As more consumers shift their brand engagement to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the concepts of marketing and customer service are blurring into a single strategy.
Today’s consumers are more empowered the share their brand experiences and opinions online, stripping brands of the advantage of a one-sided conversation, as noted in a recent study conducted by NM Incite, a provider of social media consumer insights. The company is a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey.
The NM Incite study, titled: The State of Social Customer Service 2012, described how consumer behavior on social media channels is impacting customer service and marketing efforts for global brands. Social care, or customer service offered through social media sites, has been used by nearly half (47%) of social media users.
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Additional key findings from the report include:
- 71% of those who experience positive social care (such as a quick brand response) are likely to recommend that brand to others, compared to just 19% of customers who do not receive any response;
- 51% of social care users actively engage with brands several times per month, with 9% engaging on a daily basis; and
- Nearly one third of social media users prefer to reach out to a brand for customer service through a social channel compared to through the phone.
The 2012 NM Incite State of Social Customer Service survey, conducted through the Nielsen online panel, polled thousands of U.S. social media users across age and gender. The survey results indicate that 18- to 24-year-olds are the greatest users of social care, with 60% of females and 57% of males actively seeking customer service through social media channels. Frequency of social care also is high with 51% of social media users engaging in social care more than once a month, and nearly one in 10 of those individuals using social media for customer service on a daily basis.
The full report can be downloaded by clicking here.
