Let’s all be honest here: everyone and their second cousin’s tannie has a social media presence now. Even Riaan Cruywagen is on Facebook these days. No matter what you do or how old you are, the social sphere is so much more than viral videos and #hashtags; it’s a communication tool. Just as the newspaper was once the revolutionary, go-to source for the happenings of the world around you, the online social media arena has made the world that much smaller. Thanks to recent developments in the SABC, it is also keeping our media honest.
Think about it: just in South Africa, there are approx. 7.4 million Twitter users right now; 2.68 million on Instagram; and en eye-watering 13 million on Facebook. At any given moment, you can communicate your message to the masses. More importantly, you can listen to what the masses are saying. It’s very powerful stuff. But with this stuff comes responsibility. Wielding your social media prowess is not to be messed with – especially if you’re getting more social on behalf of your business brand!
Our advice? Take a look at our latest infographic “Stats for Social Media Savvy Businesses.”
Always, under any circumstance, know what you’re getting into! Your Tweets, Instagrams, Pins or page updates are going to take a little more thought than the posts of your average social media Joe (or Joenelle!). As a business, the only way you’re going to conquer your social game is by being strategic, precise, relevant and instinctive. #businessgoals
So let’s keep going and see how these stats could up your social game.
The lesson: retail brands have followed their audience. Rather than fighting it, they’ve evolved. Knowing how, where and when your target market is hanging out in the digital land will help immensely in your own customer research. Don’t be silly and be among those that ignore the social sphere, or dismiss it as a passing fad. You could be missing out on getting to know your audience, and engage them one-on-one.
Our C-level leaders, believe it or not, are also consumers themselves (although they probably spend a bit more than the rest of us). They’re most likely getting their social on and listening to the brands they like on the web just as much as us normal folk.
For instance, before your CEO gets his PA to book her a 5 day break in Seychelles, maybe she gets the PA to check up on the resort’s rating on Trip Advisor first. Or perhaps your VP checks his flight status on Twitter before checking into his first-class seat.
No matter what your leadership is doing – and yes, I realize they’re not all typically as hoity-toity as I’ve painted them to be – the point is that they’re likely to be social listeners themselves! So if ever you have difficulty convincing them that your brand needs to boost your social media strategy, ask them to evaluate how often they leverage it as a consumer.
Please refer to the first sentence of this blog post.
There is an incredible amount of people on major social media channels at any given time.
Think about the last time you were in the gym. Think about the guy across from you on the treadmill. Let’s say he’s looking at his smartphone. For all you know, he’s Tweeting about the the fact that he can’t get his heart rate high enough for Discovery. Or maybe he’s checking out reviews for a movie he wants to take his girlfriend to see this weekend. Perhaps he’s writing his own customer testimonial for the app he 10 minutes ago.
Whatever he’s doing, the point is people are online getting social all the time, in a huge variety of places. It’s convenient, fast and easy. To ignore the goings-on in the digital space would be a big mistake by your sales team.
Talk about socially awkward! #amirite
If you were the owner of a restaurant and – heaven forbid – your customer found a (insert something gross, weird or gooey here) in the salad you just served her, what would you do? Turn around, ignore her and move on to the next victim customer? Or would you apologise profusely and offer her a new (something gross, weird or gooey item)-less meal free of charge in the hopes that she tells her friends about the great service at your fine establishment?
I hope you chose the latter. Because THAT is how you treat an unhappy customer. You try to make it right.
Social media is just a digital replica of the real world. You listen to the good, the bad and the extremely ugly. Even if it hurts. And then you respond and adjust accordingly. It’s growth. And it’s grown up.
Never be the company who ignores the faulty salad. No one wants that.
Customer retention is that all-coveted, glorious prize that all businesses aim to achieve. There’s nothing better than long-term customer loyalty.
A key way to get here though, is to leverage social media the right way. Using social media to engage your customers is going to be your best way to humanize your brand while building authority in your specific industry. In other words, you’re building trust, and relationships. Slowly, but surely, this is a strategy that will keep ‘em coming to you for your goods and services.
————————————————–
That’s all we’ve got for this edition of our monthly infographic, but be sure to check back next month to see what we come up with for July. Here’s the full infographic, for your sharing pleasure (please remember to give us a hyperlink back for love):
