Do you read reviews on social media and other sites before trying out a new product or brand? You are not alone. 90% of people read online reviews before making a purchase, which means that even a few negative comments on social media may deter new customers from buying a product. Such comments usually come from unhappy customers or detractors, who also share their negative feedback with others and discourage them from making purchases.
Why brands should take detractors seriously
Identifying and managing your biggest critics have become of paramount importance for B2C businesses. Since unhappy people tend to be more vocal than happy customers, a brand’s detractors would have frequent visibility on social media. This paints a more negative view of your brand among social media users than one would want.
While it may seem improbable, such customers are actually crucial for the growth of your business. If you look beyond the dissatisfaction, the negative feedback is an opportunity to improve your services. The good news is that with the right strategy you can not only pacify detractors, but even turn them into brand promoters.
Who are your promoters?
Promoters refer to loyal, repeat customers who give positive reviews about your brand and the most referrals. Authentic promoters can be your biggest brand advocates – customers who stand by a business not just in normal situations, but also during times of crisis. In such times, it is vital to counter the negativity online with positive posts from brand loyalists.
Here’s a look at five ways in which you, as a B2C company, can turn social media detractors into brand promoters:
Table of Contents
Focus on NPS for customer feedback
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is an effective online reputation brand monitoring tool that lets you gauge your customers’ satisfaction level and loyalty. Conduct an NPS survey and get your score by subtracting the percentage of detractors from promoters. You can also conduct a more detailed follow-up survey or collect open-added comments from customers.
Strategize your next steps
Understand the reason behind your score, prioritize customer issues, and develop a plan to approach detractors. Relevant solutions, valid facts, and innovative ideas help convince unhappy customers to change their negative perception of a brand. Aim to generate word-of-mouth marketing, create a sense of community, and develop positive customer relationships. However, it is important that you act fast. A slow response time is among the biggest frustrations for customers, and you risk losing buyers.
Work on a personalized customer experience
Do not make the common mistake of creating content without figuring out your target audience. Customize your company’s communication to increase customer engagement and make them feel valued. Irrelevant content may further irk unhappy customers and even lead to you getting blocked or reported.
Encourage customer feedback and listen
Provide multiple channels and opportunities for buyers to express themselves and use that communication to listen, understand, and form a bond. Be attentive to their issue, empathize, apologize if required, and offer them a resolution. Communication activity from senior management of a B2C company can also work wonders while interacting with detractors.
Bring the customer feedback loop to a close
Segregate the feedback from detractors into personal and generic issues, resolve problems, and let the customers know about the actions taken after their negative feedback. Work on making each step of the entire customer journey better, which encourages them to trust the brand.
Are there any B2C companies who have successfully increased brand advocates or social media promoters?
The answer is yes. To cite an example from among clients of Germin8, a well-known FMCG brand benefited from an initiative started to improve ORM practices. The campaign was designed to enhance the online tonality of the brand, along with gradually assembling a loyal group of customers who would support the brand at all times. From strategizing about the perfect timings to contact an individual to actions tailored for each customer interacting online such as brand appreciation, call-outs, incentives, and even gifts, this activity has been successful in increasing the number of positive mentions for the brand.
Conclusion
Targeting detractors through NPS is a key factor in gaining brand promoters. Adopt the right strategy to approach social media users, offer courteous and efficient solutions to complaints, and put yourself in the customers’ shoes. Every bit of positivity online contributes to establishing a positive perception of your B2C company that can influence prospective customers and even future employees in holding the brand in good regard.
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