Social lurking won’t grow your business

I wrote previously about the opportunities companies within the logistics and supply chain industries can realize through social listening. I cautioned that to reap the benefits and seize the opportunities afforded by social media, companies need to use the information and intelligence gathered.

Using the information and intelligence gathered is essential. There is; however, another critical element: engagement.  Engagement is a differentiator.  Without engagement you are a lurker.  You don’t want to be a lurker.

What is a lurker?

A lurker is someone who observes, but does not participate. If your company does not engage via established social media accounts, your company is lurking.  Stop lurking.  To realize the benefits of social media and social listening you need to actively engage with customers and others via social media.

What is active engagement?

How can your company actively engage with customers and other via social media? Here are some ideas:

• Ask questions
• Answer questions
• Provide clarification
• Weigh in on a discussion/topic
• Thank followers for their ideas, suggestions, and feedback
• Highlight when/how you have used customer feedback to make changes to a product or service
• Simply let people know you are listening to their comments and feedback.

Action

The information and intelligence your company can gather via social listening is immense. If you do not use what you have gathered you miss out on opportunities and revenue.  The same can be said about social lurking. By not actively engaging via social media your company misses out on opportunities.

Social media can be a strategic tool – if used correctly.

This was originally published on Electronics Purchasing Strategies.