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Social Media Communication Style, Listening, Responding, Conversing: Chat, IM, TXT, facebook, Twitter

By jmacofearth On 10/31/2013 · 9 Comments

Figuring out how to reach potential customers and fans is difficult enough. But once you’ve gotten them "on the line" the next steps in the relationship are critical. You have to meet your customer on their preferred channel. They may love TXT but never check email. They may be buried in email and love facebook messaging. They might even use Twitter as an IM-type client. It is not their responsibility to let you know what they like, it is up to you to discover how to connect.

We love to talk about "conversations" and "connecting" and "listening" in social media. We measure "share of voice" and "sentiment." What we may not be measuring yet is "effectiveness of the conversation."

What is your goal when communicating with a potential customer? It is not to get your sales message across, I can promise you that. It may be to answer a pre-sale question or a post-sale complaint. It may be a request for information about your environmental records. It could even be as simple as a LIKE on facebook. How do you respond? When do you respond? What if the comment or question is negative?

Getting a conversation going on social media is bit like dating. You try and listen more than talk. You respond to the words and cadence of the other person’s style. If they like TXT you give them your phone number. If they want to "friend" you on facebook, you send them the link. If they like to "talk" on the telephone, well… you come out of your social shell and talk.

In conversing with potential customers your ability to blend and reflect their needs is very important, regardless of what type of communication it is. It’s the banter between two people that seals the relationship. Can you roll with the punches, or pick up the lost thread of a previous conversation. Do you have word skills, humor skills, empathy skills? They are all required in today’s communication cluster.

So if you want to halla at me you can reach me with varying degrees of connectivity at: