Expectations around customer experience are constantly changing.
In the past, the only option a customer had if they needed help was to pick up a phone. After a while, emails and support tickets on websites offered an alternative. Unfortunately, most clients ended up feeling frustrated and unhappy by the time they finished communicating with a brand.
Today, we’re living in a digital landscape. Your customers believe that talking to a brand should be as simple as talking to a friend. Because of this, companies are beginning to introduce new customer experience solutions. There’s live chat functionality on websites, self-service, and even messaging apps. One of the biggest new avenues for contact centre support is social media.
Social media is the medium that puts the power in the brand/customer relationship back into the hands of the consumer. Social customer experience opens up enormous opportunities for clients to build stronger connections with customers.
The value of social media in customer experiences
Statistics show there were around 2.95 billion people on social media in 2019. In 2023, that number will rise to around 3.43 billion. Social media gives consumers a place to share their thoughts and expectations. Many brands already have their own social media channels, using these profiles to influence public perspective and strengthen brand awareness.
However, as younger generations like Gen Z continue to avoid picking up the phone for customer service, social media is taking on a new purpose. Today’s consumers want to be able to connect with brands on their social platforms when they have a problem. What’s more, they want answers to their questions fast.
Social media feels like a more informal and streamlined way to get support in the digital landscape. However, this environment isn’t just a tool for consumers that want to feel heard. Making social media a part of your customer experience strategy has benefits for your brand too. For instance:
- Better reputation: Because social media is a public forum, anyone can see what your customers have to say about you. If you respond quickly and appropriately to public concerns, this demonstrates you care about your customers. 53% of customers say that they’re more likely to buy from transparent brands on social media. A social engagement tool can help you deliver outstanding, timely customer service on social media.
- Improved reach: Social media also gives you an avenue where you can educate and support your customers. You can provide useful how-to information and guides that might allow clients to solve their own problems without reaching out to your call centres.
- More options: With social media, you give your customers another way to reach your brand on their terms. In an age where customers believe they should have more freedom when connecting with companies, offering an omnichannel environment is key.
Meet your customers where they are
In today’s evolving environment, the key to excellent customer experiences is meeting your audiences where they are. This means giving your clients the freedom to reach out to you whenever they choose, and however they feel the most comfortable.
Social media has stood out as a powerful platform for several years now. However, there are still a lot of companies who aren’t adding social strategies to their contact centre environment. At this transformative stage of human history, there’s never been a better time to update the way you communicate with your customers.
Originally published Aug 11, 2020, updated Jan 16, 2023
