The importance of being there, or how to maintain a solid online presence

A solid online presence can save your ass sometimes

Which may sound like an overstatement but it really is that important to be there. What I’m talking about is also called “Social Media Monitoring” which means one simple thing: listening and responding.

If you were in a social event and would have accusations thrown at you, or even just somebody spreading rumours, you are most likely going to be interested in what exactly people are actually saying about you. Most probably you’d even want to respond and defend your good name.

The same thing is happening online. Whether you like it or not, people are talking about you, your product,your services or your business in general.
It could be bad news, but it could also be good news. I’m going to start with the good news.

People like expressing themselves online, care to listen?

It’s easier to rant on Twitter, for example, because you just need to tag the company’s Twitter account and release your 140 characters of disappointment from behind a digital mask. It’s equally easy to find a company’s Facebook page and write a long letter, maybe even attach a photographed proof, and refresh the page looking at the like count go up.

This usually causes other consumers, and non consumers, to be aware of a less than perfect side of your business, and that could make them want to share their own experience, which, if negative, could cause some real damage.

Which brings me to the good news:

Now it’s your turn, help your client out

It has been previously proven that an unsatisfied customer who has posted a complaint on social media and has been promptly acknowledged, and maybe even helped resolving their issue, is very likely to become a brand advocate, telling his story to his friends.

What this means for you is that dealing with your clients quickly and in a friendly manner, can help you maintain your clients and even gain others, just by solving their issue, instead of hiding their post, fearing for backlash.

Zendesk has written an excellent post about how to supply customer service on social media with some great points about do’s and don’ts and how to flip the situation in your favour.

Author: Shay Stibelman

Digital marketing consultant in Milan, Italy. Born in Israel, raised in Germany by Russian parents. I help small and medium businesses get their digital marketing game on point. Perfect their website, landing pages, funnel marketing and social media strategies, in order to increase ROI and optimize that ever elusive marketing budget. View all posts by Shay Stibelman