After attending a conference presenting a social media and multi-channel strategy study deployed by businesses, conducted by the companies SAS and IDC, I thought I'd share with you my viewpoint on the different changes brought by these new media.
Since the emergence of social networks a few years ago, many companies have been forced to take onboard this recent phenomenon and adapt to it by redefining their communications strategy.
Social media allow people to talk
According to this study, 52% of companies have already taken initiatives in terms of customer interaction on social media. Why that? Because we're in an era of change; it is no longer the brand that imposes its products on customers but the opposite.
Customers express their expectations and needs via social media and brands must be reactive in order to integrate them into the product design process for example. Besides, customers are becoming increasingly demanding: they have questions and want quick answers. Time becomes a determining factor in the customer conquest and loyalty-building strategy .
Therefore, social networks have become a source of information that companies must take advantage of and use as effectively as possible to create a lasting relationship with their customers.
What's my conclusion?
I believe that this implies to reorganize companies: they must change from a vertical logic, where each service is independent, to a horizontal logic (cross-functional) where the different departments must interact with each other. Collaboration and sharing are now the keys to deploying a strategy that will coordinate all the services in a company, from customer service to communication, including the marketing department.
Thanks to these changes, companies and customers may get closer and create a long-term relationship through real interaction and productive discussion thanks to new, more social and more human-oriented media.
And you… have you observed other major changes?
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Virginie
Photo: Anna Bauer
I am in charge of Orange Business' blogs since January 2011 as community manager in communication department. For any question, I am here !! @virginietran1 or on linked in :)
Edit from the Orange Business team: Virginie left the Orange Group since she wrote her last posts.