This is the only manual you’ll ever need to speed up your replies on social media.
Have you ever tried to get in touch with a company via social media, only to hear crickets?
The good news is that companies are adept at adapting to new circumstances and making use of cutting-edge social media tools. However, most of them fall short when it comes to connecting with their target demographic.
Most brands’ average response times on social media are between 24 and 48 hours, according to studies. Because there are so many ongoing conversations on social media, some brands can take days to respond to their audience.
How long does it take to get a reply on social media?
The time it takes to identify, formulate an ideal reply to a comment or query posted by your target audience on any of the social platforms, be it negative or positive, and then reach out to target audience is your social media response time.
If you’re wondering why it’s so important to reply quickly to a social media comment, we’ll break it down for you.
For what reasons are quick responses essential when using social media?
Most companies treat social media platforms as little more than another outlet for promoting everything they already do. Whether discussing prices, discounts, or content, most people only hear one side of the story.
You can expect to see a string of unanswered questions if you look at the comments section of any post on Facebook, Instagram, or any other platform.
The number of your rivals is growing
There will always be rivals, regardless of your field, the superiority of your products or services, or the depth of your price cuts.
Since most companies, both large and small, are now online, a customer can choose from ten or more brands to buy the same thing or something very similar. Everyone is trying to one-up the competition by providing more impressive features or more attractive deals.
That’s why it’s crucial to capitalise on a customer’s enthusiasm once you’ve got it.
Your rivals are always watching and listening
As the market becomes more competitive, companies are allocating more resources to social listening and analysis of their rivals’ strategies. Instead of a one-and-done effort, they now make these a regular part of their routine.
Now that you know 39% of consumers will share a negative brand experience on social media, you can rest assured that your rivals are paying attention.
You’re jeopardising any potential revenue
There is a potential $75 billion loss in revenue for businesses in the United States due to subpar customer service. This is further evidence that customers want more than just a quick response time from customer service representatives; they want proactive, anticipatory care.
You could lose customers if you do this.
If your social media response rate is extremely low, you risk losing not only sales but also customers.
A Gartner study found that if customers’ service expectations are met, they are more likely to remain loyal to a brand over the long term.
What should you do to develop an effective plan for responding on social media?
Depending on your target audience, your social media response strategy may change from sector to sector. However, you will have a much better chance of success if you take into account the following in your strategy:
Establish unambiguous norms for online behaviour
The social media management team needs to be on the same page in terms of approach across all channels. Most companies have brand guidelines in place, but response guidelines are often inconsistent and developed on the fly.
Ensure that all departments are in constant contact with one another
No matter the size of your business or the number of departments you oversee, effective internal communication is essential for a rapid social media response.
Centralise all of your social media accounts in one place
The responsibility for overseeing conversations across all of your social media channels falls on you if you have a presence there.
When you’re trying to respond to messages from multiple people on different platforms at once, it can get confusing to jump from one interface to another. But more importantly, you risk missing important messages or being unable to respond quickly to those that have been sent to you.
For this reason, the next step is to centralise all of your social media monitoring in a single dashboard.
Make some canned responses
Part of providing that individualised experience is coming up with thoughtful replies to individual comments and mentions. While it may make sense for some businesses to respond to on-the-go messages, doing so on a large scale may be challenging for others.
You should make some FAQ templates that people can use right away. These are general remarks and references that can be handled with a canned answer and do not merit specifics.
Optimal customer service is all about directing users to the proper medium.
Various subsets of your clientele will get in touch with you via a variety of channels.
It’s important to let people know about your support channel if you have one set up.
Therefore, instead of them commenting on your Facebook page, you can direct them to tweet at a special account set up for that purpose.
A Few Closing Remarks
Your social media response time needs to be as lightning fast as the world around you right now, when news and trends seem to shift every minute.
Instant responses are the most preferred, and they tend to leave a more positive impression on customers, but there is no standard response time for businesses on social media. The next tier up is responses within a few minutes or hours, then 24 hours, but with each passing hour, customers’ opinions of the company dwindle.