Businesses can sometimes seem unreachable to consumers. Will they hear my ravings of their product? Will they hear my complaints? Will they respond and implement what I’m trying to communicate to them? Since all these questions swirl in a customer’s mind, business engagement might influence buyer decisions. Businesses can use social media to show that they really do care.
Businesses should be accessible. By being on established social media networks, businesses are already showing customers that they want to communicate at the customer’s level. Social media utilities are less formal, and can really show the personality of a business. Being on an established network makes it easier for businesses and marketers to promote their brand and gain followers- according to Comsource Media Metrix, the average Facebook user spends 423 minutes a day on the social media network. By being able to influence more people, businesses can also take that information and analytics to find their target market. Instead of focusing on everyone, businesses are more efficient if they devote most of their resources towards a specific market. After gathering customers, businesses need to participate and listen to them. Businesses can no longer avoid responding to consumer comments (this was never a good idea in the first place!) Marketers should find out what customers want by gathering information of where consumers spend most of their time, what they Like on Facebook, and product mentions. Marketers should also ask customers directly what they want- this shows that a business really wants to listen to customers. Listening is a whole important aspect in itself- businesses need to pay attention to their market needs instead of jumping ahead and just trying to sell, sell, sell. Participating with the target audience instead of just talking or throwing the product at them will show consumers that businesses value their opinion.
Bottom line: businesses should use social media to connect intimately with their audience.
