Not all customers will address you directly, however, so it helps to be listening. Always make sure it’s clear and easy for people to easily contact you. It may help prevent a Twitter rant or an upset Facebook update.
Some customers out there are ready to engage with questions, concerns, and even complaints, and it’s your job to be there. But you don’t have to do it alone. Remember that as you move your community members into more meaningful relationships with your brand, they’ll stand up to defend you. You have to put in the muscle up front, but after a while, you’ll start seeing evidence of your community stepping in to help each other on your behalf.
With some training and an emphasis on consistent voice, social participation can be picked up by other customer service-oriented departments inside the company. When social engagement is not the sole responsibility of a social media marketing professional, but rather a distributed effort across functional areas of the company, you’ll be able to better serve your customers while running an efficient and informed business.