How Do You Handle Angry Customers on Social Media?

Upset or angry customers are a fact of life when you run a business.  No matter what you sell or what industry you are part of, things happen and people have bad days.  What's different now is that customers can express their feelings instantly to the widest possible audience through social media when they are angry with your brand.  Having a great response strategy will help you neutralize the negativity and possibly convert that angry customer in to a real fan.

Have a Plan - Take Pro-Active Steps
As always, planning is everything.  It is important that you have a plan and strategy in place BEFORE a customer takes to the internet or blogosphere.  Create a commenting policy for your blog and have it posted so that you'll have something to fall back on if you have to remove any comments.  All of your team members should be familiar with that policy as well as the procedure for dealing with angry customers or who they should call.

Listen for the Complaints
You cannot possibly respond to conversations that you don't see or know about.  Monitor your social media outlets, your blog, and Google Alerts (it's free!).  Depending on what your business is, you may want to monitor review sites such as Yelp too.  If there is a specific forum that your customers are fond of using, add that to your daily check list.  Your customers are talking whether or not you're listening.  Catching negative comments before they build momentum makes them much easier to deal with.  If you don't have the time to do this level of monitoring, you can assign it to your Virtual Administrative Assistant.

Evaluate
You will have to determine which negative remarks are worth a response.  Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and just move on.  Here are some situations to avoid:

• Complaints that are on very small blogs or forums.  Your response may actually bring more attention to something that would have faded away.
• Blatant attacks that are clearly rude or outrageous.  These are posts that anyone who reads it will see that the poster has a personal problem.
• Interacting with a known crackpot who is only looking to pick a fight.  If the same person complains repeatedly, no matter what you do, don't continue to engage that person online.

On the flip side, do not simply delete every negative comment that you see.  That just causes your community to question your credibility.  Keep your platform as a place for open dialouge as much as possible.  But DO delete comments that are offensive or threatening.

Engage Quickly
Immediately say sorry, whether or not it is your fault.  Offer an apology for their unsatisfactory experience and try to take the conversation off line as soon as possible.  The longer you wait to respond, the angrier the customer gets and the more likely that others will pile on with more negative buzz.  An example response is:

"Hi (customer name).  Thanks for getting in touch and sorry to hear about (issue or experience).  If you send along your email to help@xyz.com, we'll work with you to find a way to help with that problem."

Offer to make it right when you respond.  We all make mistakes, but customers remember how we fix them even more.

Speak Like a Person
Don't use a canned response to every online complaint.  Nothing makes people angrier than feeling like they are being treated like a number and not a real person.  Show empathy, communicate in a friendly tone, use their name, and use your name.  Often simply including a name or picture difuses the situation because the customer has a much harder time being rude to an individual as opposed to a nameless, faceless entity.

Never Get In To a Fight
Anytime you win an argument online, you've actually lost.  All customers remember is that you were combative to another customer who might have had a valid complaint.  They don't want to do business with someone they feel will not take their issues seriously.  Respond to the initial complaint, but don't get involved in a contentious back and forth.  Some things to remember when responding:

• Don't get emotional.
• It's a real person, just like you, on the other side of the complaint.
• The complaint may actually be doing you a favor by pointing out something that needs to be improved in your business.  How many customers felt the same way and just left without saying anything?

Respond On the Same Platform
If the complaint or negative comment came on Twitter, respond on Twitter.  Don't use email to respond to a facebook comment.  Noone will see the response if you post it somewhere else.  When you respond online and in public, you earn positive word of mouth.

Instant access to customers and information can be a double edged sword for businesses.  But with a little pre-planning and a solid strategy, you may be able to turn those angry customers in to loyal fans.

Getting the Most Out of Business Cards

Being a small business owner and a member of many networking and community groups, I find myself the recipient of many business cards.  These are full of information for connecting with potential customers and vendors.  Handling those cards (and my own business cards) can help grow my marketing reach and my client roster.

First let's talk about how to use your own business cards to increase your networking effectiveness.  You should keep a handy stash of your cards everywhere; in your purse or wallet, in your car, on your desk, and anywhere you might run in to other people.  Invest in a nice holder for your cards so that they stay wrinkle and crease free.  I bought a nice little metal holder for $3 from my local Target store, but you can find leather holders or even ones that have engraving on them.  The key point is to get something that you will actually carry around with you.

Make sure that your cards are clear and present a clear and professional image.  Have easy to read contact information.  I've included a QR code on my cards that allows smart phone users to simply scan all of my contact information using their camera.  I used a free on-line QR code generator, but there are also apps available that will do the same thing.  If you have team members working for you, get them their own business cards.  They will act as another arm of your marketing plan.

Be generous when it comes to handing out your cards, hand them out at least two at a time.  Don't get cards that are so expensive that you are loathe to give them away.  You should feel comfortable posting them on bulletin boards, using them to introduce yourself at social functions, and using them as scrap paper to give people notes on.  Another good idea is to include a business card with all of your correspondence, even when you're paying bills.

