Consumer engagement is happening everywhere, from social media platforms, review sites and, of course, good old-fashioned in-store conversations.
The way consumers perceive you and your business should be a top concern. How you’re talked about, both online and offline, can affect your brand’s image – that’s why businesses are publicly speaking with their customers now more than ever before.
Conversing with your customers will always contribute towards the trust they will have in your business as it contributes to the customer service you deliver and, therefore, your reputation.
It’s common knowledge that shoppers will do their research before purchasing something online; with the internet accessible to everyone, social media and review platforms have become such a critical and natural step in the online buying process.
Online Reviews
Online reviews are a great place to start interacting with your customers more. What’s a better opening than someone praising your astounding service? One way to demonstrate gratitude, friendliness and good customer relations is to come across genuinely appreciative of your positive reviews.
An easy way to do this is by mentioning your reviewer by name. Personalising your responses will make your customer feel special and important, rather than just another sale. Something else you could do is compliment them back by telling them that they were great to work with, or that you appreciate them choosing to use your service. This tactic will reinforce the friendliness of the staff and attract people to your company as they will then know that they’ll receive stellar service!
Social Media
By doing things online, your actions are there for everyone to see. Utilising your social media platforms to communicate with consumers is another great way to demonstrate your customer service to the world.
The features that social media platforms have to offer make customer interaction even better than replying to reviews. For a start, consumers can message you through these platforms to enquire, praise, or share their thoughts on your business. This makes contacting you a lot easier and covers more of your audience.
Some customers might even shout you out on their own social media accounts. Here, you can share this to your account too which further displays to the rest of the internet your brand, service and/or product.
Comments, likes and shares are ways to show interest in someone else’s posts, so for B2B companies especially, having the capacity to show an interest in someone else’s content will most definitely class as interaction and once again demonstrate friendliness, as well as making your customer feel special and noticed.