What Kissing Babies And Putting Out Fires Has To Do With Your Social Media Strategy.

Zach — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:22:27 +0000

While in high school I became close friends with our school’s athletic director. Like most schools, sports were a pretty big deal and running that kind of operation was no easy task. So much of the director’s job was being able to react and deal with the concerns of students, parents, coaches, and administrators while representing the school and his department in a respectable manner.

One day I popped into his office to see what was going on.

“Oh, the same ol, Zach,” he said. “Just kissing babies and putting out fires.”

This popped into my head as I was thinking about some strategies we are trying to implement at Ideas and Angles.

One of the first things we advocate is listening to your customers and market before you start adding your own voice to the fray. There are a number of tools that monitor what people are saying about your company and its products\services over the internet.

The key is not to simply think about these situations as feedback but as opportunities for a good customer service situation. If someone writes about a tough experience they have with the company you represent on Twitter, it’s a perfect chance for you come in with a bucket of water and save the day. Offering to help in any way you can and then following up on that creates a great picture of your customer service for a few reasons.

You solved their problem. At the very least you did everything in your power to assist them. Not all issues are solvable. Even if that is the case, showing you did everything in your power for that person means a lot.
In a lot of cases they didn’t ask for the assistance you provided. What a pleasant surprise, right? This person didn’t even have to get on the phone and nag at someone over their issues. They were just venting and you turned that into a workable situation.
The great customer service you are providing is in the open. Other people notice. If you go out of your way to provide a customer service situation in a brick-and-mortar store it is usually an experience only the customer has and you just hope they tell their friends. When you are proactive with these situations on the internet everyone can see these discussions in the open. People notice this kind of movement by a company.

It’s also important to be really nice to people. You have to project an open and friendly attitude. Hopefully this isn’t some huge stretch or anything, a lot of these skills should just apply to your life and not just your social media strategy.

Leave the sales and marketing speak behind, just be a real person. I remember sitting in a store when I was young and the receptionist answered the phone.

“It is a beautiful day at [insert business name], how may I help you?”

Even at a young age, that was off putting to me. I am all for putting a nice face on your business, but who talks like that?

This is where it helps to enjoy your job and services or products you offer. It is easier to encourage and share a passion for what you are representing when you feel the same way. Here are some other things to consider.

Show appreciation to customers any chance you get. This could be as simple as a thanks to a user for following your Twitter account or throwing a free t-shirt to someone who uses and promotes your service a lot.
Stay positive when dealing with a difficult user. A lot of times you are the front line of defense to a customer having a terrible experience. Do your best to empathize and help them out in any way you can. On the other hand there are people that just love to vent or are committed to being unhappy. It is easy to get caught in a back and forth on the Internet. Keep a professional face on things.
Be accessible. You need to receive communication and respond in a time frame and manner that creates confidence on the end of the user.
If you can’t help someone, connect them with someone who can. You can’t know everything. Be well versed with your company and products enough to know where to direct users within your business so they can get help.
Let your personality come through. You are not a robot. People connect easier with someone they can relate to. Let your own personality come out within the framework of your company’s goals and the professionalism the job calls for.

Ok, maybe you won’t be going up ladders to fight blazing infernos or smooching any babies that aren’t yours. But I think my old friend was really on to something.

Listen. React. Relate.

Ideas And Angles » Social Media Strategy

What Kissing Babies And Putting Out Fires Has To Do With Your Social Media Strategy.

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