If you could ask your customers what they think of your company products or services, would you use the information to make your company better?

Social media has democratized criticism. For good or bad, anyone anywhere can comment on anything. They can also quickly gain an audience that will listen.   

If your business is active online, you’ve probably experienced this firsthand. You can elicit opinions about your business from anyone with a smartphone.

Some businesses like to shy away from this immediacy and connection. Others, however, embrace social feedback and use it to make their business better. How can you do the same?

• Never ignore it. It’s called social media for a reason. Most people reach out to a business to get a response or start a conversation. Respond as quickly as you can, even if it’s to simply acknowledge the comment. If there’s a problem, most people don’t expect a quick solution. Their first goal is to know they’ve been heard.
   
• Embrace the negative. Maybe “embrace” is too strong of a word. But at least listen and learn from it. Is customer service getting the same question over and over? If yes, can you add content to your site that answers common questions or problems? This helps customers self-serve their answers and lightens the load of your support team. Are there frequent complaints about a step in your buying process? Review your process and make it better. Do customers make wish lists? In other words, do they say what they wish your product did or what they wish your company offered? These comments provide insight into new products and upgrades you should consider.
   
• Celebrate the positive. Social media isn’t always about the negative. If you receive kudos on social media, send out thanks. Take every opportunity to let your customers how much you appreciate them.
   
• Keep it real. Your customers can spot auto-DMs and bot-tweets a mile away. They want to know there’s a real person operating behind your brand. It’s fine to automate some of your social media interactions, but real connections matter. Take the time to engage your audience

Social feedback between you and your customers is an essential part of today’s business communication plan. Yet, it’s just as important inside your enterprise. These same principles apply to enterprise social.

Start conversations, collaborate on projects, talk in real time. If you haven't yet incorporated enterprise social into your business, contact us at Magenium. We can get your started on the social path today. Please contact us or call +1 (630) 786-5900.