Social media has become an important part of the Internet. So much so that many people find it difficult to distinguish between the two. When people hear the word “Internet”, the common association is Instagram vacation posts or endless Reddit threads.
As a result, social media has a profound impact on our daily lives. According to recent reports, there are more than 4.2 billion active social media users worldwide. And these are not just young hipsters sipping lattes all day. They also include CEOs, artists, executives, scientists, and all kinds of professionals. So social media communication plays an important role in modern business.
What is Social Media?
Any platform that allows people to interact with each other online falls under the term social media. They facilitate the exchange of ideas, thoughts, and information by creating virtual networks and communities.
You can access such a platform through any device that has access to the Internet. Most of them rarely require proof of identity unless it is part of the KYC process for transferring funds.
What Types of Social Media Do We Know?
Just as there are different social circles, there are different types of social media. For some people, they are a channel of communication between friends and family. For others, they are a source of inspiration and a way to gauge public perception or a machine for generating business leads.
A social media platform can belong to one of the following types. Sometimes, however, you will find elements of one in the other:
1. Social networking
This type of social networks allow you to interact digitally with your contacts or communities to which you belong. You can create content that is only visible to certain people. Other settings would allow interaction on a specific topic.
It is the oldest and most widely used form of social media. Social networking platforms include websites such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Zoom, and Skype, among many others.
2. Media sharing
It includes social media that remains dedicated to sharing photos, videos, documents, and other media online. While the public can see the account’s username that publishes the files, you can make any of it private with a few clicks.
Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Deviantart, and Twitch make up the bulk of the media sharing part of social media.
3. Business networking
Websites that allow you to start and grow your business online constitute the business networking part of the Internet. Through them you can get in touch with leading companies and experts in any field, offer employment opportunities or look for investors willing to support your initiative.
The most popular examples of business networking sites are LinkedIn, Angel List, and StartupNation.
4. Review sites
On these websites you can find reviews of companies that belong to a certain industry. They can help you gain insight into what people think about specific brands. Also, you can use the reviews to avoid the mistakes that give other businesses a bad reputation.
Yelp, TripAdvisor, Glassdoor, and Foursquare are some of the most popular review sites you can consider.
5. Social gaming
As of 2020, the video game industry is worth more than the movie and North American sports combined. If your business’s main targets are gamers, then utilizing social gaming sites for growing your reach and engagement is a smart choice.
Some of the most popular examples of social gaming sites include Discord, Steam, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live.
6. Blogging sites
When it comes to detailed articles on a particular topic, blogging websites are the way to go. Through blogging sites, you can create press releases and use email marketing for bloggers. At the same time, you can monitor how the public reacts to the information you publish.
If done right, blogging sites can be the only resource you need for a PR campaign. You can create your own blog or use dedicated platforms like Blogger and Tumblr.
7. Virtual Networking
This is a step beyond social networking. Some websites allow you to interact with others in a virtual world. Such sites are part of virtual networks and often require special devices to access.
Some notable examples are VR Chat, Couch, Horizon Worlds, and BeanVR.
Why Should We Communicate Through Social Media?
The impact of social media in our daily lives cannot be understated. You may even know a few people that spend more of their lives online than in the physical world. That trend took some boost during the pandemic and doesn’t seem to slow down anytime soon.
Social media ads had revenue of $153 billion in 2021. It is the second-biggest field in digital marketing, which is no surprise considering its user base. In light of that, how brands create and maintain their social media proves rather crucial for the health and success of their business.
With the right words and tone, you can bring quality customers to your doorstep (or web store). In turn, you can eventually create an audience that supports you through thick and thin.
Not every type of social media calls for the same approach. For example, you might need to back your sales data with a source for LinkedIn. On the other hand, you might have difficulty pleasing your Instagram followers in the absence of fantastic visuals. It is what makes the right communication imperative for your online content.
7 Ways to Communicate with Customers Through Social Media
Now that you are familiar with different types of social media, it is time to show how businesses can utilize social media to effectively communicate with their customers and boost their brand reputation.
1. Keep it personalized
In the vastness of the online ocean, your customers can feel a special connection if you personalize your content and the messages you deliver through social channels. Using remarketing and automated solutions is the key. You can optimize your social media posts to engage more customers through them.
Consider the example of Eneco, an energy producer, and supplier based in the Netherlands. They started a quiz campaign to determine people’s energy needs. Within 6 weeks, they received over 1000 conversions with just a single quiz.
How did they utilize social media here? Well, they’ve launched Facebook and Google ads that targeted their website visitors. The personalized ads were presented on visitors’ Facebook feed and Google search in the form of a quick quiz that asked simple questions related to their energy usage and the approximate cost of a home charger for their electric cars.
What’s more interesting is the fact they later use quiz data to craft hyper-personalized emails that help them grow their conversions through the roof.
2. It’s not about business all the time!
Speaking to your customers formally can make them feel bored and uncomfortable. It is an excellent idea to communicate with a tone they use more often to better relate with your audience.
A good case study you can consider is KFC. The company received severe backlash in the UK and Ireland for its small, soggy fries. The fast-food chain could apologize and update the quality. Instead, the company also launched the ‘Ain’t no small fry’ campaign on Twitter. KFC paid to promote criticism of its old chips, which led to many endorsing the new stuff wholeheartedly.
