntled clients can precipitate a major dip in your balance sheet.

Especially now that most consumers are connected to social media on at least one channel, it’s important that you respond strategically to their feedback.

Why You Need to Socialize

Don’t think of your business as at-risk upon joining the social media sphere...in fact, openness to customer feedback on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you make your mark will ultimately help you. Here’s why: Customers want to interact with you on social media—or at least, they want the option to interact. In fact, they even expect it. Nowadays businesses without social media accounts look suspicious.

Think Twice Before Deleting

Some businesses, especially small ones, are ravenous for social media content. Any attention is good attention. And there’s some truth to that. Even negative comments are of value when you respond to them appropriately.

When customers complain about your products or customer service on Facebook or Twitter, let them have their say. You may be pleasantly surprised to find loyal customers defending you. That’s all the more reason to let whiny, obnoxious or unfair feedback stay on your page.

Sales Side Effects

Happy customers that respond to unhappy ones will always be ideal. But until you’ve built up a band of happy–go-lucky social media followers always at the ready to go to battle for you, responding to negative feedback yourself will have to suffice.

The rules of responding to complaints on social media are the same as they are in person:
-Hear out whoever is so upset with you. Read their comments with an open mind to understand where they’re coming from.

-After reviewing the complaint—and quickly looking into the situation as necessary—respond right away. While not having a social media presence will look suspicious, taking ages to update that presence will look inauthentic. Calm unhappy customers, stat.

-Handle negative feedback on social media well and it could turn into a positive. Clients and prospects may be impressed by your understanding response, which of course could make your sales outlook even brighter.

-Keep an eye on your business’s social media properties so that you can turn every bad customer experience into a sales opportunity.

You can read more print, marketing, and design blogs on our website : Minuteman Press News Archive

Minuteman Press
4185 Sunbeam Road, Suite 100 • Jacksonville, Florida 32257
Phone: 904-733-5578 • Fax: 904-733-6568
sales@mmpjax.com

Let the Customers Do the Work With User Generated Content

Recently Google shared that 70% of brand content is created by consumers. And that’s a good thing if you have loyal customers, because Google tells us that 90% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know. So maybe it’s time to show the people who trust your company just how much you trust them. Put some of the marketing responsibilities in their hands. That may seem like you’re giving up control, but through the use of User Generated Content (UGC), you can involve your customers to have them help do some marketing work for you. Here are some ways that you can use UGC to boost your credibility and business:

Get Their Feedback

One of the easiest ways to use UGC is to simply ask customers how you’re doing. You can set up a place for feedback on your website or you can even ask customers to fill out a short response card in person. Either way, you’re gathering UGC that will help you better understand what they want. Surveys are another great way to check up on your customers. Make sure to specifically target what you’re trying to find out before you send out the survey. By asking concise and direct questions, you’re sure to get helpful answers. Then, you can use the information you gather to show prospects what other customers thought of your company.

Be the Buzz

In order to market yourself using UGC, you need your customers to talk about your company. Social media is a great way to utilize this aspect of UGC. If you’re not already using social media, maybe it’s time to add it to your marketing plan. Social media puts you where your customers are playing. Once you have your social media in place, pose questions where your followers can reply. Make sure the questions spark discussion for the best responses. On certain sites, followers will be able to tag you in a post where all of their friends will see that your customers are talking about your company. Another great way to get them talking is to post articles in a blog that you can share on your website and in social media. Leave a section for comments so customers can react to your posts.

Monitor the Conversation

Once you provide opportunities for UGC, you need to remain involved in the conversation. If you’re asking questions, conducting surveys or allowing for comments on your blog posts, you need to monitor and reply back to your customers. If you’re not involved in the conversation, they will stop leaving comments because they feel that it is not worth their time.

And don’t forget, even if you’re not actively involved in a UGC plan for your business, customers are still talking about you online. An easy way to check out what’s being said is to set up Google Alerts. With this service, you’ll receive an email when the keywords you’ve selected, such as your name our your company’s name, are mentioned on the web.

You can read more print, marketing, and design blogs on our website : Minuteman Press News Archive

Minuteman Press
4185 Sunbeam Road, Suite 100 • Jacksonville, Florida 32257
Phone: 904-733-5578 • Fax: 904-733-6568
sales@mmpjax.com

After Hours Networking

In honor of our new blog and the fact that it's both Friday (TGIF!) and the first day of the month, here's some great info on how to use those out-of-office hours to drive business.

