“Engaging the customer using social media not only generates leads but also generates increased loyalty and revenue. The research identified 70% of the respondents monitor social channels, but less than 5% have integrated social media into other customer interaction channels such as their call centre. While some organisations refute social media’s influence, others that recognise its impact, have appointed specialist teams to understand, monitor and plan a suitable response. Those who ignore social media do so at their peril,” Silah Gulf in a latest research report with defining the impact of social media on companies, said.
The report was undertaken by Merchants, a Dimension Data company and key shareholder of Silah.
According to the latest data 51% of companies acquire customers through social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and a Company blog. 79% of online shoppers spend at least 50% of their shopping time researching products. Social Media adds another layer of complexity because of its latent power to engage large numbers of people, a simple customer complaint in the social media domain can damage brand reputations and lead to losses in revenue. Companies can no longer risk ignoring the customer, or fail to provide immediate follow up and take responsibility for what happened.
“The term Customer Engagement is most often referred to in terms of engagement with customers online. In the contact center industry, Customer Engagement refers to the stages consumers experience as they interact with a particular brand. The Customer Journey usually consists of five different stages: Awareness, Consideration, Inquiry, Purchase and Retention. It’s impossible to engage customers at each stage without a unified multi-channel strategy that incorporates Social Media,” Joe Tawfik, CEO, Silah, said.
“The internet has enabled consumers to speak their minds about the products and services they like and dislike. It has also enabled consumers to become tribal again. They no longer voice their opinions in isolation but find peer groups with the same belief systems about a product or service. The internet has become a tribal-enabling medium. If companies are to start understanding how to effectively address the changes brought on by Social Media they need to understand tribal behavior and how to engage tribes. Thinking needs to shift away from online and offline engagement and become centered on understanding tribal behavior and how to influence tribal leaders,” Tawfik, added.