Customer feedback management can be a challenge for any organization, both large and small. Someone passed on an article by Kalena Jordan in SiteProNews, How Twitter Is Teaching Businesses the Lost Are of Conversation, that I thought had some good insights. While Twitter gets lots of positive buzz, there is still large numbers of internet users who are unsure of Twitter - both individual users and businesses.
Conversation is powerful, and as Jordan points out, one of the most persuasive business tools. According to recent stats from Nielsen, Twitter is the fastest growing community online and the largest user group are 35-49 year olds (there's a good chance these are also your decision makers). The article argues that as we move from web 2.0 to web 3.0, conversation is taking over the thrown as king, displacing the cry Content is King! Some big brands such as Amazon, Starbucks, Home Depot, Jetblue, Kodak, etc. - if conversations weren't important, these brands would not be investing in this business channel. But as I've said before, customers are having conversations with or without your participation. If you're not part of it, you're missing out on valuable customer insights.
Jodan polled her followers asking the question:
Have you ever communicated directly with a company using Twitter?
What was your main reason for doing so?
But what kind of business tool is Twitter? It goes far beyond customer service or customer feedback. Here are some basic suggestions for how an organization can implement Twitter into their marketing mix:
The first step to using Twitter to really get the most out of potential customer market research strategies and customer feedback efforts, you need to be willing to open a dialogue. Unlike other forms of marketing communication, Twitter is a two way conversation that you need to be ready to invest time into customer relationships. The toughest part, in my opinion, is the mind shift it requires. Twitter cannot be all about You, You, You. There needs to be a level of transparency and selflessness.
Conversation is powerful, and as Jordan points out, one of the most persuasive business tools. According to recent stats from Nielsen, Twitter is the fastest growing community online and the largest user group are 35-49 year olds (there's a good chance these are also your decision makers). The article argues that as we move from web 2.0 to web 3.0, conversation is taking over the thrown as king, displacing the cry Content is King! Some big brands such as Amazon, Starbucks, Home Depot, Jetblue, Kodak, etc. - if conversations weren't important, these brands would not be investing in this business channel. But as I've said before, customers are having conversations with or without your participation. If you're not part of it, you're missing out on valuable customer insights.
Jodan polled her followers asking the question:
Have you ever communicated directly with a company using Twitter?
What was your main reason for doing so?
65% of survey respondents said they had conversed with a company on Twitter. Almost half of those people reached out to resolve an issue. This should not be the first time you're hearing this. Those of us on Twitter have quickly learned tweeting a customer complaint or the need for customer service support is a faster way of getting support than calling a 800 number and sitting on hold. Companies are forced to have the conversation in public, in front of the very impressionable public. Businesses should view this as an opportunity, instead of something to fear. It's a great opportunity to share your message. It's not just about your followers seeing your message, users are searching for comments about companies, products and services as well.
But what kind of business tool is Twitter? It goes far beyond customer service or customer feedback. Here are some basic suggestions for how an organization can implement Twitter into their marketing mix:
• Branding
• Driving traffic
• Reputation management
• SEO
• News and product announcements
• Customer interactions
• Driving traffic
• Reputation management
• SEO
• News and product announcements
• Customer interactions
The first step to using Twitter to really get the most out of potential customer market research strategies and customer feedback efforts, you need to be willing to open a dialogue. Unlike other forms of marketing communication, Twitter is a two way conversation that you need to be ready to invest time into customer relationships. The toughest part, in my opinion, is the mind shift it requires. Twitter cannot be all about You, You, You. There needs to be a level of transparency and selflessness.
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