Social media users typically rely on friends, relatives, office colleagues and peers to make their key purchase decisions. They usually resort to local Q&A sites for checking other users’ comments, feedback and opinions on products/ services.
By regularly keeping track of interaction on these networks, including review platforms and blogs, businesses can identify prospects so as to reach out to them. This can help them tap new opportunities.
Tenets of successful relationship marketing
Irrespective of the medium, relationship marketing revolves around building a mutually beneficial contact between customer and company. To establish your credibility, you should be proactive in your approach. There is no point hiding on social media. You must present your point of view and paint you brand in positive shades to win the confidence of both potential and existing customers.
Importance of influencing the ‘influencers’
Another vital element of managing your online reputation is identifying influencers. In one such instance, Apple marketing team seemingly misjudged the widely and negatively publicized antenna issue in the news iPhone 4s.
The moderators, as was reported deleted certain threads that referred to unfavorable Consumer Reports findings, with the discussion boards denying ‘permission’ to view the same. They were reopened though, for discussions. A disgruntled user even posted a song on YouTube on the Antenna Gate issue. Experts opined the crisis could have been tackled more skillfully and tactfully with the help of influencers.
Who are the influencers?
Influencers can broadly b termed as users who tend to enjoy some hold over their close network of like-minded users, including acquaintances. You can call term journalists, analysts and even past customers as influencers who are in a position to shape the opinions of others – positively or negatively – about a particular brand on social networks. Their authority can be great value-add or a nuisance value for the companies, provided the way they channelize it.
How to deal with influencers?
Treat them with due diligence, and involve them to certain extent in the final decision-making as far as your marketing strategy is concerned. Try to make the tone of your interactions user-friendly and personal. It can then become a touch easier to market your offerings when recommended especially by this section of users whose opinion invariably counts with members of a particular community, essentially comprising your target audience. They not only subtly promote your brand, but also shore up its image in crisis situation.
Obviously, word of mouth is integral to social media marketing that can make or mar brand reputation depending on a business’s ability to leverage it. Most of them still somewhat grapple with the process owing to lack of background study and research to discover new opportunities. The key for companies is to identify influencers so as to expand their reach and earn higher profits. It makes sense to leave the task to experts.
