Parents are more likely to use social media to complain about your business than their children, according to a survey conducted by social media software experts, Gnatta
- 35-44 year olds are the most likely to engage with companies on social media.
- 33% of parents use social media to complain compared with 9% of non-parents
- Only 11% 18-24 year olds would chose to contact businesses via social media with most prefering to contact companies either via email or face-to-face.
- 1 in 10 over 65’s currently use social media to make their consumer voice heard
- Over 50% customers expect a reply from businesses within 24 hours if they make a complaint
These results may come as a surprise, as the digitally native younger generation have staked their claim to social media. However, with these statistics proving otherwise, it is time businesses re-thought about how they engage with the older generation of consumer? Contact Gnatta
The New Rules
1) Know your audience
The first rule of marketing is ‘know your audience’ and this should not be forgotten when businesses use social media.
With cyberspace becoming increasingly saturated by brands desperate to make their voices heard, the best way to cut through the noise is to engage with those who will be the most receptive.
The survey has highlighted that in order for businesses to be successful in the social space, they need to change their ideas of who their audience are and start making it more accessible to everyone.
Not only are the 35-44 age bracket more active than businesses may have previously assumed, 1 in 10 over 65’s also prefer to use online social channels as a way of making their consumer voice heard.
It’s time to stop trying to be ‘hip and trendy’ and acknowledge that your audience may want practicality and personal communication instead.
2) What a difference a day makes
Over 50% of consumers now expect their complaints to be answered in under 24hours. Therefore not only do businesses need to re-think who they are communicating with but also how quickly they are responding.
It is no secret that social media has revolutionised how we communicate, leading to an assumption that everyone can be contacted instantaneously. This needs to be acknowledged and response processes should be tightened by businesses if they are to maintain good B2C relations.
3) Make it Personal
So you now know your audience and have acknowledged the need to respond quickly but this is still not enough!
The most successful brands are those which make their customers feel special. Responding to each individual personally, acknowledging the complaint or answering their question, is the best way to make the customer feel valued.
Failure to maintain good customer relations chime a death knoll for your business. Online communities now have a louder voice than ever before and one bad customer experience can very soon become the brush which tars your brand. Therefore, for success to be maintained, it is vital that every customer experience is a good one.
4) Time is of the essence
What if the worst happens and one slips though the net? The best way to avoid crisis is a quick response. This means that you need to be aware of every interaction you receive on every online channel 24/7, this includes social media, email and review websites.
If your businesses in growing this will seem like a mammoth task, but with the wrath of the mummy blogger posing a very real threat to your reputation it is vital you take the necessary steps to effectively monitor your online presence.
So what is the solution? There are platforms out there which allow you to automate Twitter and automatic email responses have been around for a while, but if you really want to transform the customer experience it will take more than a robotic response.
However, there is hope – web applications such as @Gnatta now allow business to gather all communications in one place, allowing you to effectively monitor and respond to all forms of digital engagement from one online dashboard.
In a society where the personal touch is increasingly being lost, it is a knowledge of your audience and a one-to-one relationship which will put your businesses on the path to success.
Communication without limits. Creating a two-way dialogue between organisations and people, whilst providing in depth business intelligence.