Saturday, December 03, 2011

How to convert your customers to brand ambassadors

Every big brand has its presence online on Social media platforms. Is it a good thing? Well, it allows consumers to address their opinions and issues directly to the brand. They may share their experience with this brand on its Facebook wall, tell what they think of the brand, leave positive and negative comments. So what are the benefits and drawbacks? A good thing is that the brand knows what its customers think of it as well as track their concerns and solve problems. A bad thing is that customers may leave negative comments and complain. Nevertheless, successful brands usually are not scared of that and open the wall for everyone who has something to say. As a research shows 4 out of 6 people on average are likely to share their positive experience with their friends. Even if they post a compaint and a company reacts and solves a problem customers get satisfied and want to tell good things about a company.

So what are the steps for a company to turn their customers to brand ambassadors? So far there are five main benchmarks that brands usually reach.

      First, you should be fast. On average people expect reaction within several hours. If they don't get response immediately they start getting annoyed and the more they get annoyed the more likely they are to post something negative on your wall.
     Second, be transparent and visible to public with your responses. Although, direct Facebook responses are more private and personal, people want to see your reaction 'on public'. Some of your responses may affect future customers and people who are not even your customers but who may potentially become them. Being public you collect an archive of advice for all your online fans.
     Third, be consistent. If you have multiple channels you should make sure that solutions for problems that you address are the same across all your channels. Inconsistency creates uncertainty and this in turn may evoke irritation.
     Because you want to be consistent you should, fifth, be organized. Consumers spot lack of organization right away and  always capture the flaw. If members of your team do not care about organization then your brand is in trouble. But if they do customers will notice that and will tell it to their friends.
    Sixth, stay human in any case. People appreciate when they talk to other people, not the 'customer support service'. They feel more open and less anxious. Give your team members names online, tell where they are from, what are their interests and how better they can help customers. Brands should behave to their fans as friends, be fast, responsive, transparent, reliable and humane.

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