The era of conversation is already being established, companies are becoming more aware of the need to listen to their customers, that they probably have a lot to say, and can learn a lot from them. In this sense, Social Media is the ideal medium where both parties can take part, and express themselves freely, with the certainty that there is someone on the other side, who will take into account their message; so it’s time to sit down and talk.
The latest study by the Marketing Research Center (CRM) of the University of Massachusetts shows a greater degree of adoption of social networks by large companies, a fact certainly hopeful, since so far Social Media had in the background for Fortune 500 companies. According to the Social Media Surge by the 2012 Fortune 500, 66% of its member companies already have a Facebook profile, while 73% have their channel open on Twitter.
The Power of Conversation
“Social Media are conversations, conversations composed of words and meanings that consumers elaborate around products, categories, needs they want to solve and trends in which they participate even without being aware. Brands and companies will not get a greater response if their attitude dialectic is reduced to monologue. It is very good to give before receiving, but you must also give up the turn of speech, and most important, not only hear, but listen and actively participate.
Listening and maintaining an open and sincere conversation will enhance the user experience with the brand. This was demonstrated in a recent interview, the entrepreneur Víctor Martín , who also stressed that many companies still maintain the belief that it is enough to “have a profile created in social networks and publish things from time to time.” The constant work listening to the audience and maintaining an open and sincere conversation where it responds with contents based on their interests and needs will improve the user experience with the brand, getting to share and recommend it.
Daniel Devai, Social Media Director of Epsilon Technologies also discussed the importance of analyzing and understanding conversations in their digital context. In this sense, Dévai stressed that “understanding words can help us to discover insights and to design the right questions, because the key is to know what question to ask in order to achieve what we need to know.”
Social networks are spaces for dialogue and conversation
The president in Europe of Alice, Nacho Somalo , an economist and expert in eCommerce also had an impact on this important aspect, stating that for a business to succeed today the real challenge lies in developing competitive advantages: “Why are they going to buy me to me and not to others my product or service? That is the key. If one is not able to answer this question clearly, accurately and forcefully it is very difficult for the business to “figure out”.
The next step is to convert these media into authentic scenarios where the conversation between the client and the brand takes place.
Neither you nor I, but we, we talk both. A conversation can only occur if there are at least two people. Both must actively participate, express their concerns and interests, their concerns and proposals for improvement. There must be a willingness to compromise, an interest in reaching a good port, for a mutually beneficial pact.
I’m here to listen to you, just so I can assist you.If you do not pay attention to the problem of your interlocutor, you will hardly know what worries you, or how you can solve it. To win the customer’s trust, you will have to first know what it is like, convince him that you really care about him, make him feel at your side, and want to bet on you.
Dialogue favors rapprochement and encourages engagement. For the mere fact that the brand lends itself to conversing with the user, it already has some of its confidence gained. The company has always acted from a higher plane, proving to be the only one that had the power of the word; the client had only to beg his attention, only in case of imperative necessity; without much hope that his request would be met.
Fortunately, the brands have finally turned their heads towards their followers, they have realized that they need to know them, interact with them; have understood that conversation is the basis of understanding. Now your maxim is “Tell me how you are and I will know what you need” , do you apply it in your business? Do you converse with your users?