In today's modern world, everyone should be a part of a social network to get a better grasp of what is going on. Whether you're a student goofing off in class using Facebook, or a high-profile celebrity on Twitter, most of society is connected to social media.
Companies have been cashing in on this trend with this social media craze, creating pages where users can "like" or "follow" these pages. This is how they advertise promotions and exclusive deals for those following them. Just the other day I was at Smoothie King in front of FIU's Modesto Modique Campus when I read a sign saying that if I post my location on Facebook, I would receive a free enhancer with my smoothie. This type of publicity helps the company and rewards the consumer. But that's not always the case.
There's been other times where I've shared my location or mentioned a company's name on my social networks and received nothing in return. A simple "thank you"would have done the trick. Consumers want to feel appreciated for their commitment; makes us feel special inside. The fact that a company took the time to reply to our post, whether thanking or welcoming us back, really shows that they care.
Maybe this is the reason why consumers are showing less interaction with these social networks. All they do is post about their promotions and sales, but they don't pay attention to what the consumer has to say. This is what drives consumers away. They feel like they're not being heard.
http://www.bizreport.com/2010/02/social_media_-_its_about_listening_as_well_as_selling.html
http://www.one.com/en/web-hosting-news/website/social-media-not-connecting-with-consumers$800384982.htm
I personally try to avoid companies and such on facebook and other social media websites because they basically just send people spam about their promotions and what-nots without having the slightest idea if i might be interested or not. They definitively drive me away.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing is when you mentioned about getting a free enhancer at smoothie king, when you put your location on there, granted you get that incentive but at what cost? You lose your privacy, and there's a dinstinct possibility and criminals can see that if you're not home, they can break into your home.
ReplyDeleteI understand where you're coming from about consumers not feeling they're being heard; well that's another thing: if it's a big company, how can listen to every single one of their customers? Everyone's different, you can't please all of them.
Social networking in the business world is used to communicate with current and future customers. Businesses could post as many advertisements or promotions on their website, but that alone will not get their message across to the public, unless the business learns how to communicate with their clients. I agree with you in the sense that people need to feel appreciated. If businesses don’t take the time to acknowledge their customers concerns, by giving at least a simple “thank you”, they could lose potential buyers. When a person takes the time to post a review on a businesses message board, he or she may feel that their opinions are appreciated if someone from the company responds or just acknowledges the message. I think that businesses should focus on responding to their customers messages on social networking websites because it can make a big difference on customer loyalty.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you in terms that costumers like to feel valued by brands. I believe that in the future people will really start to get annoyed by the ads on the social media. If no action is take to prevent this, people will start to shift the pages that they visit when they go online. This events has started happening with television. Now you can find more people spending time online rather than watching TV due to the vast amount commercials being broadcasted. This is just food for thought. Good Post!
ReplyDeleteIt is true what you say. If there is no connection between the customer and the brand, why should the customer go out of their way to please the company? It is all about forming a relationship. If companies can do that, then customers will feel more appreciated, which will then lead them to become loyal customers. If companies cared a little bit more about customer service as much as they did about their business, they would get what they want - loyal & satisfied customers.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that that company did not give you anything in return or even simply "thank you" for giving them a free advertising spot on your Facebook page is the reason why many people ignore sales and promotions on Facebook and Twitter pages. Most companies only care about posting things about them and do not take the time to really listen to their followers. It's a give and take situation. If companies would give more then consumers would give more back. It's as simple as that!
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