3 Ways Social Media Has Changed The Way Customers and Companies Interact
We are undeniably in an age of change literally everywhere. Think of the way technology has changed over the last 20 years! And, of course, technology has introduced us to social media, which has drastically impacted the way customers and companies interact.
Let’s look at the numbers:
9 out of 10 customers do not just want but they expect companies to contribute more to the world than making a profit.
In the US, 86% of customers also expect that businesses take action when it comes to social and environmental issues.
2 out of 3 social media users over the age of 18 believe that companies should take stances on social issues.
The reality is that consumers want brands that are honest and ethical. They want to see in a brand what they would like in a friend.
So how has social media revolutionized the world of corporations?
First and foremost, social media has made it easier than ever for consumers to connect with large corporations.
Companies have always communicated with consumers through marketing; however, in the past, it was difficult for consumers to get in contact with large corporations. If they did get ahold of a corporation, how were they supposed to hold them accountable?
Social media has given customers a platform to use their voice to not only speak to corporations, but also to speak to each other!
Clients and customers frequently complain on social media. Platforms such as Facebook and Google are frequently used to leave and search reviews for businesses, and they are especially important to local businesses. If a business leaves negative reviews and complaints unanswered, it can be harmful. Future visitors to their social media or Google listing will see that negative review without an answer and can pass harsh judgment.
Bonus: responding properly to negative reviewers and actually rectifying the situation can inspire them to update their review. There is definitely an art to replying to negative reviews, so make sure you brush up on your customer service and written communication before replying!
Other companies use platforms like Twitter to quickly answer questions. The airline company British Airways even directs people to Twitter to ask questions on their contact page.
Aside from allowing the customers to communicate easily and directly to the company, it also allows customers to come together to unite against certain brands and voice their discontent.
For instance, during the turmoil around the travel bans at JFK, Uber turned off surge pricing while the New York Taxi Workers Alliance stood in solidarity with protesters–and then #DeleteUber started trending on Twitter. Users took the change in pricing as a sign that Uber was not being a responsible company and instead just trying to turn a profit. So Uber lost a ton of users! Lyft really benefited, but Uber was seriously hurt by a huge portion of their consumers banding together and making their voices heard all across the world. Even if some of these users did return to Uber at a later date, their brand and reputation was permanently seared.
No one can say for certain, but would this have happened in a time before social media? Some people would have most likely been upset, but people outside of New York may not have even realized that surge pricing was turned off. The articles about it would not have gone viral–they might not have even been written.
The reality is that social media gives consumers a powerful and loud voice: directly to a corporation and directly to each other.
And aside from giving clients a platform, it has changed a brand’s voice!
Second, social media has changed the way brands communicate with their clients.
Outside of the new fun and engaging way that brands can create a voice and all the interesting avenues for marketing, social media has changed the way that brands communicate with their clients.
But it’s so much more than having to respond to negative reviews! Companies are new speaking directly to consumers. That is powerful!
And, yes, it can be argued that companies have always spoken directly to customers through traditional marketing, but social media has changed a one-way message into a dialogue.
This has revolutionized the way that customer service reps and marketers are trained–especially the folks over in PR, but we’ll get there in a moment. It is a lot different to put a message into the world through a traditional marketing method (i.e. radio or TV ads, print ads, etc.)–and possibly hear from a few very passionate people upset by the ad–than it is to post on social media–where you are going to get immediate feedback from all your followers.
Think about your own life: are you more likely to call a company to complain about a commercial you saw on TV or comment on a status–or even just like another comment that you agree with on that status?
While this may still seem like a point towards giving customers a platform, it does seriously involve the way marketers use social media. They have to be ready for a conversation, if they are using social media correctly.
A major point of social media is to create engagement in order to
leverage organic growth opportunities
Social media is a powerful tool, and it has revolutionized the way a marketer needs to write copy. And, of course, those PR folks have to stay on their toes.
Third, social media has made it easier for corporations to react–and it can be louder when they don’t.
Public Relations (PR) is a lot of crisis preparation and crisis management–especially for large brands who might find themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons too often.
And here’s the thing: social media crises happen fast and loud–at all hours of day and night. I often say social media doesn’t sleep, because it doesn’t. There is always someone online–even for small businesses.
Companies should be quick to react on social media when something goes awry, and, nowadays, companies do often use their platforms as their first response space when publishing statements. Or they at least use social media as a way to link to full statements on their website.
And because we live in an immediate gratification society, especially on social media, we, as consumers, do expect to hear quickly from companies during a crisis. When a company’s response to a crisis falls flat or comes too late (i.e. United Airlines waiting days to apologize to a man pulled from one of their flights), consumers notice and it makes the situation worse.
The highlight, though? The marketing department and PR, in conjunction with customer service, can keep tabs through social media on how customers and clients are reacting to their response and the crisis in general. If they are really on the ball, they may spot and put an end to a crisis before it even starts.
Ultimately, social media has improved communication between customers and corporations.
This improved communication has made it possible for customers to hold businesses accountable. Even if you do not use Uber or live in New York City, you may very well be aware of why #DeleteUber went trending. And even in those trying moments for businesses, they are being held to a higher standard that ultimately has to improve the way businesses interact with culture and society.
Consumers want businesses that are, well, more human and less business. They must act responsibly. And social media is making that happen.
And corporations can see this, because they are able to talk directly to their customers. They create a dialogue. They have such a better insight into their key demographic and what they want. So they can clearly see this trend, and hopefully see a crisis coming.
Would these large crises be possible without social media? Quite possibly not. But are they holding businesses accountable and forcing them to up their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) game? Definitely.
