Social media marketing has a significant impact on your business. If you use social media the right way, you can increase brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive website traffic. Social media gives you valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. This helps you to tailor your marketing strategies accordingly. However, social media marketing requires time, effort, and a well-planned strategy to be successful. Managing lead engagement and customer feedback should be one of the major things planned for in the strategy.

When social media engagement is up, take advantage by providing all the information leads need in a human and helpful way. Ensure you don’t make these three common stupid mistakes that can cause you to lose potential sales:

Social Media Engagement Mistake #1

Refusing to disclose offer information until the customer makes an action

This is a common mistake that is made where the price or terms & conditions are not disclosed in the offer. Individuals comment and ask for pricing and other information, and are directed to customer service for further details.Individuals comment and ask for pricing and other information, and are directed to customer service for further details.

If the information they request is not delicate then, it is best to communicate it to the customer on the platform that the question is posed upon. Don’t expect customers to take the time to go to another platform to get further information.

The reality is, this may turn off your customers and you will lose a potential sale. A good example of this is detailed below, with several customers asking the price of a submarine ride in the comments on Instagram.

Imagine seeing the IG and you making the decision that you would like to attend. You decide to first find out if it is in your budget. Instead of receiving a straightforward answer, you are told to contact customer service; you decide to call but the line is busy, so then you just forget about it. You’re a busy person and it’s too much hassle.

Realistically, there are many leads that won’t even call, email, or DM since the page can just provide the terms and conditions and prices in a convenient link. Additionally, others that hit upon the thread and scroll to see if the answer to the price question is given may just opt to forget the offer altogether.

Social Media Engagement Mistake # 2

Another mistake is relying too heavily on automated responses, which can come across as impersonal and insincere. Automated responses can seem robotic, which can frustrate and alienate customers who are looking for a more human interaction. Secondly, automated responses may not fully address the customer’s concerns or questions, leading to a lack of satisfaction and potentially even further frustration. Additionally, if the automated response is not tailored to the specific situation, it may come across as tone-deaf or insensitive. Ultimately, relying solely on automated responses can lead to a decrease in customer trust and loyalty, as customers may feel undervalued and unimportant

Social Media Engagement Mistake # 3

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make on social media is responding in an untimely manner to social media engagement, this can negatively affect business in several ways. It can lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction, as customers may feel ignored or undervalued, and it can damage the brand’s reputation and result in lost business.

How to Respond to Customer Engagement on Social Media To Increase Sales

1. Respond in a timely manner to show your customers that you value their feedback and engagement.
2. Use a friendly and personable tone in your responses to make customers feel appreciated and heard.
3. Address any issues or concerns customers may have in a professional and helpful manner.
4. Use emojis or GIFs to add a personal touch to your responses and make them more engaging.

Consider offering exclusive promotions or discounts to customers who engage with your brand on Instagram to encourage continued engagement.

Try the tips below to ensure you respond to social media feedback in a timely way:

• Establish a social media policy that outlines response times and expectations.
• Use social media management tools that allow for monitoring and notifications of customer interactions.
• Prioritize responses based on the urgency and importance of the customer inquiry or comment.
• Generate a list of FAQs that are easily accessible to your followers and leads based on the type of feedback received.
• Finally, consider delegating social media responsibilities to a dedicated team or individual to ensure consistent and timely responses.

It is important to implement these types of strategies, so you can effectively manage your social media presence and provide quality customer service.

Leveraging Engagement on Social Media

When leads interact with a social media post, it shows that they are interested and more than likely are at the consideration phase of your marketing funnel. At this stage, these individuals want to know more about your offer and your business and they may take a myriad of actions such as: making inquiries in the comments, saving your offer, following your business, etc.

Responding to negative customer feedback on social media

When responding to customer feedback on social media, always start by thanking the customer for their comment or review. Next, address any concerns or complaints they may have raised and offer a solution or apology if necessary. It’s important to keep a professional tone and avoid getting defensive or argumentative.

Be sure to respond in a timely manner and follow up with the customer to ensure their issue has been resolved. Finally, use feedback as an opportunity to improve your business and customer experience. Remember, no matter how awesome your product or service is there will be someone who may not like it or some part of it, plus if you began with your minimal viable product as is recommended in lean models then there is always room for improvement so don’t take negative feedback personally.

If you find feedback useful and you institute some of the changes recommended by your customers (this is always a good idea when the feedback is valid) contact them or respond and let them know. This will gain you big points for listening to your customers, you can even try making a campaign around it.

Always remember:

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

Bill Gates