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| ARE YOU REAL-TIME? |
Real-time is a word that we customers think is not meant to be for us. We have come from an age where planned delivery to actual delivery was a long process. But things have changed, we do get quick service but real-time is still a dream. But do brands provide real-time service on social media to customers. Well it’s not a choice but a basic requirement of social media. Either social media is real-time for brands or they have to survive with shrinking fan base.
Brands that are trying to be real-time on social media survive since they engage with their community. If a conversation has started on the social network page then the community manager or the social media manager should be aware and awake to respond. In social media, there are no borders and no time zones. The social existence of the fan page depends on your community and helping them with their issues and problems is the requirement. But what makes brands on social media to be real-time?
Be Good Listeners
Listening is a skill that most of us are deprived of and businesses are no exception. We love to broadcast than to take a step back and try to listen what our customer is asking for, what is her need, inquire that and then try to fill the missing gap.
TIP: If you are a Brand and want to listen to the discussions on Twitter then one should look for the Twitter app, Hootsuite. You can go add keywords (e.g. related to your brand) in the app and you can follow all real-time discussions that are happening related to your keywords. This helps you to know what people are talking about you and you know who needs help.
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| HOOTSUITE TRACKS YOUR BRAND DISCUSSIONS |
Be Quick
You have found out that someone who is talking about your product needs help. Replying quickly and replying to each of them should be the objective. So appreciate them and don’t wait for the conversation to happen, initiate it. Don’t be afraid and try to respond to the needs quickly even though there is a less positive feeling. This would help your brand to be more responsible, real-time and customers would be appreciating your commitment in the long run.
TIP: Use Twitter apps such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck etc. to reply quickly and in real-time.
Be Meaningful
Connecting and replying meaningfully is not the same. Replying meaningfully converts the discussion into an engagement that may lead to more happy customers. Reply quick but stick to the content of the discussion and make sure to leave your customer happy. This commitment towards customer would lead to positive Word of Mouth and more happy customers.
How does your customer feel?
Customers can now see the silver lining of real time service, if you as a brand follow the above 3 “Be’s”. Nevertheless customers are aware that as a brand you are there to grow your business but the whole thought process changes when you stop pushing your brand. Customers love it when it is more about conversations, referrals and less of broadcasting which anyway would lead to expansion of your business. This kind of content creation and engagement on real time can happen only when businesses consider to Be Good Listeners, Be Quick and Be Meaningful.
So what do you do for your Social Media to happen real-time? Any new and exciting ideas that you want to share on being real-time?
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