When you’re on the job, you do everything you can to reach out and drum up new business. Maybe you’re managing multiple social media pages to reach consumers. You’ve sent direct mail to new markets where you can find potential customers that would benefit from your products or services. But just because you’re doing all you can on the clock doesn’t necessarily mean you should rule out after hours networking. Think of the advantages of getting out there to meet new people while your competitors are confined to their businesses. Here are some easy networking strategies to consider next time you’re off the clock.

Don’t Be Bashful

Let’s face it. Being shy is not an option when it comes to networking. So you’ve got to put yourself out there and think of every interaction as a networking opportunity. And if you’re on the shy side, you can overcome that by being prepared. Unless you engage, you never know if that stranger beside you on a plane or the table next to you at a restaurant could be a customer. So don’t just think of traditional wine and cheese networking events as the only place to find new business. Volunteer opportunities, for instance, are a great way to get connected to others with similar interests. Also, remember to always have business cards handy for any unexpected opportunities you meet.

Perfecting Your Pitch

Studies show that the younger generation, an up-and-coming portion of the consuming population, have short attention spans because they were raised in barrage of information from the readily available content the Internet puts at their fingertips. They may not be the only ones. As technology continues to expand, consumers have more options to become distracted and don’t have time to listen for elongated periods of time. That’s why you should never rule out your best elevator pitch.

Make the pitch short, simple and relevant to the person you’re engaging. People want to know what you have to offer without sorting through information to get to your main point. Give it to them up front instead of dancing around what they’re really looking for. Remember that although you’re trying to be concise, you also need to find a way to stand out from everybody else.

How to Keep Them Hooked

The best way to keep people engaged is to find commonalities. If you talk about a shared hobby or passion before you talk business, your new connection is sure to remember you and possibly follow up to work with you. When you’re out there networking, never attempt to force a business relationship. But that doesn’t mean you should stop talking with them just because you don’t see potential. The personal connection may eventually result in a referral or at least a substitute fourth for your golf league.

You can read more print, marketing, and design blogs on our website : Minuteman Press News Archive

Minuteman Press
4185 Sunbeam Road, Suite 100 • Jacksonville, Florida 32257
Phone: 904-733-5578 • Fax: 904-733-6568
sales@mmpjax.com

Gain Customer Feedback You Can Actually Use

You’ll never know what your customers want if you don’t ask them. Sometimes getting over that first hurdle of asking is the biggest challenge. However, just asking questions may not be enough. There’s an art to gaining the feedback you seek and there is a correct way to ask your customers. Whether you’re asking them in person, through email or via direct mail, you will need to know how to generate the type of feedback that will help your company. Luckily, there are some easy ways to getting the feedback that will help your company grow.

Ask Clear Questions

It’s like you’re back in high school sitting in the class you despised most. Your teacher hands you the test and when you read the question, you have no idea what you’re being asked. Don’t be that teacher. Instead, be as precise as you can. For example, instead of asking “Did you like the product?” ask “What feature did you like best about the product?” The latter question requires more in depth analysis than simply a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

Watch the Wording

Also, beware of how you choose to word your questions. Research professional Carey Azzara pointed out that when companies ask their clients to rate something “lower than expected” or “higher than expected,” you assume that everybody came in with the same expectations. This is never true, and it can be fixed by simply rewording your questions to be more precise.

Objection, Leading the Witness

It’s easy to let your own voice get in the way of what you’re trying to ask your customers. Since you are trying to gain feedback about something near and dear to you, it’s easy to set the questions up for positive feedback. You might ask clients about their favorite features of a new product, but you fail to ask them what they thought was flawed.

Another form of leading the customer happens when companies list a fact that portrays your company in a positive light, and then ask a question. While this seems like a good idea, you’re asking clients to make an assumption based off the information you have provided. Avoid these leading questions and other forms that could sway the feedback you receive.

Put it to Use

Now that you have all the facts you need, make sure you take the time to analyze what that means for the future of the company or the product. Customers will take notice if you implement the changes, but they will also notice if you don’t listen to what they have to say. It’s crucial for customer satisfaction that you understand what your clients want from you. If you aren’t gaining feedback anonymously, don’t be afraid to ask follow up questions if you don’t understand a response that you’ve received.

You can read more print, marketing, and design blogs on our website : Minuteman Press News Archive

Minuteman Press
4185 Sunbeam Road, Suite 100 • Jacksonville, Florida 32257
Phone: 904-733-5578 • Fax: 904-733-6568
sales@mmpjax.com