If you ask me, what channel you should invest my customer service department’s effort in, I will definitely add social media. Why social media? And how can you deliver a stellar customer service as promised on such platform?

Sit back and relax. I’m going to untie the knots for you.

Why social media should be a part in your customer service strategy?

Here are some interesting numbers:

70% of Facebook users log on daily. 43% of them do so several times a day. 59% of Instagram users, 38% of Twitter users, 27% of Pinterest users and 22% of Linked users log on daily – according to Pew Research. Your customers are very actively using social channels.

Nielsen in their research revealed that 33% of customers even prefer to contact brands using social media rather than the old fashioned channel – telephone.

Also according to Pew Research, 58% of consumers used their mobile phones while shopping in-store, rising to 78% for 18-29 year olds. The rise of using mobile phone over desktop and other device leads to the demand of using social media naturally.

So, now that you get it – your customers are everywhere on social channels. If you’re not going to catch them there, then you’ll miss out a great number of potential buyers for your business. And it’s a big loss.

Not to mention that, social media communication helps you humanize your brand more effectively than any other channel. And the loop of exchanging information between both sides will be eliminated since you can reach them immediately.

Is that a reason enough for you to consider bringing social media to your customer service plan?

What are the best ways to integrate customer service strategy with social channels?

Look at what you have

Before jumping in the tactics to engage customers via social media, you should clear your mind about the base of your social customer service. They are:

• Number of human resource you want to take care of customer service on your social channels
• Volume of customers’ queries on your social channels, number of fans and followers, engagement frequency and number.

By knowing exactly how much work there will be and how many people you have in your team, you’ll arrange member’s tasks more effectively while not missing out customer’s requests.

Be there. Always. With the best

Social channels are full of non-stop movements. It doesn’t matter if it’s day or night, holiday or working day…your customers can find your profile and ask for assistance anytime. With email, they can expect a little longer time for you to reply them. But on social media, customers won’t be that patient.

The fast pace of social media might create a habit of getting instant or quick interaction in your customer’s mind. So, you need to make sure that your presence there is maintained and that your reply will be within an hour. You don’t need to be active on all social channels though. Find the place where your customers are most crowded, and then do your best to let they know you’re always there.

Manage and measure

Social media has many ways to help you control what people are talking about you as well as how to communicate with your customers effectively. All channels have tag system to help you classify content, type of questions, etc. to deliver the desired content to your customers.

Plus, a pre-made response template can be used for social channels so you can ensure a consistent message on social media while delivering on the same experience from other channels for your customers.

Lastly, don’t forget to measure your effort on social channels. Look for the reviews, engagements, new fans/followers, unlike/unfollow rates, etc. to evaluate and adjust your social customer service strategy.

To conclude

For the long-term success of your business, you must be serious about social media to uplift your stand in your customer’s heart. Good relationship with customers means more loyal buyers for your business. I hope that this article helps you figure out some good ways to win over customers with social media.

Have you got a great social customer service? What best practices you did successfully that hasn’t got mentioned here? Feel free to leave your comment. Don’t forget to share too!

Related Article: Why Should Social Media Be Your New Customer Service Battlefield?