Social networks have become a very important part of life of consumers. This statement, often repeated in all articles analyzing how social networks have changed the lives of consumers and how they have changed the structures of social relationship, is not, however repeated less valid or less necessary to remember. Social networks have had a direct effect on consumers and what they say and do. Now we share everything, we mean everything and we all, or so it seems, and above all, we hope that the conversations and relationships are different. We assume that our friends share photos virtually anything on social networks and we assume also that brands will be there all the time waiting to receive our messages and decided to respond.
And that’s where a stress point is created (and one very high) between brands and consumers. Some do one thing, but others expect much more from them. Or what is the same: the expectations placed on what will happen on social networks are very high (at the end of the day, have introduced elements as immediate and speed everyday consumer) while what happens is quite far from that reality (the brands are not able to be so immediate and so fast).
This is creating a rather high flashpoint in relations between consumers and brands. On the one hand, and although studies have been demonstrating that social networks are not the best scenario to achieve quality customer service, consumers continue to turn to social settings to connect with brands. On the other hand, brands are wasting time doing that social networks are not fast customer channels.
This is just to demonstrate a study of Conversocial, which notes that despite all consumer expectations continue to rise as shares of the marks are still not up to it. The weight to be given to social networks and the importance they receive is also increasingly higher among younger consumers.
Social networks, first point of contact
Thus, for members of Generation Y or Millennials the internet both as social networks they are the main preferred source of contact with the brand.24% of these consumers choose internet or online chat as a preferred source of customer and another 24% choose the social networks. The third favorite source is electronic mail (from email to text messages), which is chosen by 21%. After they go to smartphone apps (19%) and only last phone (12%) is positioned.
True, the phone wins (and in some cases widely) in other demographic groups. The Silent Generation (those born before 1944) chose him as first choice 90% of the time and baby boomers (1945-1960) by 64%. Members of Generation X are left with that option in 29% of cases. However, keep in mind that the young are increasingly using the network and, above all, they are the ones who are creating the trends that marked then the rest of the market.
In addition, these data must be added that the mobile phone is becoming an indispensable part of life, in general, consumers who use it for virtually everything and are very active in social networks in these specific scenarios. And when they are most active in social networks on their mobile, the more potential there for it to employ to connect with brands.
In that environment also they are occurring more moves that make things are becoming much more efficient customer service issues. Consumers want brands to become increasingly present in scenarios that were very limited to private life before. The instant messaging tools, such as WhatsApp, are spaces that consumers used massively and those who are increasingly willing to brands are present, to obtain an attention to quick and efficient customer, even if it means lose some personal space. Visit http://evolutionsofar.com/ for more tips and ideas.
