5 Social Media Service Tips

The Challenge: In the past, brands addressed customer service issues by way of a primary channel -- the ‘call center.’ But now, companies must also monitor, respond, and engage in a variety of social channels.

If a brand is unskilled in social media customer engagement, adapting customer service programs to new channels can be challenging: brands might default to reactivity -- essentially, playing ‘defense’ -- when faced with disgruntled customers online.

However, making reactivity the foundation of your social customer service strategy causes brands to view customer relationships as things to ‘manage,’ rather than opportunities to proactively add value to the customer experience.

According to the 2012 American Express® Global Customer Service Barometer, consumers spend 21% more with companies who deliver great service -- compared to 13% on average.” Therefore, to achieve high impact in our social media world, brands must now view ‘customer service’ as an integral part of their overall marketing strategy that can have dramatic impact on the bottom line.

Key Takeaways for Marketers:

1. Make Passion for Service a Corporate Value
Customer Service is marketing. Customer Service representatives should view themselves as the ‘front line’ of a company’s marketing and branding efforts. Treat every service engagement as an opportunity to increase engagement and drive brand advocacy.

2. Surprise and Delight With Authentic Engagement
Recently named the #1 Best Small Company to Work for in the U.S. by FORTUNE Magazine in 2012, Oregon-based virtual receptionist services provider, Ruby Receptionists, lists the drive to “WOW” customers among their core company values:

“We’re about finding that special something that will knock your socks off, and giving it to you before you even know about it...Simply doing a good job isn’t enough for us.”

The company frequently engages with customers via Twitter and Facebook and regularly sends customers handwritten ‘thank you’ notes, demonstrating a truly ‘hybrid’ form of customer service.

3. Treat Every Service Interaction as a Marketing Event
Every service opportunity affects your brand’s reputation; thus, representatives must be trained to treat interactions as opportunities to communicate relevant and personalized messaging.

Based on learnings from Voice of Customer Research, leading provider of community-based preventative health services, Life Line Screening, discovered that customers wanted service interactions to demonstrate true engagement. As part of their commitment to transforming the customer experience, the Life Line Screening customer service center now reports to Marketing to ensure that the service experience is about engagement, not transactions. The result: 85% increase in returning customers and 40% increase in revenue per customer.

4. Prioritize Immediacy
Social Media happens in real-time.

Track brand mentions, concerns, and questions 24/7, and respond immediately. People will show their appreciation by retweeting your responses, broadcasting your good deeds to hundreds of others.

Social Media Crises: 3 Tips for Calming the Storm

The Challenge: No company is immune to the possibility of damaging comments, posts and tweets. So how do businesses prepare for unwanted attention on far-reaching social channels? Here, we look at a few companies that have weathered the storm and provided some valuable lessons.

Step 1: Create a social media crisis plan before a crisis erupts. That way, you can address damaging comments and reactions swiftly and professionally. By having a plan in place, you hit the ground running -- a critical step when a social media firestorm ignites. In April 2010, BP had no plan when it found itself in the midst of a crisis when oil spilled into to the Gulf of Mexico. Sadly, the company made several missteps. It failed to own up to what happened, it made statements that didn't align with the truth, and it lacked follow-through with solutions.

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Step 2: It is a given that customers will share service snafus and other experiences online, so it's imperative that companies monitor what is being said. KFC learned this the hard way when a disgruntled customer posted unsightly pictures of an unusual-looking substance in his chicken. The fast food chain did little to address the questionable photograph. Instead, it continued to post its regular stream of marketing messages, making it appear as if the company was trying to ignore the situation at hand. Monitor messages, evaluate and adjust your plan as needed.

KitchenAid faced a similar crisis when an employee accidentally sent an insensitive tweet during a presidential debate using the company's twitter handle. KitchenAid responded quickly and with sincerity, effectively lessening backlash. Specifically, the company acknowledged the mistake, took responsibility for what happened and apologized to President Barack Obama and other Twitter followers.

Key Takeaways for Marketers:

1. Monitor your presence online. Follow online conversations so you know when potentially damaging situations are developing/have occurred. Gatorade uses a sophisticated social media command center to keep tabs on social media activity. Other companies choose to designate a point person to monitor online conversations and do periodic searches relevant to the company's brand.

2. Act quickly. When it comes to social media, you don't have days or weeks to come up with a plan. An offensive tweet can go viral in the span of a few hours. Don't sit on your response. Instead, address situations as quickly as you can -- preferably within 24 hours.

3. Remember that transparency is vital. In most cases, you don't want to delete damaging posts and pictures. Instead, you want to respond quickly and with tact. Apologize, and focus on solutions. If emotionally-charged discussions get out of hand, direct the conversation offline. For example; “We'd be happy to discuss this with you to find the best solution. What number can we reach you?”.

Disney: Smart & Fun Shareable Content to Build Buzz

The Challenge: Creating content that is conducive to social sharing can be tricky. Here's how Disney used smart and creative magic to crack the code.

Disney is using a mock university website and a promotional video spoof to promote the new Pixar movie "Monsters University." At first glance, both look like the real deal. The Monsters University (MU) website, for example, gives visitors a chance to apply for admission, learn about life on the make-believe campus or even purchase college gear like hoodies and travel mugs. The YouTube video, "Imagine You at MU," looks a lot like your typical college promotional video, as well -- until you realize that most of the students have neon-colored fur!

So, what's the value to marketers? When done properly, shareable content can take off and build remarkable momentum. Case in point: Since Disney released the MU video on Jan. 1, it has received more than 610,000 hits. Additionally, many of the people who viewed the promotional video will likely be among those who head to theaters when Monsters University opens on June 21.

In a column written for Marketing Land, Courtney Seiter shares nine rules for creating quality shareable content. Among Seiter's tips: Focus on content that is useful, funny, encourages sharing, and strikes a positive chord with your audience.

A successful video like "Imagine You at MU" is a marketer's dream.
Even better? The ability to create a steady stream of shareable content can make a definite impact on your bottom line. Jennifer Burnham, director of social and content strategy at Salesforce.com, says there are concrete ways to demonstrate measurable results. "If what you are doing every day on social channels is reaching new audiences that convert to customers, and you can measure that conversion through leads collected from your content shared on social, you are truly connecting social to pipeline and demonstrating ROI."

Key Takeaways for Marketers:

Make Sharing Easy. Create neatly-packaged content. Videos and images work well, but they certainly aren't the only options. Infographics, for example, can be especially successful in the B2B sphere. In fact, Stew Langille, former VP of marketing at Mint, says blog posts that incorporate infographics on Mint's corporate blog generate 30 to 40 times more page views than text-based content.

Ignite the fire. Include links in as many different forms of communication as possible (digital newsletters, email signatures, etc.). Additionally, Allyson Locke, an internet marketer for Union Street Media, says it's important to make sharing easy by adding follow and share buttons. "If people have to hunt for a Facebook or Twitter share button, chances are your content will never be shared," Locke said.

Encourage engagement. Contests, giveaways and other interactive content can be a great way to encourage social sharing. If done well, your fans and followers will want to spread the word and encourage their personal network of followers to participate, as well -- and that's social sharing at its best.