A lot of businesses nowadays are on social media – from your local barber shop to the big brands you see on TV. Why? There are a lot of reasons to it, but the biggest reason of all is simply the connection it provides. It creates powerful bonds between business and consumer with ease. Additionally, it works both ways. A business can communicate with their customers through posting content, and customers can do so as well by commenting or sending a direct message. However, there’s quite some problem when it comes to the latter.
Businesses often tend to handle their customer’s concerns poorly. Doing so ends up receiving bad reviews on their business page, which greatly affects their brand’s reputation. And when that happens, customers say goodbye one by one. If you don’t want that to happen, know the best practices when communicating with your customers on social media.
[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@1alexkhan”]When it comes to your customers, communication is essential. Here are three practices you should know:[/tweetthis]
Social Media Etiquettes When Talking to Customers
Always Remember to Be Polite
One thing I’ve noticed on both small and big businesses replying back to comments is forgetting to address their customers properly and adding greetings. A simple Hello or Hi at the beginning of their sentence and a goodbye or thank you at the end should be good enough. It’s easy to forget these fundamental gestures, especially when you can’t see your customers in person on social media. However, just remember that at the end of the opposite screen, there’s a live person reading it who has emotions. Treating them that way will end up making them feel unimportant. And when they do feel that way, they’ll go to another brand that can.
Stop Using Jargons
Throw the slangs right away. No matter what industry you’re in, avoid using jargons at all cost. Although a lot of your customers may be familiar with the terminologies, some still don’t – and most of the new ones are clueless. This wrongdoing will make them feel out of place or worse, confused. Instead of using fancy words, keep it basic and personal. It only becomes communication when both of you understand each other – if not, then it is miscommunication.
Stay Positive but Know When to Sympathize
When talking to your customers, always make sure that you keep a positive ambiance. A happy customer is a repetitive buyer. There’s no reason for them to come back to your store if they just feel sad. So, in social media, use some emoticons (keep things smilingJ). However, there are times where a customer is distressed, could be because of the product or something else entirely. No matter what the reason, learn how to sympathize and be a solutions provider immediately. If someone is ranting in the comment section, message him/her directly or ask her to do so in the most polite manner possible.
