Extend the Customer Experience with Social Media
Tech-Savvy Customers
I recently traveled to Phoenix to speak at a conference, and was staying right across from the convention center at the Hyatt Regency. Because I am a crazed social media hound, I had been tweeting about the upcoming conference and mentioned that I was excited to stay at the beautiful Hyatt Regency. I got a very nice reply from their social media team telling me they looked forward to my visit. That was impressive and showed they were paying attention in Twitter town.
I checked in on Foursquare as I was leaving the Denver airport and again as I landed in Phoenix. My foursquare posts also feed to my Twitter account, but it did not say anything about the Hyatt Phoenix, so they would have to have been looking at my Twitter stream to know that I checked in at the airport. When I got into the lobby of the hotel, Kelly at the front desk said, “Welcome Ms Schreck. We knew you were almost here–Hold on, Melissa wanted to come out and meet you!” Melissa came out and said she had been following my posts and wanted to come out and say hello.” Now I was BLOWN AWAY! But sadly, this is where the experience stopped. I was not asked to join them on Facebook, I was not asked to fill out an evaluation on TripAdvisor and I was not sent another peep…or tweet! A definite missed opportunity, since I was WOWed upon arrival.
Social media allows you to extend the customer experience beyond just marketing to people before they purchase. Many organizations compartmentalize their social media management and therefore you might see the sales and marketing teams focusing only on the pre-sale, the PR or communications department focusing on brand awareness and corporate speak, and customer care putting out fires when someone is complaining online. Most won’t dare cross those departmental lines.
By connecting with people BEFORE they are your customers, you can learn more about them and their buying habits.
Checking In on Foursquare
You can build rapport and even get to meet their friends if they share your content. The tech-savvy customer, especially if encouraged to do so, will share their experience DURING the interaction with social-photo apps like Instagram or Facebook and Twitter, or use geo-location apps like Foursquare to tell their friends about you and your great service! Why not send a link with your tweets or Foursquare check-ins that provides tips or other bonus content showing them your appreciation.
Now instead of the usual customer survey that people hate filling out, why not continue the engagement AFTER the purchase or visit by asking for a post on your Facebook reference app, TripAdvisor, or other favorite site? Stay in touch with them and they just might become your best sales force… not to mention the repeat business you are sure to get. Don’t let the WOW end at check-in.
Chief Hooligan at SynapseConnecting
Gina and her team at SynapseConnecting manage the WOW experience BEFORE, DURING and AFTER for organizations in all kinds of industries including hotels, restaurants, fitness centers, retail stores and more. Let us know if you have any questions for us or if we can help you extend the WOW! Join us on Facebook for tips and tools that will help you use today’s technology to build your business and manage your brand. Of course you can always find Gina on Twitter!
1 Comment
Why Your Organization Should NOT Be Using Social Media
Crazy for Social Media
I am a social media nut… I’ll be the first to admit it.
I share photos on Instagram, post tips on Twitter, answer questions on Facebook, scan every QR Code that I encounter, and I love checking in on Foursquare to try and rip the Mayoral Robe from the curent reigning leader. So when I am heading to dinner, out for a day of shopping or staying in a hotel, I see if they have a social presence before I arrive. Perhaps they have deals being offered (great FREE guacamole at La Sandia in Littleton when you check in on Fourquare) or any tips left by other guests (Try and stay in room 2460 for the best view). If I find a company Facebook page or Twitter account, I will give a shout out that I am excited to be coming and if I have a great stay or great experience there, I am the first to send a tweet out to the world letting everyone know (and usually include a picture that I snapped with the FAB person who gave the great service–maybe it will help with that raise they deserve).
Nobody Here!
But nothing chaps my hide more than when I post something on a company Facebook page, Twitter account, or other social site THEY have set up and get no response…nada….not a whisper! I am not looking for freebies or discounts, although I once tweeted about a great iPad docking and speaker system I found at Target and they replied with a $10 online coupon to say thanks for the shout out, BUT I am expecting someone to acknowledge my comment or question. So many organizations create social media accounts because someone said they should, but then they don’t realize that someone will have to manage the platform just like someone has to check voicemail or email if they give that out.
Too many companies think all they have to do is shove content out, like an ad going into the local mailer, and they usually have their accounts set up with an automated system that sends their promotional information to Facebook, Twitter, and any other platform they are using without ever checking to see if anyone commented or posted a question for them. These are the same accounts that will have 1,000 poor saps following them and the organization follows 3 people back (usually the three friends of the intern who set up the accounts). This shows they really aren’t interested in listening to anyone else. They just want others to get the junk they pump.
If your organization is contemplating geting on board and creating a Facebook presence, a Twitter account, or maybe even a Google Plus account, STOP. Before you create that profile and load that beautiful logo of yours, have a meeting with your team to answer these 5 questions first:
-
Who will manage these accounts throughout the day? (Checking in 2 or 3 times per day AT LEAST, depending upon the type of business you have)
-
Will we need outside/additional help?
