In 1968, a little band called The Beatles released one of many chart-topping hits “With a Little Help From Our Friends.” Written smack-dab in the middle of the Vietnam War, when the world was battling foreign affairs and social issues, John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s popular lyrics, “we get by with a little help from our friends,” helped bring a little peace to a chaotic nation.
What does a Beatles song have to do with building a better brand through social media? Because building a successful brand starts with getting by with a little help from our friends. [Lets imagine Ringo Starr was a Social Media Marketer in 2013 and the word friend would become fans/followers/influencers.]
In today’s society, customer service has evolved from phone calls to online communities. But this “new-age” customer service is not optional for brands, but essential. Brands shouldn’t think of online communities as a burden, but more of an opportunity to seek success through customer service.
When building in online community with the help of your friends, brands should note the following:
BE INSPIRED TO INNOVATE: At the end of the day, customers are the ones using your product or service, so shouldn’t you be listening to what they have to say? Incorporate your customers’ suggestions to create a product/service that is driven by the consumer. Collaborating with consumers and gathering insights with help improve your product while building a relationship with the consumer by implementing a strategic plan.
ALLOCATE ADVOCATES: Here is a fact you should note: 94 percent of customers trust word-of-mouth over recommendations over company advertising.[1] That statistic alone should make you want to pick up the phone and build a strategic social media marketing plan into your brands initiative.
Customers who are passionate about your brand should be your best friends. Customers are willing to become brand supporters for products and services they care about – so focus on making them influencers. Find customers that can be trusted, represent the company well, and let them drive engagement on your page through recommendations and word of mouth.
CREATE AND CONTROL: In times where “nearly half of US social media users actively seek customer service through social media,” building a successful online community is critical to your brand.[2] Building an online community lets you lay the foundation for engagement. If customers seem unsatisfied you can easily collaborate with the customer, while remaining in control of the discussion.
Online communities are not only easy and beneficial for consumers, but for you as well.
A successful online community will help your brand filter information, provide help answers by trusted enables to peers, and increase sales by encouraging peer recommendations that increase buyer confidence.
Online communities are the way of customer service. If you feel your brand needs to get by with a little help from an [agency] give us a ring/tweet/comment. As a full-service digital marketing agency, we’ll be glad to build a community to help your brand succeed.
