By Kelsey Jones
The title pretty much says it all. If a customer has no use for your business or services offline in the “real world”, why would they ever be compelled to “like” your business’ page on Facebook or follow your Twitter stream? Sure, a friend or family member can occasionally be compelled to “like” a friend’s business or Uncle Joe’s plumbing supply warehouse, but these likes and follows are usually meaningless in the fact that they don’t generate real sales and offline conversions.
In order to get current and potential customers the incentive to find a business on Facebook or Twitter, make it easy for them to like your business, its employees, and the products or services that are being offered.
For instance, there have been several times where a business or individual has had a blurb that says, “Like Us on Facebook!”, whether in banner form, on a receipt, or even though an email signature. And if I like a business, I will usually track them down on social media and connect with them.
Sometimes all it takes is them asking me to do so. They have earned my trust and business through:
- Good customer service
- High quality products and/or services
- Unique business features, such as free shipping, regular coupons/rewards, or no-hassle returns
and even when they haven’t quite yet done any or all of the above, I will still reach out to them via social media because they promised me an offline incentive for doing so. This may include exclusive deals for Facebook fans; temporary coupon codes only released via Twitter; or even entry into a contest that requires connection via Facebook.
However, no matter how good the offline incentive is, if a business has bad customer service and I have been unhappy with their products or services, I will go out of my way to disconnect from them. Unfollowing, unliking, and unsubscribing from all emails are just the tip of the iceberg.
Customers now have the power online to choose who they connect with online. And many customers see who they connect with as a reflection of themselves. Therefore, if they are unhappy about a business, disconnecting and also talking about it will most likely shortly ensue. I’ve left negative reviews on Yelp; I’ve even tweeted my discontent.
And those businesses who attempt to fix the problem? I respect. But the businesses who didn’t seem to even notice the negative feedback or who constantly ignore the online complaints and posts of their customers, well that is just the same as locking the door to your retail business when there was a crowd just outside waiting to buy out your inventory.
This post is sponsored by Brosix Instant Messaging for work.
Kelsey Jones
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Good thoughts. Companies can no longer ignore their customers that are using social media to connect with them. It’s crucial to have some sort of online presence!