Then there are all of those business cards you collect from others along the way.  Sometimes they may feel overwhelming, and you just push them aside.  How many of you have a stack of rubber banded business cards that has been sitting in your desk for months?  Don't let those opportunities pass you by!

Here are 4 easy steps to getting the most out of a business card that you get:

1. Put it in context - Make notes on the back of the card about the event and details of your conversation.  Also note any follow-up or action items that you promised during the encounter.
2. Store it in a set place during the event - Put the cards collected either in your wallet, purse, or notebook pocket so that you can easily access it later.  Keep these cards separate from your own cards to avoid having to rifle through a stack to hand your's out.
3. Review the card after the event - 24 to 48 hours after the exchange, review the card for context and any action items that need to be completed.  Loading the cards in to your address book is key at this juncture.  You can then either send a follow-up email or even a handwritten note.  Entering the cards and sending notes is a great assignment for your Virtual Administrative Assistant service such as Administrative Business Consulting.
4. Connect to your new contact - Find the new business or person on LinkedIn, facebook, or any other social media platform that they are active on.  Connect to them and ask them to connect to you.  This will grown your marketing reach even further.

Now for the elephant in the room--REFERRALS.  When you hand out your cards, don't be afraid to ask for them.  It can be as simple as saying, "I'd really appreciate it if you would pass my information along to anyone you think might benefit from my services."  This gets the other person thinking about what you do and who they know.  And offer them the same.  Let them know that you will keep their card handy and that you will let others know about their business.  You're more likely to get referrals from someone who feels like you'll give them out.

Now dig that stack of cards out and start connecting!

Being More Effective on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the number one professional networking site on the web.  There are currently over 160 million users worldwide, with an average age of 45 and an average income of over $91,000.  It is a potential gold mine of referrals for your business.

LinkedIn is intended to be a place where you present your professional image, as opposed to your personal image that you use on facebook.  There are are several ways that you can use this vast network of professionals to do this:

• Maintaining business contacts
• Getting introductions
• Posting recommendations for contacts
• Getting referrals for your business
• Checking references on potential employees or associates
• Receiving industry news
• Finding, posting, and forwarding jobs

The main tool to connect with people on LinkedIn is your profile page.  It is important to make it BEEFY!  What I mean is that it needs to be rich in content and engaging to get noticed.  Tell your story with details including all of your accomplishments and milestones.  Include any references to your business in print and on-line media, any awards you or your business has received, and any certificates or credentials that show you are an authority in your industry.  Every word in your profile is keyword searchable, so be sure and include your top terms somewhere in the profile.

When potential customers look at your profile, they will be comparing it to the profile of your competitors.  You need to be current and engaging to keep yourself on the top of the list.  Use a photo that is a true representation of yourself.  The most effective profile pictures will be professional head shots done recently.  You can also add videos to your profile using the Google Presentation or Slideshare apps within LinkedIn.  This adds extra pop and sets you above the competition.  Also, take a minute to personally welcome and acknowledge your new connections.  It develops the relationships you're trying to cultivate through LinkedIn and gives you an edge on your competition.

Joining professional and interest groups on LinkedIn lets you share in professional conversations about your industry or those that you're looking to get in to.  Taking part in groups will also grow your sphere of connections to include people you might not have had a chance to talk to previously.  When you do join, participate in the conversations to help get you and your brand notice.  These are also a good place to share info on events you might be putting on or blogs that you write.

This may seem like a lot of extra work to add to your already full plate.  But if you set aside a little time each week to work on it, you will reap great rewards.  You can also hire a virtual assistant service, such as Administrative Business Consulting, to help you set up a manage your LinkedIn profile.  That set up would let you have the best of all worlds.

What Can a Virtual Administrative Assistant Do for Your Business?

When the idea of hiring a virtual administrative assistant comes up, the most common question that occurs is "what would I have a VA do for me?".  The answer will be different for each individual client, but here's a list of possibilities to get your creative juices flowing:

Administrative Support
Email organization                                                 Travel arrangements
Voice mail response                                              Coordinate conference calls
Coordinate appointments                                      Contact updates & tracking
Calendar management                                          Business card scanning
Data entry                                                                Excel spreadsheet building
PowerPoint creation                                              Report generation
Email & mail campaigns                                       Thank you & greeting cards
Website content updates                                       Blog posts
Internet research                                                     Supply ordering
Management of team meetings                            Communication management
Mail merges

Meeting & Event Planning Support
Create & send email or regular mail - announcements, invitations, thank you letters
Set up logistics - meeting rooms, AV needs, meals, overnight rooms, vendors
Manage guest lists
Receive & track responses via phone, fax, or email
Track attendees
Follow-up with non-responders
Create meeting agendas & support materials
Collate & ship materials
Research & order giveaways

Marketing & Sales Support
Social media management                                    Mailing label creation
Email newsletter sending                                       Sales packet mailing
Compile mailing lists                                               Distribute & track surveys
Follow-up calls

This list is in no way exhaustive, but you can see that a Virtual Administrative Assistant can be a valuable right-hand person in the operation of your business.  For more information about how to hire a Virtual Administrative Assistant and how the arrangement works, check out the web site of Administrative Business Consulting.

