Climb Down from Olympus: Positive Customer Interactions in the ...

Guest Post

This post is provided by?Dustin Verburg, a writer and musician based in Boise, ID. Dustin writes about social media strategies, the human side of SEO and internet ethics. He writes for Page One Power, a link building firm that focuses on relevancy and transparency. Dustin is also eternally grateful for this NHL season, even in its shortened state, because his standards are low.

Success in business is a magnificent thing. Success in online business is a deed even more worthy of the Gods because it?s tougher to keep up. Even niche businesses find competitors and would-be upstarts lurking in every shadow, waiting to dethrone them from their rightful lordship. It?s also true that most online customers are not simply blind worshippers, and there are some very concrete reasons why they might like or dislike your brand.

Most businesses understand that customer interaction is a key component of keeping pre-existing customers, gaining new customers and raking on high conversion rates. As businesses grow, however, so do their obligations. What was once a personable, niche startup can become an obtuse, aloof corporate titan before a well-meaning entrepreneur realizes it. Not all giants fall to Earth, but those titans who are slain are generally done in by the little guy. In this case, the little guy is the customer. I?m not a business owner, so I?m speaking as the little guy.

Social Media and Your Brand

Social media is bigger than Zeus. It might not be able to throw lightning bolts or transfigure itself into a white bull, but it?s a huge part of daily life for most people under 40. Many people who have advanced beyond The Big Four-Oh understand the importance of social media and indulge in it as well. It?s not only a viable marketing tool, it?s a survival strategy.

Kiss PR recently completed a survey on social media and business. Their PR Director, Justine Smith, said, ?It is clear that social media has become an integral part of most people?s lives in some form or another. Whether people are using it for research, staying in touch with brands or friends or engaging on social media because of the interesting content, businesses and brands can?t afford not to be involved.?

Media Bistro had this to say about the survey, ?More than half (51 percent) of respondents to the Kiss Social Media Interaction Survey agreed that if a brand is not present or not active with its social media it would reflect negatively on the company.?

Why is Your Brand Relevant to Me?

As mentioned previously, customers don?t blindly leave offerings at your temple. There are many reasons why they value your brand and your product.

• We buy your product or read your content because we like who you are. We want to share that aspect of you, your brand, with other people. We?re proud to be associated with you.
• We feel a connection. In our minds, you?re like us. We can see ourselves having a beer or watching an episode of The Daily Show with you.
• There are sites that are very similar to yours, and there are probably and similar products as well. We don?t want them, we want you. We like your brand because it?s what sets you apart and humanizes you.

When you interact with us on social media channels or even just reply to our emails, that connection strengthens. We like you even more.

Here?s a concrete example of positive customer interaction, via Rdio. I love their service, I think their business model is brilliant and I value their brand, but you know what keeps me subscribing? They actually talk to me.

Rdio didn?t have to respond to my little, off-the-cuff tweet. I wasn?t expecting them to, but they did. That meant the world to me. They?re a big entity, after all. That reinforced my love for the brand.

Ascending to the Business Throne

It?s hard work to set up a business, and even harder work to make that one big breakthrough. Entrepreneurs get to that level by answering phone calls at 3am, spending hours replying to inane emails and fussing over the smallest decimals. So, naturally, when a business finally ?makes it,? the people behind the endeavor want some respite from the tedious and mundane. They?ve earned it.

• Business owners get more wrapped up in the numbers than the people generating the numbers.
• Sometimes there are just too many people to interact with, so businesses let them all fall by the wayside instead of dealing with some of them.
• Successful business owners become even busier with agendas that are increasingly more important and interesting, which distracts them from personal interaction with customers.
• It also needs to be said that sometimes business owners get so entrapped in these things that they forget why they started the business in the first place.

Social Media, Business and Popular Revolt

When an online business stays true to its roots, the populace is happy. They buy products, they share with their friends and proudly endorse the brand. When tweets go unanswered and emails remain unopened, things start to get dicey. The connection is weakened and eventually lost. The peasants start to revolt?which may go unnoticed on the throne of Olympus. Just as there are no Gods without worshippers, there are no businesses without customers.

• It?s much easier to address a small leak with a bit of duct tape than it is to frantically bail out water. Leak prevention is also useful. This can be accomplished by simply paying attention to the conversations your customers are having.
• If a business only addresses its customers when they?re majorly unhappy, people will notice. It?s easy for anyone to see past Twitter or Facebook interactions. It?s easier to forward or post an unanswered email.
• This bears repeating: customers can and will go somewhere else. Even if a business? product or service fills a specific niche, those needs can be met elsewhere. The brand is just as important as the product.
• When the people rebel and sack the temple, a business suffers in many ways. The endorsements and social media shares stop. Boycotts can start on Twitter or Facebook as well. Even if it?s not a widespread boycott, losing that valuable word of mouth and social share business hurts the bottom line.

The takeaway from all of this is that businesses should engage, answer and communicate with their customers on those social media channels. Whether that means hiring a social media strategist, setting aside a few minutes in the morning to send some tweets or delegating that duty to the marketing department, paying attention to social media is crucial for any business with a web presence. Climb down from the throne and remind people of why they chose you in the first place.

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Source: http://social-media-optimization.com/2013/01/climb-down-from-olympus-positive-customer-interactions-in-the-social-media-age/

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