In 2023, utilising social media Brisbane as a customer service tool is becoming increasingly popular. Social Media is perceived as a faster communication channel compared to other channels such as email. More than a quarter of marketers use direct messages (DM’s) to offer support to customers. This trend is emerging due to the expansion of platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, e-commerce capabilities. Due to this, providing client with customer service on these apps will become crucial.
Consumers, particularly the Millennial and Generation Z age group, want to communicate with brands via DM’s as opposed to email or phone.
In a study conducted over a 3-month period it was found that;
- 1 in 5 Gen Z-ers contacted a brand on social media for customer support.
- 1 in 4 Millennials contacted a brand for customer support.
Direct messages (DM’s) are not the only way that customers prefer to contact brands, they often use comments and shares. However, this means that these responses will be public and everyone will be able to see your response time or if you do not respond to customers. This can negatively effect your brands image if you do not respond in a timely or appropriate manner.
4 Tips For Utilising Social Media Brisbane As A Customer Service Tool
1. Try to Keep Replies Positive
While it can be difficult to remain positive when customers are being negative, it is important to remember that current and future customers will be able to see this exchange.
2. Know When to Take the Conversation Off of Social Media
Sometimes issues cannot be resolved with just a few social media responses. In situations like this, you have the option of calling the customer, sending an email, or inviting them to come over to the company if the problem requires immediate attention. However, it is always necessary to respond to their posts first.
3. Set up Automatic Prompts and Replies
Setting up automatic prompts and replies is important because it means customers will always get a response, even if they respond out of business hours. This will allow you to set customer expectations in terms of when they can expect a reply from your company.
4. Be Proactive
If customers regularly have the same questions and issues, you should provide some self-help resources for them. This well help to reduce the amount of support questions and allow you to easily refer customers with simple support questions to these resources. Instagram pinned posts and stories can be a great place to provide these self-help resources.
5. Always Respond
It is incredibly important to ensure you are interacting with all questions via comments, shares and DM’s. It shows current and potential customers that you have responsive customer service and helps to build brand loyalty. Potential customers who reach out with enquiries and do not get a response will most likely move onto your competition.
Brands leveraging social media as a customer support tool have seen increases in brand trust and loyalty from their customers. If you are struggling to engage with your customers, contact Digital Accord today! Our marketing team will be able to tailor a social media management plan to your business and turn you social media platforms into a customer service tool.