A report from thinkJar and Sword Ciboodle suggests that customer service is among the areas most likely to benefit from active use of Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. According to the study, 60 percent of companies in the U.S. and the U.K. are using social in part to improve their customer service.
ThinkJar and Sword Ciboodle found that 60 percent of companies polled are using both Facebook and Twitter to answer questions from customers and address feedback. Eighty-five percent of companies use at least one of the two channels.
Larger companies that field a substantial number of queries from customers have found that social can help alleviate the strain of call centers or other parts of the business dedicated to customer service. Forty percent of these companies said that they have been using social media marketing as part of customer service for at least two years, while 53 percent said they have implemented it in the last two years.
Many made the move toward social client support after noticing that competitors are especially active with social media marketing, but marketers are advised to take a more proactive approach. According to Esteban Kolsky, principal and founder for thinkJar, too many companies are lagging in social strategies despite the channel’s growing popularity among consumers and other businesses.
“What’s important for every organization to realize is, while social channels are constantly evolving, they are not new anymore,” Mitch Lieberman, vice president of market strategy at Sword Ciboodle, added. “The most successful customer service program will happen for businesses who incorporate social into their overall customer engagement practices.
Brafton recently reported that companies launching social media marketing campaigns have increased conversions by as much as 400 percent. Using social for customer service is just one element of social outreach that has helped companies improve their engagement with prospects and existing clients.
