Your business’ online image can significantly influence the opinions of both current and future clients, helping to satisfy your existing customers and impress or draw in new clientele by demonstrating your commitment to addressing customer questions or concerns. Whether you’re responding to questions and comments on your business website and blog or through one of your social media accounts, taking the right approach is essential to ensure you are projecting the online image you want for your business.
Respond in a Timely Fashion
As online culture changes the way customers think, it’s important to change the way your business responds to comments and questions as well. Devoting the time and manpower to monitoring your website and social media feeds is a valuable use of resources that allows you to address issues and concerns quickly to show your commitment to timely customer service. Waiting too long to respond to questions or concerns will make customers feel abandoned and prompt them to seek services or products from a provider they feel will better respect their time and money.
Respond as a Brand
Online communication and social media interaction are great ways to connect with your customer base on a personal level. However, it’s important to remember that responses to questions and comments should be formulated with your brand in mind. Regardless of the number of employees you have handling client interactions across your social media accounts, make sure each response is professional and consistent with your brand’s values, image, and personality.
Respond to Valid Comments and Concerns
Especially if your business receives a large number of tweets, comments, and questions each day, it’s essential to pare down your responses to those that are most vital. Always respond to customer questions and concerns, which are the greatest opportunities to pull in new clients and retain those who aren’t satisfied. While you should always feel free to retweet or share praise and thanks, these comments don’t necessarily require an actual response. Be wary of negative or argumentative comments—when you see a customer expressing frustration or experiencing an issue, responding is definitely the right choice. However, while you shouldn’t be afraid to address negative comments when they present the opportunity for growth and connection, avoid engaging with commenters who are only concerned with attacking your brand or are not expressing legitimate concerns related to your business.
Are you looking for help managing your business’ online and social media presence? Pennington Creative can help—please contact us online to find out more about our social media and SEO solutions.
