If I’m reading the results of this Colloquy study correctly, it’s not social media that the survey focused on when it asked consumers how brands could best engender their loyalty. Instead it was more general and looking at brand behavior overall, though most of the tactics that come back as good ideas – exceptional customer service, a rewards program of some sort and more – that have definite applications in the social media world. Meaning good customer service on social media isn’t all that different from good customer service offline.
More immediately relevant is the CMO Council survey that’s shared after that and which shows the gaps that exist between marketer’s perceptions and beliefs about why people connect with them on social media and why people actually do. The biggest disparity exists around content, with 57% of marketers believing that’s a big reason for customers to follow them – we like to think every word we produce is golden – compared to just 30% of customers who said that’s an important reason they’ve done so.
In a close second, though, is the idea of someone being a “Loyal Customer.” But there the disconnect goes in the opposite direction, with more Facebook users saying that’s an important reason than marketers who see it being a deciding factor.
