Social media is an important extension of your brand and the perfect place to share your brand personality and grow your community of brand enthusiasts. While some may not see social media as the most personal platform for building relationships with customers, if it’s done the right way, you can make meaningful connections with your online audience.

Providing a great experience for your audience on social media can increase customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty. While a lot of sales do come from social media, your customers primarily come there to have fun and socialize so it is vital to tailor your marketing strategies for these platforms to meet their needs and expectations. Here are our top eight ways you can connect with your online audience through social media and keep your customers happy:

1. Ask the right questions

Social media has become a great way to reach out to your customers. Gathering information about the preferences and opinions of your audience has never been easier. Social media users love to share their opinions online, and your fans will often be more than willing to share their thoughts about your products. All you need to do is give them something to share their opinion about. One of the simplest ways to go about this is by creating a poll, or even just posting a question with your content.

2. Close the circle

If you stay active on social media and keep in touch with your audience, it’s often easy to tell what resonated with them and what didn’t. It’s important to listen to your customers to find out how you can improve your business. While collecting feedback is crucial to a successful business, it’s pointless if you don’t implement the feedback in a meaningful way. Use complaints to strengthen your connections and integrate useful suggestions into your communication strategy. When you pay attention to what people are saying you can only improve your relationships with your clients!

3. Attitude of Gratitude

Letting your customers know they are appreciated is an integral part of any marketing strategy. Sharing your gratitude to your social media audience should be a regular activity.  When your fans mention you on social media or create content featuring your brand, take the time to reply to them or share their message.

4. Be Time-Sensitive

One of the best ways to keep your customers happy is still to solve any issues they may have with your company quickly, whether it’s a complaint or a question. This shows that you actually care about your customers and value their business. This means you should be consistently monitoring social media in order to answer any complaints and questions in a timely way.
When you turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied one, they’ll be more likely to remain a customer and may become an advocate for your brand. Consistent monitoring can also prevent a social media crisis from spiralling out of control by allowing you to immediately respond to anything that comes up. 

5. Behind the Curtain

Give your audience a look at what goes on behind-the-scenes at your business. This can help gain more trust from your customers and create a meaningful connection. People like to feel included. By sharing videos or pictures of your team working or anything else the public doesn’t see, you’re making your customers feel like they’re included in your business. This also makes your brand seem more human and allows your customers to learn more about you.

6. A Little Fun!

Using social media to share information about products or services, what’s happening with your business, or other things related to your business is definitely important, but it’s also important to make sure your social media presence isn’t just all about your business. Along with your business-related content, be sure to share other content that your audience may be interested in, such as informative or inspirational articles, an interesting video, or even a funny meme. Try to have fun with your audience or they will quickly lose interest if you all you are doing is blasting them with sales tactics and self-promotion. A content calendar can be a big help in making sure you share a variety of posts.

7. Share the real you

The allure of social media is to create more intimate relationships, offer exclusive insights to your brand and design a unique experience for your customers. The key to keeping your audience engaged is by adding value to their lives through your original branded content. If you are just sharing your online catalogue shots or reposting memes, where is the incentive for your audience to want to socialize with you online? What can you teach them, share with them and inspire them with? By creating on-brand content that adds value to your customer you will be able to invite them in a little closer while showcasing your brand at the same time.

Need help in figuring out how to create awesome content without losing your mind? Fill out the LeapZone Needs Assessment form to help you become crystal clear with what you want, and help us find a way to make it happen.

DEIDRE TANSEY
Connector & Amplifier of Awesome at LeapZone Strategies Inc

A “curator of connection” who demystifies digital pathways and ensures entrepreneurs are in alignment with their online persona. She crafts practical, no-nonsense strategies and smart action plans to help ‘close the energy circle’ with your ideal clients. Deidre is forayed into public service and was the first Digital Marketing Specialist for Vancouver Island Regional Library responsible for creating an online presence for their 39 branches and training staff how to effectively use digital media.

To explore working with Deidre, simply fill out LeapZone’s Needs Assessment here and we will connect to book your free clarity call.