Constituents were surprised by Obama’s successful use of social media during his 2008 presidential campaign. Dubbed the ‘first social-media president,’ Obama used 15 different social networking sites to raise awareness and support. For years, companies have been taking advantage of social media to connect with their customers.
Content marketing agencies like, Elevation B2B and Questline, encourage utility companies to adopt a social media strategy to reach customers. Direct access to customers allows your utility to share real-time updates, helpful tips, and information. Top recommended sites are Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. Facebook has 2 billion users and is believed to be the ideal platform to reach residential customers. 40 percent of LinkedIn users access the site daily and more than 80 percent of Instagram’s 1 billion users follow a business account. Questline points out the importance of considering the voice, timing, aesthetic, and content of your posts. “The right social media content can help you build a strong digital relationship with your audience.”
Dominion Virginia Power was voted top utility for social media use in a poll of companies across the nation. The utility uses Facebook and Twitter to create a dialogue between the company and customers. Con Edison is also among the utility companies that use social media to raise awareness about products and services like weatherization and energy efficiency.
Typically, we think of information we can share with customers, but social media creates an opportunity to hear from your customers. In fact, a popular prediction in CX trends for 2023 is an increase in consumers contacting businesses through social media. Studies by ValueWalk have reported that 63 percent of customers expect businesses to offer support via social media. A recent study by Consumer Reports, revealed that customers 25 years old and below say that these platforms are their first choice when contacting a brand. These factors and more, show why integrating social media into your customer service approach is necessary to keep the lines of communication open between you and your customers.