While social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are relatively recent developments, the number of users accessing these sites has skyrocketed over the past couple years. In addition to an ever-growing pool of new users, many existing users visit these sites several times per day. Recent Valued Opinions™ research on Australian social media use through paid surveys online shows that of the 2,798 people surveyed, 44% of people aged 14-24 and 39% of people aged 25-34 check their social media accounts 5 or more times per day. Social media use wasn't limited to younger audiences, however; 32% of those aged 35-44 check their social media accounts 2-4 times per day, while over a quarter of those aged 45-54 do so.
While many business owners are hesitant to move away from old-fashioned outreach methods, recent data makes it clear that social media is an essential marketing tool for a business today, and should be a key part of any business' marketing strategy.
Low Cost Marketing
It is important to note that many businesses do spend a considerable amount of money on social media management. However, the simple design of these platforms (and the fact that creating a profile is free for any user) means that a business owner can complete the task without spending a penny. While smaller companies may be able to create and manage their social media platforms without digging into their budgets, mid-range business and larger companies may want to consider assigning someone (or a team of people) to manage their social media accounts. Larger companies will often receive a larger volume of feedback from customers in the form of questions, comments, or complaints. Having someone there to answer these questions can help to create a public display of good customer service.
Credibility
A strong social media presence--especially one that showcases your customer service--has become a source of credibility [1] on the market. Social media allows you the chance to make your business feel approachable and relatable. It also makes your company subject to the ratings and feedback of consumers--and a positive review from a consumer, or several thousand “likes” on Facebook, can do wonders for your credibility. With a well-run account, customers will likely quickly start believing in what is being said and will be more willing to make purchases.
Beating Competitors
Showcasing your customer service on social media sites (by garnering more “likes” and comments than competitors) can prove especially useful if your business is competing with others who sell the same service or product. Social media allows users to share information about your company, leave public comments about your services, and make your products easily searchable. Responding to customer complaints and comments via social media pages can help give you a competitive advantage, according to Likeable founder Dave Kerpen [2]. Kerpen warns business against deleting complaints, and even suggests responding to comments or questions posed by customers about other companies.
Having an account on major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest is critical for success. Social media marketing offers free platforms on which to interact with potential clients, allowing business owners to build credibility, establish a visible history of strong customer service, and promote brand loyalty [3]. As an added perk, social media marketing (in addition to customer surveys) offers companies a great way to garner invaluable feedback about their products and services.
This article has been written by a third party. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Research Now or its Valued Opinions™ panel. The statistics referred to in this article were collected from pre-screener questions directed to members of Research Now's Valued Opinions panel during June 2013. The information is presented without warranty, express or implied.
1 UK Guardian, www.guardian.co.uk.
2 INC., www.inc.com
3 Huffington Post, www.huffingtonpost.com.