In today’s world of the internet, companies have got to be even more aware of what their customers are saying about them and, more importantly, where they are saying it. Social media platforms are a common place for people to talk about a particular brand and they will often talk about what their perception is and how the service can be improved. This is something that companies in all industries and of all sizes can use as failure to monitor these conversations can have an adverse effect on business and your social standing.
One of the main benefits of social media is that it acts as another level of customer service and if your customers can see that you are actively trying to rectify the problems, they are more likely to give your brand another chance. However, the main reason why companies monitor social media platforms is so they can make sure that any problem does not escalate into a huge problem that ends up damaging the brand image of the company.
Twitter and Facebook are the main social media platforms that people comment on so it makes sense that companies have their own page. This should mean that if people want to use the site to complain or make ideas, a company has got it all in one place. It is, therefore, important to ensure that the company has a member of staff that is monitoring the page. By doing this, your customers know that you put customer service high on your priority list and over the long term they can use this as a way of communicating with your company.
The problems arise however when people start making comments on blogs, forums and their personal Twitter and Facebook accounts as this is going to be harder to monitor. This is where social media experts come in as they can make the most of the social media tools that are available to ensure that all conversations relating to your brand are monitored at all times. Of course, if you are using an external agency then you need to ensure that they have experience in working with clients of a similar size to yours and that they are going to have the right tools to monitor your results. Social media is a relatively new technology and many companies are yet to embrace it so when you take the plunge make sure that you do it correctly from the beginning.