Member Article

Very social, but not just social media

Which channels are customers’ favourites when it comes to sharing good experiences? **By: Graham Ede, Yonder Digital Group **

“Twice as many people tell others about bad experiences as opposed to the good ones” do you believe in this old adage? If so, you would not be alone, however, latest research commissioned by Yonder Digital Group reveals this common perception is in fact not true.

A key game-changer has been the rise of social media: its popularity is turning the current one into a ‘thumps up’ generation - 38% of people in fact claim that they will post about a positive experience which they have had as a customer on social media. Social media platforms are extremely popular channels for sharing customer experiences, both the good and the bad and with almost 40% of Europeans on Facebook , three quarters of Facebook users and half of Instagram users using the sites daily , businesses simply cannot afford to ignore the impact of these channels.

Companies have had to adapt their marketing strategies to fall in line with this new trend and are developing new techniques to encourage their customers to share more of their positive experiences online.

However, customer referrals are not limited to social media. In fact, 89% of consumers stated that they are likely to talk about a recent positive customer experience with friends and family. This data is surprisingly consistent across all age groups with nine out of ten people claiming to share their positive experiences with their loved ones.

In light of these findings, companies should take into consideration customers’ tendency to be ‘vocal’ and not look at online platforms as the only channels which they can communicate with their customers. To have an accurate understanding of the customer journey it is important for companies to put in place a strategy that doesn’t fall into age-stereotypes either but that is based on an efficient and objective analysis of customer data and behaviour.

Another recent research report from Yonder Digital Group confirmed the importance of offering a range of channels to customers to get in touch with a company, showing that 87% of consumers tend to stay more loyal to companies who offer a real person to talk to when needed. Automation can’t stand alone, human contact and technology need to be mixed together in order to create the best formula for customer experience. This – once again - highlights the importance of live interaction, which is not a forgotten channel but a key element that needs to be taken into consideration by modern marketers. The implementation of ‘live-oriented’ strategies - together with the technological ones - will not only offer to your customers a good customer experience but it will also encourage them to share it.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Yonder Digital Group .