Are your fans talking to you on Facebook? That’s great!
Now you need to talk back.
Having fans talk to you and failing to answer them is a mistake. Responding well to complaints can turn those complaints around and give a positive impression of your company. Ignoring raves makes you look like you don’t care about your fans — and they want you to care. Leaving questions unanswered can lose you sales.
So you want to answer.
There are some decisions to make at this point. First, who is going to be the voice of your company? You can have individuals in your company answer as individuals. You can have the company answer as the official voice of the company. The Natural Fruit Corporation has a character, Strawberry Steve, who answers. Whatever persona you use to answer, strive for a friendly, human voice. Facebook is a friendly, human place, and corporate phrasing can seem out of place.
If it’s a rant rather than a rave, consider taking the discussion outside. That is, post a response that says, “I’m so sorry you were disappointed. We’re going to contact you directly to make things right.”
Then keep track.
Identify your fans and determine which ones have blogs or are very active in social media. Since the majority of people never leave a fan note at a Facebook page in any case, everyone who does so is statistically likely to be quite active in social media.
Think about reaching out to them and sending something:
- stickers or other branded swag
- coupons for products
- samples for review or for feedback
Beta testers can be tremendously useful, and choosing testers who are already fans can give you a more realistic idea of how a new product will do with your current fan base. Your super-social fans will also be most likely to communicate with their friends. Recent research finds that 80% of consumers report being influenced by online reviews — make friends with the people who are most likely to write positive things about you. Facebook gives you the opportunity.
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