Responding to your audience on social media

Social media should be used to your advantage as a customer service tool and a platform where you engage with your audience. Seventy-one percent of consumers who have had a good social media experience with a company are likely to recommend this brand to others. Individuals trust what others have to say. This is a winning tactic to keep loyal customers or score new ones.

Creating Your Company’s Voice

When responding to posts on social media, your credit union should have a unified voice that is evident from comment to comment. Try creating a template for different types of posts whether it’s a positive comment, question, or negative review. This way, even if multiple employees are responding as the voice of the company, the general tone sounds identical and cohesive.

Positive Comments or Questions

If an individual took the time out of their day to leave a positive comment on your page or an individual post, thank them! Not only are you engaging with one person, but the entirety of your followers can see your brand’s genuine engagement. Use the customer’s name and make sure your responses are expressive, individualized, and show your brand’s personality. When responding to any question, make sure to respond by fully answering the question, providing links to your website, or easy to follow, step-by-step instructions if necessary.

Negative Reviews or Experiences

We’ll say it again, on social media everyone can see what was said and how you respond as a company. No matter what, when responding to a negative review, you should always apologize in a respectful manner even if your credit union is not truly at fault.

After apologizing, redirect by offering an incentive or viable solution to their issue. This doesn’t have to be done directly on the specific social media platform for everyone to see, especially if you’re offering a coupon or discount. You can apologize in a comment and ask them to direct message or email to continue the resolution of the problem there.

How Often?

On Twitter specifically, 78% of individuals who complain to a brand expect to have a response within an hour. It’s not a secret that people use social media as an outlet to release their frustrations. Responses to a post should be completed the day that it was posted.

Nowadays, people expect things instantly. Make sure you are present and available to fix problems consistently and to the best of your ability. Be sure to check where your credit union has been tagged and mentioned on a daily basis so you can stay timely with responses.

Share your favorite social media customer service responses with us below!