Social media offers the promise of one-on-one, personal relationships. Yet, the way we in business use it is often to project mass messages to anyone who will read them.
Relationships with customers provide more opportunities to increase profit and build brand loyalty. Therefore, they must be approached correctly. The goal of engagement is to create a “shared value” for customers, leading them to care about the company nearly as much as you do.
Engaging with customers also helps differentiate your brand from others. Memory is triggered by emotion. Therefore, when choosing a product or service in any given industry, customers will choose the one they remember, the one they had a positive experience with, the one to which they formed an emotional bond.
The best way to engage customers is by forming R.E.A.L relationships. All engagement should be Reciprocal, Empathetic, Authentic and Loyal.
This means interact with your customers frequently, contact them individually, tag them ob Facebook, respond to a personal tweet or feature them on your Pinboard.
Focus on emotion. This will build a meaningful instead of superficial relationship, which will be more beneficial to your business in the long run.
Always be honest, transparent and real when you interact with your customers. Let your fans get to know your brand and the people behind it.
Finally, do not neglect your existing customers. Maintain these relationships and continue to engage.
R.E.A.L. relationships focus on engagement. On social media, sell yourself and your brand, not your products.