One of the challenges businesses face currently is that their customer base is fragmented in terms of how they consume information and interact with you. Once upon a time, consumers could be divided into neat (more or less), homogeneous groups that behaved in similar ways. But now, habits are more individualized and are in a continual state of flux, as consumers use multiple channels and constantly switch back and forth among them.
The good news is that social media channels offer effective ways for businesses to learn about their customers (and prospects) and also to engage with them. This is especially good for small and mid-size businesses that just don’t have the budgets for massive research projects or expensive traditional media, such as TV or newspaper.
But, are most small businesses tapping into social media’s potential for learning about consumers to the extent they could be? Definitely not, says The Guardian. In fact, most (and this includes some big companies, too) haven’t yet fully recognized that they (business owners) aren’t really in charge of their businesses’ brands and messaging. The reality is that consumers are driving them, as they act and react to their brand experiences and dissect every aspect of brands large and small through social media channels.
The number one attribute assigned to today’s consumers is empowered. They expect—no, demand—that companies give them what they want, how and when they want it. And they’re using social media to clearly tell you what that is. So your job is to regularly listen, engage and respond.
If, as a business owner, you’re trying to do this yourself, that’s probably the first issue you need to take on. Just as your customers are empowered, so should your employees be. Listening, engaging and responding across channels needs to be a shared responsibility in your business. Opportunities pop up quickly and often; employees need to be powered to communicate and act when they do. Which means investing in training and technology needs to rise to the top of priorities list. Technology enables information needs to flow and be shared freely among everyone. Training provides the tools for engaging in appropriate and exceptional ways.
The Guardian uses a term that every business needs to adopt, if they haven’t already: Customer-obsessed. Every person, every job, every process, every function, every touch point should revolve around customers—their wants, needs, preferences, input and feedback. Social media channels give you the tools to (a) understand what these are through continual monitoring; (b) engaging them and making them a part of everything you do; and (c) responding directly to their issues, suggestions and questions.
Businesses that fail to use social media in these ways will be socially “dinged” (and worse) by consumers. Some statistics say that well over half of consumers who tweet about a bad experience never even hear from the company mentioned! What do you think they tweet after that?! On the other hand, when you engage and respond to consumers, many will become your advocates, endorsing your business and singing its praises better than you ever could.
What’s most interesting about the consumer-social media equation is that is functions as a continuous loop that moves in both directions. While social media is clearly the key to understanding your customers, the reverse is also true: The key to social media success is understanding your customers.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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