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…time to focus on real metrics that matter like client service.
It sounds like another New Years Resolution for a Marketer. I say this because I think change is the new paradigm. Companies need to quickly adapt and be more responsive than ever before.
Topics like the following: Tweets, Follower Counts, Likes, Plusses, Social Media, Engagement, Hashtags have been talked about far too much in the past because people really did not want to face the bigger picture of change, (recession, inflation, more regulations). Companies need to acquire and retain customers. Also, social media was evolving and still continues to evolve, but no one quite knows where it is headed and how to incorporate it properly to receive a maximum return from it.
For 2015, companies need to go back and focus on these two words:
Client Service…(Want more read yesterday’s article on Client Service)
Companies have all kinds of technology, platforms, tools and analytics to select from. It is time to go back integrate these tools together with a purpose and improve our processes and show clients that our companies are making the move to be first-rate innovative company.
In the past, incrementalism has been the driver. Focusing one aspect of change at a time. Think about it for a second. Last year the buzz was “Big Data”. Companies were trying to define the term and understand what it meant for them. A few years ago it was “Social Media”. Social media will be the driving technology to keep companies in contact with their customers through engagement and transparency. Companies were trying to build up their follower counts.
In 2015, everything finally comes back to serving clients. Companies are going to get really innovative in 2015 and look for ways to better serve clients like we have never seen before. We have seen glimpses of this type of service. Apple really never jumped on the whole social media bandwagon and it continues to perform quite well.
Have you asked your clients about the work you are doing with respect to social media? Try it sometime, the results might be surprising to you.
How will you serve your clients in 2015? Here are some suggestions to think about:
More responsive, simple website! (People now access information more on their smartphones and tablets then their desktops)
How responsive is your client service team to questions submitted online?, through social media? phone? voice-mail? email? (People want quick turnaround on their questions)
Do your clients prefer to receive contact on your website or in the form of a newsletter? (Working on this topic in 2015)
What are your customers saying about your current products or service? (Are you listening to their input – May not find this on social media, face-to-face or survey work better)
How fast can you get your processes improved? (Long-term projects may be costly and might keep you behind the curve)
Are you growing or dying? (Keep a close eye on financials, business can change in a hurry)
How are you going to reach your clients? (Should you spend your time more in some areas and less in other areas)
Image courtesy of KROMKRATHOG at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