How to Use Hashtags with Your Social Media

Hashtags (#) have been in use on Twitter for some time, but they have become common on other social media sites such as Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and now even on facebook.  But what are they for and how can you use them to boost the reach of your social media presence.

A hashtag is a key word (or group of words, with no spaces) prefixed with the "#" symbol in a social media message.  The format would look like this: "#topic".  These hashtags then become clickable text that allow users of social media to see what others are saying about that topic. People use hash tags to highlight events, ideas, conferences, products, TV shows, and many other subjects.

Any user can make any word or combination of words in to a clickable hashtag.  If you open a facebook status and type the "#" followed by your chosen phrase, you'll see that the text becomes highlighted by a blue box.  Once you hit post, the tag will appear in bold in your update and other users will be able to click on it which will show them a listing of all the other posts featuring that hashtag.

It is important to remember that this system is a simple form of organization and it can often have trouble with hashtags that are too complicated.  For instance, you can have a tag like "#thingsididwheniwassevenonmybike", but how often are other people going to use that tag?  If the answer is never, then it is probably not an effective tag to use.  Try to keep the tags short and relevant to what you want your message to be. If you would like to see what hashtags are currently trending or if the tag you want to use is already being used, you can visit www.hashtags.org or hashtagify.me.  Also, don't put too many hashtags in one post.  Research is showing:

http://blogs.constantcontact.com/product-blogs/social-media-marketing/how-to-use-hashtags/

As a business, you can use hashtags to make an event more social, join other conversations that are trending up with your customers, boost the visibility of a promotion, or engage more visitors.  Take for example an event like a customer appreciation picnic.  You could announce it on your page with a hashtag of #welovecustomers encouraging your fans to bring friends with them to the event.  Your customers share the information with their friends using your hashtag, and that gets passed around to and even wider audience.  You can then click on your tag #welovecustomers and see who is using it and get an idea of your posts reach.

It may seem complicated or just another part of social media that you have to learn, remember that 71% of users on social media are using hashtags in their posts.  43% of those users think tags are useful and 34% use them to follow categories and brands of personal interest like your business.

Getting the Most Out of Your Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing has been the hot topic for small business owners and large corporations alike for the past few years. The rapid growth of facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other platforms has opened the door to potential customers and lured many to the uncharted waters of using social media to build business. But how to make use of these opportunities can be the hardest question to answer. According to Sonia Simone of copyblogger.com, there are 7 essential elements to make your social media marketing for effective.

     1.  Get your website or blog set up - Your home page is where you control the user's experience and where your authority in your field comes through. Build a site full of high quality content that has a clean design and a professional appearance. This is where customers will go to get tips and more information about you and your business.

     

     2.  Establish a human face for your business - You need a human face to make your social media marketing plan work. While you want the content of your posts to be friendly and inviting, you do not need to share everything about the "real" you on your business accounts. Keep your updates to authentic subjects that relate back to your core mission as a business and be sure and consider your audience before hitting that final post button.

     3.  Combine efforts with other businesses that appeal to your customers - A big part of social media is getting people with like interests together to share ideas and thoughts. You can seek out established bloggers and posters to share your content with. Building on and promoting their content could help you cultivate important professional relationships and win new customers.

     4.  Pick a primary platform to use - Your customer base and product will drive this choice, and it may not be the one you personally enjoy using the most. If you are selling a service or product that has an easily visualized end result, Pinterest might be a fantastic choice for you. But if most of your customers are active on facebook, your initial efforts should center on that platform. Once you've masted one, then move on to others. Don't overwhelm yourself at the beginning.

     5.  Manage your time - Decide up front how much time you want to devote to social media, otherwise you may be seduced in to wasting your productivity constantly checking and rechecking your platforms. Remember element 1, your home page, and that this is where the majority of your time and effort should go. You can contract with support specialists like Administrative Business Consulting to manage your social media program. They will create a set number of monthly posts on a contract basis and take this task off your plate.

     6.  Put Content first and conversations second - While social media provides a way to have on-going conversations with customers and potential customers, but you can end up spending hours a day chatting with no real productivity. It is important to keep an ear on what customers are saying, but if it feels like goofing off it probably is. Spend the majority of your time on content with value.

     7.  Don't forget about your Search Engine Optimization - Social media marketing is a complement to search engine optimization, not a replacement for it.