- [Instructor] Before getting active
on social media yourself,
it is important to first understand
why your company should be there in a meaningful way.
Among its many benefits,
social media helps to humanize an organization
unlike other communication and marketing channels.
Here is why.
A long-term connection with customers is built on trust,
reliability, consistency, and an ongoing dialogue,
which is why humanizing a brand is so important.
Social media can make a company more relatable
because it's such a direct method
of communicating with customers.
A consumer can tweet at a large organization
to ask them a question whenever they so please
and will often get a response
which makes the company feel much more accessible.
The open lines of communication
between a company and its customers
and the ability for anyone
to observe these interactions happen publicly
are particularly suited for providing customer service,
like when a customer complains
about a bad experience they had with a retailer,
leaving a comment on their Facebook page,
and the retailer quickly responds to address the issue.
The response to solve the problem
not only helps that customer,
but anyone else watching the exchange
is now aware of the company's willingness
to provide customer support.
Listening to customers on social media
is a consistent source of feedback
on what's working and what needs to be improved
as well as a way to involve customers with the company.
That could be anything from writing a blog post
based on a question regularly asked by customers
or updating an issue with a product
that customers alerted you to over Facebook.
Communicating on social media
through text, visuals, and video also allows an organization
to develop and showcase its own voice and personality.
This differentiates their messaging
and makes it easier to relate to the company
on an emotional level
as customers have a stronger sense of its identity
and how it fits in their life.
While this is possible with other formats of advertising,
social media simply provides more opportunities
to communicate with customers on a regular basis.
For example, Wendy's, the fast food chain,
has become known for their irreverent tone
and witty humor on Twitter
which has helped the brand create many memorable moments.
Due to their consistent and purposeful use of Twitter,
Wendy's feels far more relatable.
The tone of their messaging
makes it feel like it's coming from a friend
as compared to a large corporate entity.
And that's because people connect with other people.
Social media is a wonderful vehicle
for showcasing the people behind a brand
and it's easier for customers and employees
to identify things they relate to in another person.
Whether a company features their employees
in a YouTube series
or a customer service rep signs their name
after a tweet they send,
each of these moments makes the company's communications
more personal than a formal business interaction.
Dedicating time and resources to social media
provides value to an organization in a variety of ways,
but most of all, it makes the company feel more human.