Being able to develop relationships with your customers online is an awesome benefit of today's social media connected world.
But doing it right requires an understanding of a few guidelines for online customer interactions.
A recent post by Darren Barefoot for OPEN Forum describes 10 ways you can build your online customers' trust.
From OPEN Forum:
Tell the truth. If you lie, you’ll get caught eventually‚ everybody does. Plus, the Internet never forgets. If you don’t believe me, if you did a search for “Kryptonite locks,” you’d find this article about how people can open it with a ballpoint pen from 2004.
Speak as individual humans. You can earn trust and calm critics by behaving like a person instead a company. Identify yourself and your staff on social media channels, so that customers are interacting with real people.
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Pull back the kimono. When you talk about yourself, discuss the ‘how’ – manufacturing processes, marketing strategies and business models – as often as you talk about the ‘what’. You’ll be surprised how much people are interested in what transpires behind the scenes, and what drives decision-making.
Acknowledge every mention. Especially when you’re a small business, it’s important to recognize every time somebody mentions you online. Whether in a blog post, on Facebook or Twitter, ensure that you take the time to comment or reply. Online creators love this, and it’s an easy way to turn the ambivalent into advocates for you and your organization.
