Social media can prove to be beneficial in more ways than one, and one of these ways is to engage with customers on a personal level. You can set yourself apart from other companies by showing that you aren’t a faceless business, but a group of people just like your customers.
Use some humor. With this one, you don’t want to cross any lines. Your humor should be light hearted and still provide knowledge to your audience. Make sure your humor doesn’t target any other company or group of people. The point is to jive with your audience, not make some of them angry. Using humor can increase engagement with your audience as they are more likely to comment if they find your post entertaining.
Have casual conversations with your customers. Business social media sites isn’t the platform to use techy words or business jargon, but rather to have conversations with your customers. Talk with your customers like you would talk to a group of friends. Groupon is a great example of this technique.
Mix your online business with your offline business. Showcase popular items online in your stores and vice versa. This can help customers find their favorite products easier which an overall better experience is for them.
Engage with your customers. This is obvious when your customer writes in with a question or concern, but having a conversation just for the sake of it can be beneficial as well. If a customer gives you a positive review or shout out, respond and show your appreciation. This will make your interactions feel less like customer service and more like a human communication.
Recognize when you make mistakes. Own up to any missteps your company might have and show your customers what you’re doing to justify the situation. As humans, we are apt to make mistakes, so it’s okay to show this human side as a business.
A good way to put a face to your company is to include the poster’s name. Instead of just posting as a company as a whole, show that Chris or Ruth is posting at this particular time. It will show that there are real people behind your company.
Have a good understanding of the problems your audience is faced with. If you are able to offer solutions to their everyday grievances, you can connect with them on a more personal level.
Keep the element of surprise alive. Just like its fun to surprise our friends with things that will make them happy, we can do the same for our customers. Know what your customers’ desires are and maybe sometimes you can reach out with a fun surprise, like a gift card or tickets.
Make sure your brand have a unique personality. Just like we all have a certain way of talking, our brand should have that same voice. Figure out the tone you want your company to have and use that across all channels.