All in all, KFC got more than 3 million impressions on Twitter. It helped exceed the original target awareness of the new fries (50%), hitting 62% within a few weeks. As you can guess, the sales increased promptly across most outlets throughout the region.
3. Reviews? Yes, we love them and Respond to them
Unbiased customer reviews and feedback can make or break a business. It is important to allow your customers to freely express their opinion on their overall experience with your product or service. Receiving a five-star review is always great, but handling negative reviews in a professional way is a form of art. There are various review sites available that businesses can seamlessly integrate into their business websites that help with customer review management.
In the example above, you can see how Olivia from Made.com professionally responded to a customer review. It is obvious that the company’s response isn’t generic, but thoughtfully written in a personalized and warm tone. Addressing a customer by their name, responding in a timely manner, and referring to a specific product is a way to respond to customer reviews.
Far too many companies fail to keep up with customer reviews, so most of the responses are generic lacking personal touch. Responding to customer reviews, positive and negative ones, is a perfect way to gain the trust of your existing customers who are not going to hesitate to refer your company to their family and friends.
4. Quick Customer Service for free
Your customers will more likely trust your brand and have a better overall experience if they receive immediate attention for any issues. Social media comes in handy when we are talking about quick and accurate customer service. There are many available integrations where you can easily add a Messenger chat to your website offering customer service to customers looking to solve issues with your product or service. In case you don’t have a large team of specialists, you can go for an automated solution instead.
There is nothing more annoying than losing the internet connection without any proper reason. In the example above, you can see a quick communication between the end-user and the Internet provider (Rogers). The whole communication takes place on Messenger with a real person who is trained to offer effective solutions to customers’ problems. As you can see, the communication was quick and the customer got the explanation along with working service.
Offering customer service through Messenger (or an alternative social media channel) is a great way to minimize costs, and increase customer satisfaction through quick and accurate support. At the end of the day, no one likes slow and unintuitive customer service, so offering free customer service through a familiar social platform is a huge plus for your business.
5. Creative way how to sell your products and services
Social media creates a specialized marketplace for your products and services. It allows you a level of creativity unbound by the laws of physical space. You can make unique visuals and offer seamless customization tools for every visitor without exceeding your marketing budget.
Instagram shopping is an exciting tool you can put to use. Magnolia Boutique has received tremendous success through the same. The company’s marketing team provides specific instructions to cross-promote the brand. The customers who follow through receive particular discounts. This way, they can increase the size of their audience while fulfilling the quarterly sale targets.
6. Behind-the-scenes? People love it!
Another great way to engage the audience on social media is to show them behind-the-scenes work. Everyone is pumped about a new product release or a service feature, but showing your customers an unedited glimpse of what happened behind the scene in order to offer that product or service boost trust and build connection. Building trust and connection with your customers through transparency about your internal processes and events, employee activities, and organizational culture is a great way to boost your brand reputation. And guess what? Social media is an awesome channel to do it.
Showing behind-the-scenes seems to work the best through video content. For instance, Feelgrounds Barefoot Shoes shared their behind-the-scenes video with their customers on Facebook which received amazing response and engagement. Not only they’ve successfully communicated how important their customers are that they even work through the weekend to fulfill their needs, but they’ve also created hype behind their newest product.
7. Explain everything through video
Video content is an excellent way to retain the audience on social media channels. According to recent statistics, more than 86% of all businesses use video content as part of their marketing strategy, and with good reason. Research shows that most internet users spend about a third of their time on the web watching videos.
While there are several kinds of video content that you can post online, tutorials get the most views. Fire and Ice’s furnace repair video is a good case study. The video establishes the brand’s expertise and explains each step in detail. It conveys to the viewer that specialized care goes into handling such a complex machine. Then, it brings forth the brand’s services and how customers can contact them.
How can user-generated content benefit your social media strategy?
User-generated content (UGC) is an effective way to engage customers and build a more authentic social media presence. When customers create and share content about your brand, it serves as a powerful endorsement and helps create a sense of community around your products and services. Here’s how UGC can enhance your social media strategy:
- Increases Brand Authenticity
When customers see real people using and endorsing your products, it adds credibility and trust to your brand. UGC shows that people genuinely enjoy your products, making potential customers more likely to engage with your brand. - Encourages Community Engagement
Sharing customer-created content encourages a more interactive community around your brand. When people see their content featured on your profile, it makes them feel valued and motivates others to participate, turning social media into a platform for community building. - Cost-Effective Content Creation
Creating content can be time-consuming and costly. UGC provides a steady stream of fresh, relevant content at no cost, helping maintain an active social media presence without investing heavily in content production. - Drives Customer Loyalty and Retention
Featuring UGC on your platforms demonstrates that you value your customers and appreciate their contributions. This gesture fosters loyalty, encouraging repeat interactions and purchases. - Inspires Purchase Decisions
UGC can influence purchasing behavior by showing potential customers how others use and enjoy your products. This social proof can be more persuasive than traditional ads, encouraging users to convert. - Expands Reach through Customer Networks
When users share their content with your brand tag or hashtag, it exposes your brand to their followers, expanding your reach organically. This helps attract a broader audience who may not have discovered your brand otherwise.
Short Sum Up
To conclude, the social media landscape is vast and varied. Proper communication can fetch you the results you won’t receive through other means. Whether you have a large business or a brick-and-mortar store, it is an essential tool that you can wield to gain and retain customers. We hope this article helped you understand the situation, providing valuable info for your future campaigns.
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