Customer service is living quite a fancy life on social media. After all, over 67% of the global population is on social media and brands have all the right to leverage this data to build a big-fat family of happy, loyal customers. So, is it worth every penny to invest in AI-powered customer service solutions and BPMs for social media customer support? The answer is yes and yes.
From TikTok to Instagram, social media channels are no longer just the place where people share photos, get likes and comments, and live happily-ever-after. These are now a number one choice for brands worldwide to connect with customers. Many of them are actively investing in BPMs to enhance customer service and take customer experience to a whole new level. Reasons? They range from the need for faster replies to brand-building to data-driven service.
On this note, let's unfold this section and read all that there is to know about the role of social media customer support in improved CX.
Social media is, on many occasions, the ground zero for customer interactions. While it may be irrelevant for any brand that is not present or active on social media, that doesn't make it any less important.
Here are the top 7 reasons why social media has become a favorite mode of customer interaction of many brands:
The internet world doesn't wait for anyone, nor do your customers. 67% of the customers find reaching out to customer support on social media convenient. And rightly so, no one wants to stand in a queue for days (or weeks) waiting to get the resolution; definitely not when they have an option to DM a competitor and get a reply within a few minutes.
Timing is everything on social media. Social media support teams make the brand stay in their mark to address a query. This is super important for ensuring that your customers get the answer they are looking for, without any delay.
A customer feels great when they are heard and social media is the platform where they would expect this from a brand. When you interact with followers on TikTok or Instagram, you are in a way proving that your brand values their opinion.
As you outsource social media support to a reputed service provider, this ensures that your brand engages with your customer on a consistent level. This means responding to comments and complaints, and building a family of loyal customers.
This level of engagement not only keeps existing customers coming back, but also attracts new people to the community. In fact, a survey highlighted that 71% of the customers who had a good experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the brand to friends and family.
Here's the thing: Social media channels are like glass houses; everyone can see what's happening inside. One comment or even a like drops and the very next minute, it goes viral. That said, managing customer feedback on social channels is not a joke. If anything, it should be handled with care as one awkward response can snowball, impacting your brand's reputation.
Answering a customer complaint on social media can boost brand advocacy by as much as 25%. When you outsource TikTok/Instagram support to professionals, you make sure that every concern (or comment) of your customer is addressed with absolute perfection. This is the surefire way to build a brand in a positive way.
You might have seen this one coming! There could never be enough emphasis on the fact that social media is the number one space to give your brand a personality, flaunt it, and amplify it. This is one thing where social channels beat other customer service platforms.
Whether you are participating in a viral challenge or cracking a witty joke in response to one of the customer's comments, there are so many ways to make your brand build presence. Moreover, social channels allow you to be as fun and approachable as you want. With outsourced social media teams, you not only ensure great customer support, but also a persona for your brand.
Customer service is more than just about fixing problems. It is also a chance to build relationships that last. It is an excellent way to nurture the bonds that you have made in the past. Even a sweet little response to a comment or a quick "thanks for the follow" counts big-time.
With a dedicated social media support team, you can make sure your brand converts transactional communication into something meaningful and lasting.
Social media is just as important a place for insights as it is for a quick conversation. From comments to mentions to DMs, everything is real-time feedback that can serve as smarter better decisions, if used smartly.
When your outsourced social media support team monitors different channels, they also collect data that is just the magical tool you need to refine products, revise messaging, tweak marketing approach, and anticipate customer needs. By outsourcing social media support, you can leverage trends and recurring issues to stay ahead of the curve.
Your customers are scrolling through their feeds, tagging brands, and sharing opinions. The question is: Why not show up when you know they are online? Social media support can interact with customers in their natural "digital" habitat. This makes it a whole lot easier for them to get help when needed.
That said, your customers don't have to tolerate long hold times or walk up to complicated help desks. Your outsourced social media teams make sure you are always available to hear your customers' concerns, on time.
Customers today expect nothing less than fast, personalized experiences. Add to that the fact that the future of social media customer support will have all the nuances of AI-powered contact center solutions. That said, outsourcing customer service to a trusted BPM partner is the way to go. The best BPM firm for outsourced social media customer service is one that not only understands your brand requirements, goals, and challenges, but also innovates new ways to help it make the cut in the crowded social space, be it TikTok or Instagram.