Posts Tagged ‘Online’
Social Networking and Strategy
For customer service organisations, social networking without strategy is like a film without a plot. Sure, there may be lots of diverting colour and movement short term, but when the film ends, you leave the cinema feeling frustrated – still trying to make sense of it all.
A recent Smartblog article at http://tinyurl.com/2df57no supports the view that technology without strategy is only half the customer service story.
“Great corporate social-media efforts aren’t about technology … new gadgets aren’t what make companies great at engaging their customers — that has to come from sound strategic planning.”
An expert panel convened for BlogWorld Expo 2010 identified three emerging trends in social media strategy:
- Listening to your customers is great but reaching out to them is better. Great customer service is the best crisis-communications strategy. Organisations should make staff available to answer questions and talk with customers before they become disgruntled.
- No one department within an organisation (eg, Marketing) can control social media. Ultimately, all parts of the organisation will need to make effective use of social media within their areas of expertise.
- Listening doesn’t mean forgetting who’s in charge – of services and the organisation’s brand. Social-media fans are only one subset of customers, and not necessarily a representative sample. Organisations must ensure that complaints received via social media truly represent how the bulk of their customers feel – not just a vocal minority. Feedback is not a substitute for good planning and judgment!
With extensive experience of social media and strategic planning, let us help your organisation ‘stay on message’ online – contact us today.
Online PD for Library Professionals
Now available in Australia – internationally recognised library training and development in your own time and at your own pace with ON DEMAND and LIVE ONLINE distance education classes from Lyrasis, in partnership with Richard Sayers and Associates and supported by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). To view class schedules and register online, visit http://richardsayers.com.au/training/
