6 Benefits of customer engagement in social media management

Social media management in large corporate environments is a tricky business. Worrying about company standards and customer satisfaction is one thing, but paying close attention to the competition and trying to stay relevant is another matter entirely. With all that said, there is a solution to the issue of covering all the bases and it starts and ends with customer engagement.
More and more businesses are starting to turn their head towards customers, asking for their opinion, feedback and ultimately, approval. Putting so much faith into customers on social media might sound risky, but it’s also necessary due to the fact that so many people use smartphones and social media these days. But what are some of the most concrete benefits of engaging your customers on social media and interacting on a more personal level?

1. Interactive campaigns

Following the success of so many interactive Q&A and live chat sessions on Facebook and Instagram, one can easily conclude what the next step is for large companies. Scheduling interactive campaigns where customers and visitors can participate in live giveaways, talks about trending industry topics or even compete in knowledge about the company is something that should be a no brainer.
While it does require a certain new way of thinking to be applied, this can easily be amended by hiring a young social media manager with panache for interacting with strangers on the web. Your customers will appreciate being included in an interactive experience and talking to a representative of your company much more than you can imagine. And while it doesn’t cost you anything more than it otherwise would, opting for an interactive campaign over an automated content schedule is a smart way to go about customer engagement .

2. Customer feedback

There is no better way to get relevant and applicable customer feedback on the internet than by using social media to do so. Sending questionnaires via email and asking for “a couple of minutes” of your customer’s spare time might not work as it did in the past. The reason for this is because people tend to be in a hurry during the day and rarely have the patience to fill out such forms when they are resting at home.Asking for customer feedback publically and on your social media pages will likely result in a much better response. You can always go a step further and give your followers extra incentive to spare a few minutes by including them in a giveaway poll that includes your company’s services and products. Doing so will bring you minimal costs but the feedback you receive from using this form of customer engagement might be priceless.

3. Wider reach and conversion

People around the world have one thing in common – they like being treated nicely. Being polite and communicative with anyone who comments on your posts, contacts you directly or even writes a complaint publically is often what makes or breaks a social media page.
Putting someone in charge of your pages without screening them for social skills and content management background can be a dire mistake that your company won’t come back from easily. Engaging curious and communicative customers by responding to their messages, sometimes even translated into a foreign language can be a hugely popular public relations move. More people will flock to your company and follow your content if they see that you appreciate them as people, not just a source of company revenue.

4. Relationship-oriented management

Imagine going out on a date with someone you liked for a long time only to discover later on that it was a one-time deal for the other person – how would you feel? This type of thinking can be applied to social media customer engagement, meaning that people will always remember the things you promise to do, not to do or act upon in the future.
You will constantly be under a microscope of your customers and competitors alike, and one bad move can lead to a domino effect that you don’t want to see. You can avoid it and use it to your advantage by building long-term relations with your customers, opting for a more future-based approach to customer engagement.
Promising new features in the future and answering any lingering questions your visitors might have is a good way to start. An even better idea can be asking for support and appreciation by including an email subscription model into every piece of content you create, making sure that your visitors know that you are in it for the long run.

5. Quality testimonials

Asking for testimonials from satisfied customers is easier if you are in constant engagement with them. Testimonials are somewhat of a new trend in the corporate industry, opting to use real-life examples of satisfied customers in content creation instead of stock images found on the web.Getting quality testimonials is essential in building the trust and number of your followers and it’s something that will make you stand out among the competition. Ask for testimonials on a quarterly basis with an added incentive for anyone who gets picked for their appropriate and motivating testimonial. Pictures of happy customers that are all over the world will bring you a much better engagement than stock content would, and your entire customer base will flourish as the result.

6. Positive word of mouth

Getting word of mouth is relatively easy, but making it positive and spreading the word through your customers is something else. If you play your cards right and treat your customers with respect and individuality, not just as piggy banks waiting to be cracked open, you will be surprised with the amount of impact you can make.
People expect your company to provide professional service or products and beyond that, not much can be expected. Prove them wrong through your social media and engage them on a more personal level.Ask your customers how they like their products, would they add anything, send them thank you notes or even invite them to webinars or online services free of charge. Being forthcoming about your business model and respectful of the people that use your products will make a huge difference and make sure that positive word of mouth goes anywhere that your customers turn their heads.

Conclusion

Customer engagement is a double-edged sword, one that can cost your company a lot of money if done in a wrong way. It can also make your company brand flourish under a strong and communicative social media page that represents your company in the best light.Before engaging any customers or doing something drastic about your social media page, consult a marketing expert and decide who will manage the customers internally. If you do it right, you can make a huge difference based on social media engagements alone, and not to mention the offline influence that will follow.