“Looking ahead for 2016 and beyond while the big trends are important to learn and evolve with new offerings/ technology, one evolution that is moving fully toward social first, that is not groundbreaking is customer service”
We recently asked the IAB Social Media Council to comment on their future predictions for Social Media trends in 2016. We received extensive and valuable feedback from many of the leading Social Media experts in Ireland. This blog post is part of the Social Media Future Focus 2016 series. Michael Corcoran, Senior Social Media & Content Manager, eightytwenty suggested the topic Customer Service, see his blog piece below.
Customer Service & Social Media
Looking ahead for 2016 and beyond while the big trends are important to learn and evolve with new offerings/ technology, one evolution that is moving fully toward social first, that is not groundbreaking is customer service.
Before rolling out a big brand or tactical campaigns through social channels that make a brand or commercial promise which are integral, social is now key to not breaking that promise if an issue appears during consideration, purchase or after sales.
When this fails brands will be held accountable and when others search for a brand on social channels and forums, this is where the brand is seen for their true value and experience.
If a current customer engages with a brand with an issue or problem that is managed poorly and not seen to support or offer the solution, it doesn’t matter how great your campaigns/content is, the overall social strategy, in the long run, is not effective.
Regardless of the scale, if you are seen to be present and address the issue/experience, the individual and others that see the interaction unfold on your channel will see how social media helps their overall brand experience, vital to retention and attracting consideration from others.
If ad blocking is telling you something is people don’t want to see or be bombarded with messaging (unless it is of value), what they do need is when they search or look to engage with a brand whether it’s a positive or negative engagement, they are available, it is managed correctly and a brand delivers on a promise.
This doesn’t mean 24/7 support for all brands, that’s is a decision that a brand customer service/ community management strategy will define. Once a brand clearly informs its policy across all channels an expectation can be set.
Keeping it in line with the trend buzzwords, it’s no longer called customer service it’s now customer experience.
Read more of the Social Media Future Focus 2016 series here, including posts on Video & Live Broadcasting, Paid for Social Media Advertising, Advertising on Instagram & more!