Replying To Social Media Comments
Replying to social media comments and reviews is more important now than ever. Over the last few years, the term ‘social media’ may have lost some of its original meaning since it has become so ubiquitous in our everyday lives. In its inception, the phrase ‘social media’ was used to describe websites and applications that allowed users to share media (text, images, video, etc.) with a network of other people to foster interaction and engagement.
Unfortunately, most businesses forget about the ‘interaction and engagement’ part and only use social media as a one-way channel to promote themselves, instead of embracing this opportunity for open communication with their customer base. Even if you hire a great marketing firm like Big Rig Media to run your marketing and media, we suggest you maintain responsibility for replying to social media comments and reviews…every single one. Here’s why:
Boost Your Brand Awareness and Visibility
If you’re unfamiliar with how social media platforms work, here’s a quick rundown. When you create a post, the platform usually pushes it out to your most engaged followers first. If your post receives engagement (likes, comments, shares), the platform will likely widen your posts reach and show it to more people. Since the platform relies on engagement to decide whether to show your post to more people, it’s in your best interest to respond to every comment or review you receive.
When you respond, that counts as engagement. When the original commenter (or even someone else) replies to your response, that’s more engagement, which amounts to more views of your business and brand. More views equal more followers and more engagement, which snowballs into even more views, even more followers, and so on.
Customers Expect Replies on Social Media
Whether we like it or not, social media has become a dominant channel for consumers to connect and communicate with brands. According to a Sprout Social survey, 80% of customers responded that social media has made companies more accountable. The survey also indicated that social media is the second most preferred channel for communication, with Millennials reporting it as their most preferred. With this knowledge, it’s clear that business owners can no longer ignore social media communication. Replying to social media comments and reviews must be a top priority.
Humanizes Your Brand and Creates Loyalty
When your business responds on social media, it’s an opportunity to connect more on a human level with your customers and potential customers. Human to human interaction is more powerful than business to human, so ditch the stock response and try to relate with your customers through your replies. Responding the right way can flip a complaint into a loyal customer. In fact, 7 out of 10 people surveyed said that their opinion of a company changed from negative to positive when they received a response on social media.
Learn More About Replying to Social Media Comments
If you still have questions about replying to social media comments and reviews, Big Rig Media is here to help. Get in touch with us today and our team of experts will be happy to give you the clarity you need to grow your business through modern marketing strategies.