Social Media Customer Engagement

Social media customer engagement
Don’t underestimate the power of a tweet – let your customers know you’re listening.

A little can go a long way when engaging customers through social media.

Every great gift-giver knows that the best way to make people feel special is to remember what distinguishes them. It may be as simple as recalling your sister’s favourite brand of scotch, or the time your colleague confessed to you that he’d always wished he’d taken guitar lessons. If you can give them something that proves you’ve been listening attentively, they won’t forget it.

The same basic principle applies to business – in particular, communicating with customers through social media channels.

Many marketers have referred to social media as a gift economy. I’ve recently been on the receiving end of two lovely gifts – both delivered via Twitter – that exemplify great business practices in the social media space.

The first was a simple “thank you” that went a long way. I tweeted that I was heading out to try a new fitness class, and when I arrived at the small Yaletown studio, one of the owners (who must have recognized me from my avatar) exclaimed warmly, “You’re the boxer! Hello!” (Note to business owners who delegate social media management to junior staff: This is why it’s smart for you to monitor your own feeds.) She welcomed me right in and showed me around.

The class was challenging and I left feeling pleasantly tired, though a little uncoordinated. But I was really delighted to later find this encouraging reply to my earlier tweet:

That message couldn’t have taken more than 30 seconds to write, but it made a big impact. “Thank you” always goes a long way in customer service, and social media makes it easy to personalize your messages and deliver them efficiently. It goes without saying that I went back the following week.

A subtler example of the same principle in action crossed my radar last Friday. My favourite tea shop, Victoria’s Silk Road Tea Company, replied to a tweet I’d sent about how busy things were at work these days. What made their comment special was that they didn’t just remember I was a customer, but they also remembered my favourite tea. (This is not a trivial matter, as they must sell a hundred or more varieties, and they are a bustling shop.)

How did they remember my favourite tea? Well, let’s rewind to November, when the following exchange took place:

Here’s the brilliance of Silk Road’s approach, from my perspective as a customer: Not only was it nice to receive encouragement from a fellow small business owner, but it was a) sweet to know they were paying attention to my preferences (thus increasing my feelings of loyalty towards them); and b) a great – and non-invasive – reminder that it was time to reorder my favourite tea.

Getting an encouraging and timely nudge from a business you like doesn’t feel like marketing – it feels considerate, even if there is a business purpose to it. We all want to feel like special customers, and the best way to make your customers feel special is to let them know you’re listening.