An ever-shrinking boundary
On the Internet, everyone is informal with each other. This alone has definitely reduced the distance between the creator and the recipient of their content, especially when that creator is a company or a well-known artist. Social media, with its rather relaxed atmosphere and ability to communicate easily, make this boundary blur more and more. There is no problem for a fan to leave a post under a post or even write directly to the chosen creator. It's quick and easy, and anyone can do it.
First of all, it is important to remember that social media are platforms for building relationships between creator and audience, between company and customer, artist and fan. The basis here, therefore, is the simple exchange of information. The customer can quickly describe his impressions of a particular product or service, and the business owner - in a few moments to refer to this opinion. The distance is reduced, the time to receive a response is shortened, and an interesting discussion between the brand and its customers can also emerge. The possibilities are many, as long as everything is done in a cultural way.
Quick access to the recipient
Social media allows for very quick contact with the company. Several tools are used for this purpose: comments under posts, Messenger, reviews. In some cases, fans can publish their own posts on company pages. What distinguishes each of these avenues of contact? Most importantly - the person writing does not have to wait long for a response. The idea is that it will be provided more quickly than in the case of an email message.
Commenting is the most basic form of establishing contact or expressing one's opinion on social media. Various types of posts are published on the platform. By adding a comment, the recipient can quickly express their opinion on a particular publication, writing that they like it or not. The comments often create long conversations between individual users, who may have the same or different opinions on a given topic. The company can also join in the discussions, which is a good idea, as it engages in relationship building and shows itself as a brand that cares about what the customer thinks of their actions.
Messenger allows you to write directly to the site in question and send a private message. Customers often use this feature to inquire about the details of services, check if a particular item is available or ask for help. Extensive chatbot features allow the customer to be guided in such a way that they get help even when the people operating the site are not online.
Reviews, on the other hand, are a tool often used by both satisfied and not-so-happy customers. In this section, they can not only leave a comment, but also add a photo and a rating. From such posts it is possible to find out what customers like and what there is to improve in the company's operations and offerings.
Blocking comments ... censorship?
On the web, conversations do not always take place in a cultured manner. It is not uncommon for cursing to occur, for someone to start insulting other participants in the discussion or the company itself and its products. What to do when the situation escalates?
The best thing to do at first is to try to alleviate the situation and approach the problem professionally. You can suggest to the disgruntled person to go to a private conversation and solve the problem outside the comments section. However, this does not always help. If the argument continues, it is not worth immediately deleting or blocking comments - recipients may see this as an attempt to hide something from them. So it's better to call the disputants to order and ask them to behave culturally, and in extreme cases delete comments that are offensive. It is not a good idea to delete every unfavorable opinion, even if it is written politely. As a person who responds to comments, i.e. a brand representative, you must not let yourself be taken out of balance in any situation - professionalism and calmness are key.
Keep in touch
A Facebook page or any other platform is a place to contact the recipient. In most cases, the customer will recognize it as a place where they can get answers to their questions. If they don't get it in a certain amount of time, they won't wait at all - they will probably go to a competitor. That's why it's important to keep in touch with your fans, reply to their comments and respond to the messages - both positive and negative ones. It seems especially important to respond to disgruntled voices, as failure to respond can lead to a crisis. However, it is impossible to respond to all comments, especially when running a large site with many active viewers.
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Is it a customer or a spammer?
Spam is referred to as unsolicited messages or requests sent to users. Such activities often include sending mass messages, frequent publication of links or images or videos on the profiles of other people or companies. Spam can further publish itself and spread by clicking on dangerous links. Spam can also be called excessive advertising of one's site or services under company posts or spreading other unwanted content.
So how can you tell the difference between a customer and a spammer? A real customer will not post or share off-topic material or insert unknown links in comments. Instead, they will comment more or less constructively on the brand's activities and the materials it makes available. In the case of spam, the solution is one - delete unwanted content and block users who notoriously send it out. Social media has shortened the distance between the company and the customer. The relationship becomes more direct, and the time it takes to answer questions is also shortened. Responding to emerging comments and messages in a timely manner often helps avoid crises, has a positive impact on the company's image and makes customers more trustful of the company.