-
What is the ultimate goal of creating social channels? (Brand recognition? Increased sales channel? Additional customer support options? Customer feedback and interaction?) How will we define success?
-
Will this be a combination of customer support, marketing, human resources and PR?
-
How will we handle questions or complaints that come in via social channels?
-
How will the person or team of people get regular content to post several times per day?
Once you have answered these questions you are ready to begin building your platform. And once you build it, they will come…it will take work…lots of work, but they will come, and when they do, you will be ready!
Gina is the founder of SynapseConnecting, a social media management firm. We help you build out the strategy, tie it into your overall goals and manage the daily activities for BIG SOCIAL SUCCESS! We’re always home! Find Gina on Twitter @GinaSchreck or on Facebook – GinaSchreck We have a fun Facebook page with loads of tech and social media tips to build your social business Gettin’ Geeky
We'll leave the light on for you!
1 Comment
Steve Jobs Thought DIFFERENT To Leave His Mark…Will You?
Steve Jobs with iPad
This afternoon we learned that Steve Jobs, who had been battling pancreatic cancer for several years, lost the fight. As I sat, reading about it, with my Macbook Pro in my lap and my iPad sitting next to me, I looked over and noticed my husband was reading WIRED magazine on his iPad. What an impact Steve Jobs had on the world. He made computers cool, music truly portable, gave phones an education, challenged us to “Think Different” and then even helped the non-computer user catch up with it all using a very different portable touch screen tablet, called the iPad. He was an innovator and a visionary. He not only created innovative technology, but he created a way for people to connect with people. He created a cool kid’s club that everyone was invited to.
With all of the tech tools in our lives and all of the connections we make using some of the new technology, we must ask ourselves, “Are we creating ways for people to connect with people?” We may never create a magical device that brings rainbows and unicorns dancing in it each day (My iPad still does that), but we can leave a legacy as great as Steve Jobs if we use the tech tools to reach out to our customers, our friends and yes, even that family member you hesitated for months on connecting with before you accepted their friend request.
Do something to connect today~ Give a kind word in a comment section of a blog (hypathetical example), write on the wall of someone you haven’t talked to in a while telling them you are thinking of them, or just send a tweet to let a customer know you appreciate their business.
Here’s to living a life as sweet as an APPLE!
May We ALL Think Different
@GinaSchreck
Why is Facebook Sending Friend Posts In My Notifications?
STOP THE MADNESS
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas …. no not in the stores (although I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see decorations up already!), but on your Facebook account. You know the holidays are right around the corner when you start getting all that extra mail stuffed into your box…catalogs and promotional information, you didn’t sign up for and then extra information coming from the stores and businesses you do business with already.
When Facebook rolled out more changes last week, one of the results was an overly-stuffed, and annoying NOTIFICATIONS feature. When you added some of your friends to the new CLOSE FRIENDS LIST, it automatically started sending you their posts in your notifications, just in case you might miss the fact that Sue and her hubby ate at Outback Steakhouse last night!
So here is a quick run down on how to turn that feature off and allow your notifications to go back to the REALLY important things like Kevin tagging you in a very long note about his job search (ok, I really do have a heart in here. It is just squashed at the moment by the crowded notifications!):
- Go to your HOME link on your personal profile (the page you typically are sent to when first logging onto Facebook)
- Find your CLOSE FRIENDS LIST – it is in the left column under Favorites, apps and groups. You may even need to click on MORE to reveal CLOSE FRIENDS
- Click on the down arrow on the NOTIFICATIONS button in the upper right hand side of the screen (not on the individual person’s post
- Click OFF
- While you are here, you can add or remove folks from this list by clicking the drop down on MANAGE LIST
Ahhh don’t you feel better already? Now if only it was as easy to stop all unwanted email…
If we can help you manage the daily social media activities for your business, or just answer another burning question, let me know! Be sure to check out our “Gettin’Geeky” Facebook Page for tips and tools to use technology for your business!
Chief Hooligan at SynapseConnecting
7 Activities To Do On Twitter Every Day
Most people on Twitter are still using it as a broadcast medium. They post content and wonder what else they could be doing to grow their community, get more engaged conversations and result in increased sales. Here are SEVEN things you can do every day to DO SOCIAL RIGHT:
What else are YOU doing each day to do social right?
If you need help managing these daily social activities, we can help! Our team helps connect you to your world! Give us a call–or send me a tweet @GinaSchreck!
Chief Hooligan at SynapseConnecting
1 Comment
Our mobile site
This is a 2D-barcode containing the address of our mobile site.If your mobile has a barcode reader, simply snap this bar code with the camera and launch the site.
Many companies provide barcode readers that you can install on your mobile, and all of the following are compatible with this format:
-
Associations
-
Admin
-
Visitor Info
IP Address: 38.107.179.240
Browser & OS: CCBot/1.0 (+http://www.commoncrawl.org/bot.html)
Time: February 04th 2012 04:09:12 am
-
Synapse Connecting
-
-
Synapse on Google+
-
Spams
