Social media is inherently human— after all, it
is fundamentally about people and connections -- yet the reality is that communications on social
channels can come off as less than personal even with the best of brands. The tendency to broadcast messages, one-way versus having a two-way dialogue, is caused by a few factors: an effort to stay on
message, the need to drive real ROI from social channels, and the increasing ease
of scheduled posts and marketing automation.
By keeping your communications as real and spontaneous as human interactions, you can increase engagement not only on your
posts and with your brand loyalists, but among your own community managers and employees who
will have a greater, more personal, stake in your efforts.
Start now with an
inventory of these 5 steps to humanize your business, and see who’s doing it
right:
- Listen.
Every great relationship starts with a great listener. Tune into the
conversation on social channels about your brand or trends in your industry, and take note.
Beleaguered brand, JC Penney, recently created a #jcplistens hashtag to rekindle
their trust and win back once-loyal customers. Like it or not, it connects them more closely to their customers.
- Reply.
What’s worse than crying out for help with no response? Don’t leave your most
social savvy customers in a one-way conversation on Twitter or Facebook. Take a lesson from @VirginAmerica which sends every Tweeting traveler on their way with a warm response.
- Involve Your Fans: Your brand can offer a bigger platform than any individual customer could dream of.
By using your channels to recognize your customers -- through stories, photos or co-created content -- you will earn loyalty
beyond your wildest dreams. Get inspiration from San Francisco-based ModCloth which invites its fans to be pros and pick which fashions get created next.
- Follow up.
It’s nice if you listen and respond politely from the social front desk, but it's what you do with the information that will differentiate your brand. Salesforce has an
IdeaExchange -- a forum where customers share their ideas and feedback for
review by the Product Managers. Any Tweet that suggests an idea gets routed there
and could make its way into the product. What's more personal that seeing your idea come to life?
- Share
your value. Any successful business has employees with deep expertise to
share. Don’t hide that talent behind your own walls. Share your company's knowledge and experiences, just
like Lowe’s is doing in their 6 Second Tips series. That’s delivering real
value that deepens loyalty and engagement.
It takes constant engagement -- and a dose of ingenuity -- to put a human face on your brand. While these two-way interactions may not be as directly
measureable as an ad banner, the relationships you build and trust you earn will help your
business bloom on sunny days, and help it endure even the harshest of storms.
