By Chris Norton
Customer service is the backbone of any business. Today’s customers expect quick, efficient, and personal service, and that’s where the power of social customer service comes in.
Social customer service or social media customer service means using social media channels to offer customer support. It typically involves providing assistance and dealing with customer complaints. From quick response times and increased customer engagement to cost-effective communication and increased customer satisfaction, the advantages of using social media for customer service abound.
By harnessing the reach and simplicity of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you can attend to customers more effectively. In this article, we’ll explore various ways that social customer service benefits your brand and how to maximize it. So buckle up, grab a pen and paper, and let’s dive in.
1. Quick Response Time
Here’s one benefit of using social media for customer service: its quick response time. Social media platforms have given customers the ease and liberty to reach out to brands when they want to know more about a product or service.
This is especially important in today’s fast-paced world, where customers expect quick and efficient answers to their questions and concerns. According to Sprout Social, 22% of US consumers expect a response in one to two hours. Another 22% can willingly wait for up to 12 hours for a response after the query was made.
Additionally, social media customer support allows your customer service team to respond to inquiries simultaneously, meaning that response times can be lightning-fast, even during peak hours. So, your customers don’t have to wait on hold for hours. With customer service tools like Hubspot or Zendesk that have social media integrations, you can easily attend to these queries in real-time.
To improve the process, you can also have ready answers to frequent questions and resources for common customer challenges. This way, they don’t have to be passed around by different representatives for a solution. Such efficiency shows customers that you prioritize them. Complement this efficiency with excellent PR services and you’ll have a great public image.
2. Increased Customer Engagement
Incorporating SaaS marketing into your strategy can enhance customer engagement both for potential and existing customers. By being present on social media, you can build stronger engagements that give unique opportunities with your customers.
Social media allows you to have more personal interactions with your customers. For instance, when they send you a private message on Instagram or Twitter, it’s easier to respond to customers in a more informal and conversational manner. This will help you build trust so that customers feel more connected to your brand.
Customers may also leave comments about their inquiries or challenges on your social profile. Responding to customer comments will show that you are committed to providing top-notch customer service and building a relationship with your prospects. This is an effective way to increase Instagram followers, Facebook, or Twitter engagement for your business. See how Wise does this on Twitter:
Likewise, endeavor to respond to your customers in a friendly and approachable tone as you resolve their queries. You can create a response template to difficult questions using generative AI so every person in your team is on the same page. The tool can also help ensure your response is on-brand.
Still on engagement, social media platforms serve as a listening tool for businesses. You can use this to find out what interests your customers. With this knowledge, you can provide valuable blog posts, social media, or affiliate content that they are more likely to interact with. It’s more effective if your content actively addresses major challenges your customers face and how they can be fixed.
3. Cost-Effective Communication Channel
Social customer service benefits your company by helping you save costs. Unlike traditional customer service channels such as phone support, social media only requires a working internet connection on your mobile device or computer. This makes it a convenient option for small businesses or startups looking to save money on customer service costs.
Also, the fact that customer care agents can address multiple queries within a short time makes it possible to reduce your labor costs. For example, Meta provides a free business suite that helps you respond to messages and comments from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Further, depending on the size of your company, you’d typically require fewer employees to handle your social customer care, when compared to traditional methods.
Social platforms are also easy to use, so you do not have to spend so much money training your customer service reps to use the platforms. You only need to educate them about soft skills and etiquette for communicating with customers online.
4. Increased Customer Satisfaction
Finally, using social media for customer service can increase your customer satisfaction. By responding to customer inquiries quickly and efficiently, you can help to resolve their issues and improve their overall experience with your company. According to Salesforce, 87% of customers will patronize you again if they have a satisfactory customer service experience.
Additionally, social media customer service allows you to proactively address customer concerns, which can help to prevent negative feedback and build customer trust. In cases where customers give you a bad review on social media, you can easily reach out to them and offer some compensation for this displeasure. That way, you’ll avoid losing potential and existing customers.
Social media customer support is a valuable resource for consumer research. Based on past conversations with customers, you can gain valuable insights into what they like and dislike about your products or services. This information can help you to make improvements and increase customer satisfaction in the future.
Closing
Social customer service benefits your organization in multiple ways. This is one major reason to integrate it with other customer care methods you adopt. In this article, we saw how social customer service can help you achieve quick response times which please your customers. We also showed you how increased customer engagement, cost-effective communication, and increased customer satisfaction are vital benefits of social customer service.
Adopting social customer service will help you improve your overall customer service experience and build positive relationships with them. Ultimately, this will lead to increased customer loyalty and sales.
Now that you know this, don’t hesitate to grace your prospects and customers with excellent customer service on social channels.
This article was originally published on 25 July 2023.
About the Author
Chris Norton is a founder of award-winning B2B specialist PR agency Prohibition, social media podcaster, former University lecturer, author of “Share This Too” and his social media training blog which is listed in the UK’s top 10 PR and social media strategy blogs. For tons of digital PR tips, you can follow Chris here @chris_norton.
