If you have a business page on social media, you’ve felt a ping of anxiety upon receiving the dreaded comment notification. You feel stumped, you start to sweat a little, and you might even decide to ignore it.
NEVER DO THAT-- ever.
When you receive notifications about comments, oftentimes your customers and clients are simply checking in to rave about your products and/or services. Other times, someone feels slighted and wants to get the word out about why your business sucks.
And some users simply misunderstand your posts and overact.
In any of the three cases, you can and should respond.
There’s a reason why you created social media pages for your business. If we’re being honest, one of your main goals was probably to gain profits. Although that’s all fine and dandy, simply creating posts on social media will not deliver a Return on Investment (ROI). You’ll need to engage with your audience.
There will be times when you shouldn’t decide to engage with users after you make the initial response. Here are some tips to help you respond to your audience efficiently and effectively.
1. Read the Post- No really. Read what the person is asking of you. Read it silently, and read it aloud. And if time allows, ask a team member to read it as well. Oftentimes business owners get so busy and defensive that they rush a response without really determining what the customer/client needs.
2. Address Their Questions/Concerns- Listen to the user. Ask yourself what questions they really need to be answered. Did they truly have a negative experience? Do they not understand the purpose of your services? Or are they just trying to score free products or start arguments? In any case, don’t leave the conversation untouched. As a business owner, it’s your job to answer customer/client questions.
3. Turn the Conversation Private- After initially answering the main question, offer the user the opportunity to continue the conversation privately. If you address the main concern, then the user at hand and other users will gain clarity, and trust the validity of your business. If the conversation turns sour, or the person has a lot of other questions or more negative comments to share, you’ll be able to filter those out from the public view. *Don’t feel compelled to argue. If you’ve answered questions and provided clarity, your job is done. Every argument won’t be resolved.
4. Chalk Each Experience Up To a Lesson- Think of commonly asked questions that you’ll get asked. Develop answers as a team, and make them accessible. Although some answers will vary based on specific posts, it’s good to have a working reference. Also, be aware that if people are asking the same types of questions on posts, your content may need to be updated to be more clear.
5. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Social Media- Lots of negative comments on social media can and will affect your customer’s opinions of you. Dozens of social media algorithms all conclude that engagement is a key factor of succeeding on social media. The more that you interact with user actions on posts, directly respond to users, and invite them to like and share, the more likely your posts are to be seen on multiple people’s feeds.
Create content that’ll leave your fan base wanting more, and be prepared when they respond to it. Good luck!