By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    data-driven white label SEO
    Does Data Mining Really Help with White Label SEO?
    7 Min Read
    marketing analytics for hardware vendors
    IT Hardware Startups Turn to Data Analytics for Market Research
    9 Min Read
    big data and digital signage
    The Power of Big Data and Analytics in Digital Signage
    5 Min Read
    data analytics investing
    Data Analytics Boosts ROI of Investment Trusts
    9 Min Read
    football data collection and analytics
    Unleashing Victory: How Data Collection Is Revolutionizing Football Performance Analysis!
    4 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Customer Service, the New Marketing in the Era of the Social Customer
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Aa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Business Intelligence > CRM > Customer Service, the New Marketing in the Era of the Social Customer
CRMMarket ResearchSocial Data

Customer Service, the New Marketing in the Era of the Social Customer

mfauscette
Last updated: 2011/11/30 at 6:27 PM
mfauscette
7 Min Read
SHARE
Okay, I’m not the first person to write about this idea, but it has been on my mind lately, so I wanted to share my perspective on what I think is a very important change that is starting to occur for businesses and customers.
The social customer is a term that is used quite a lot these days and represents an attitude shift that has spread quickly.

Okay, I’m not the first person to write about this idea, but it has been on my mind lately, so I wanted to share my perspective on what I think is a very important change that is starting to occur for businesses and customers.
The social customer is a term that is used quite a lot these days and represents an attitude shift that has spread quickly. Businesses are acknowledging that they must change customer service to meet the expectation that service be offered “when, where and how” the customer wants it and not just in ways that are defined and controlled by the business. Dealing with the social customer by providing them with choice of channels / methods and by having presence online where the customers are, is an imperative that cannot be ignored. The social web has returned power to the customer.

There’s more to it than just changing expectations and even the shifts in power though. Connectivity has enabled personalization that rivals the days of main street and the “mom and pop” business model where everybody knew everybody, only now at scale. Online sharing and the subsequent data collection, analysis and use has created an new type of personal experience that customers now expect. There is also a fundamental change in how customers get information and do research on brands / products / services.

The social web created a sense of community that facilitates trust relationships that serve as ready sources of information about all sorts of things. No longer do customers go first to sources you control, instead they turn to facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. And it’s not just a Business to Consumer (BtoC) proposition either. Business to Business (BtoB) is still, in the end, person to person and falls prey to the same issues. Face it, you don’t control the message anymore.  

The other big change is that the recession and continuing economic uncertainty is making people and businesses hyper-aware of how and where they are spending scarce resources. Value is even more important that usual in this environment and because of that, a poor customer experience will turn customers away even faster than before. Higher expectations, loss of control of the message, new technology that enables online connectivity in real time / all the time, growing influence of peer to peer networks and a hyper-focus on value…all of these things add up to customers with extremely low tolerance for mistakes. This new customer looks for conversations and by that, I really mean 2-way communication not broadcast messaging. Screw this up and guess what, often they won’t tell you, but they will tell the rest of the world online (and often look for a new source of whatever they used to get from you). 

More Read

IoT and AI in sports

How the Internet of Things and AI will Transform Sports Business?

4 Signs Your Business Needs Professional IT Support
5 Data-Backed Benefits Of Using YouTube To Grow Your Business
The Real Role of Big Data In Business Development
The Top Advantages Of Blockchain For Businesses

Good customer experiences are your best marketing today in the world of the social customer. Word of mouth was always an effective marketing strategy but with the social web it takes on new meaning and new power. In this new world, brand advocates can be easier to create but they are also much easier to lose, and have a global megaphone at their disposal.

So what can you do?

1. First, kill the internal silos (yes, I know, easy for me to say. Changing culture is hard, but a very important part of being ready to engage more effectively with your customers)! Collaboration, or getting and keeping all of your employees on a consistent message and  view as well as involving your whole organization in the new customer experience focus is the best recipe for success.

2. Remember (or learn) that conversation is 2-way and not about broadcasting louder across new channels. Put that as the foundation for all of your service efforts (and product design, marketing, sales…). Marketing should become less push and more dialog, in fact the strategy for services, marketing, sales, product development, etc., is really about ask – listen – respond – repeat.

3. Listen and focus on what matters to customers. Don’t try to be everything to everybody, it’s not possible anyway.

4. Create advocates, which comes from providing positive experiences and using the ask – listen – respond formula. 

5. Leverage the power of community through public social networks and through dedicated brand communities.

On the public social web you have to be where your customers are and you have to listen and respond. You can also create your own communities and create an even richer customer experience. Building and focusing on customer experience creates the best marketing, word of mouth / influence marketing, and that comes, in no small way, from exceptional customer service delivered “when, where and how” the customers chooses.

 

 

 

TAGGED: business, customer, scrm, service, socbiz, social, social web
mfauscette November 30, 2011 November 30, 2011
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

RN coders for hosptial data
RN Coders Can Improve Hospital Data Strategies
Big Data
cloud technology in education
How Cloud Technology Can Be Integrating in Schools
IT
big data and IP laws
Big Data & AI In Collision Course With IP Laws – A Complete Guide
Big Data
ai in marketing
4 Ways AI Can Enhance Your Marketing Strategies
Marketing

Stay Connected

1.2k Followers Like
33.7k Followers Follow
222 Followers Pin

You Might also Like

IoT and AI in sports
Artificial Intelligence

How the Internet of Things and AI will Transform Sports Business?

7 Min Read
Tech and IT Support
Business IntelligenceExclusiveIT

4 Signs Your Business Needs Professional IT Support

5 Min Read
data-driven video marketing
Big Data

5 Data-Backed Benefits Of Using YouTube To Grow Your Business

6 Min Read
business development data
Big DataBusiness Intelligence

The Real Role of Big Data In Business Development

5 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

data-driven web design
5 Great Tips for Using Data Analytics for Website UX
Big Data
ai in ecommerce
Artificial Intelligence for eCommerce: A Closer Look
Artificial Intelligence

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?