Social media, meaning platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Co., are not only of great importance from a marketing point of view but are also becoming increasingly important in terms of customer service. A study now shows how relevant the topic is for companies.
Thanks to social media, consumers are now able to connect with large corporations and brands. This means that the customer connects to the company online and can interact with it. It is precisely this proximity that is becoming more and more important for the customer of the future and is a decisive factor above all for customer satisfaction. For companies, this means that they must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Because when a customer or prospect contacts a company via social media, they expect a reaction and an answer within a very short time.
SOCIAL MEDIA CUSTOMER SERVICE STUDY REVEALS
Why are people following brands on social media? The website Boston Digital asked itself why users follow a brand on social media and what they expect and why users unfollow a brand again. Two main reasons emerged:
- The user wants to learn more about a product.
- The user receives further and more helpful information about their own hobby.
For companies and brands, this means that they should mainly focus on their core business. It may be tempting to post something funny at first, as it will generate more engagement, but it doesn’t help to strengthen and grow your brand.
SOCIAL MEDIA CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THE USER
Another aspect also became clear in this study: If a user contacts a company via messenger, then the company should take the message seriously. Feedback or an answer to a question is “extremely important” or “very important” for the user.
Again, there are two main reasons why a user contacts a company via direct message. Either they have a specific question about a product or they have had a bad experience with a product or service and now want a response from the company. This is where companies and brands can score points or win back the trust of users if they react quickly.
WHY DO PEOPLE UNFOLLOW COMPANIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
The study also provides an answer to this question. When companies and brands don’t take their presence seriously and don’t respond to users’ questions or post irrelevant content, these are the reasons why the user clicks “unfollow”.
CONCLUSION: THE FUTURE IS CALLED SOCIAL MEDIA
If the study makes one thing clear, it is that companies need to invest even more in their activities on social media. The young generation in particular wants to interact with brands and companies on social platforms. But this is only possible if there is someone on the other side who knows the needs of the target group and knows how to satisfy them. Because at the end of the day, one thing is also clear: customers’ purchasing decisions are significantly influenced by social media.
