Facebook was founded in 2004, Twitter in 2006. Even Instagram's been around for almost five years. So you can't say this stuff is new anymore.
For some strange reason, however, more marketers and brands than not are still struggling to make heads or tails of social media. Whether they're surprisingly misinformed or just plain lost, they're wasting their time and missing the boat. They're failing to take advantage of what may just be the biggest revolution in communications since the printing press.
To say that's unfortunate would be an understatement.
After all, done right, social media marketing can be a big game changer. It can be an incredibly effective way to attract the attention of your target audience, engage with them, and curry their favor. Far too many go into it without doing their homework, though, their false assumptions and inexperience undermining any chance they have for a successful social media program.
Are you making these same mistakes? Are you doing it all wrong despite your very best intentions? You most certainly are if anything that follows sounds even remotely familiar.

1. You don't have a plan.

The last thing you want to do is overlook the first thing you should do. Take pause before launch to map out the route you're going to take on social media. Identify your target audience. Research the competition. Determine your objectives. Choose your tools. Develop your content. Then act accordingly. Eat. Sleep. Tweet. Repeat.

2. You're working alone.

While no one is saying you can't be a hit as a solo act on social media, your chances of success are much greater if you belong to a team. There are only so many hats one person can wear well. Strategic direction. Writing. Design. Marketing. Branding. PR. Web development. Analytics. You name it. You'll make a much bigger impact if you divide and conquer.

3. You're not a writer.

Of course, you're not writing the great American novel. Far from it. But the importance of quality content can't be emphasized enough. Even in 140 characters or less, punctuation, grammar, and word play reign supreme. Think like a good journalist or copywriter. Better yet, hire one.

4. You're spread too thin.

While it's good to be in more places than one on social media, don't get carried away with the notion. It's better to be active on one or two channels than to be conspicuous in your inconsistency on a handful. Don't try to be all things to all people. Fish where the fish are. Strike a happy medium between quality and quantity.

5. You're a one-trick pony.

Of course, what might be even worse than being all over the place is being painfully predictable. Putting out the same kind of content in the same place day after day is of little interest to those on the receiving end. It's boring. It's monotonous. It's an easy way to lose an audience.

6. You're not posting in real-time.

One of the biggest distinguishing characteristics of social media is its real-time nature, the fact that it makes it possible for users to connect with one another instantaneously. Canned content written and scheduled in advance will only get you so far. You'll have greater influence on your constituency if you share extemporaneous news and commentary on at least an occasional basis.

7. You're not being yourself.

Don't try to fake it till you make it. Keep it real from the get-go. Transparency and authenticity are not an option on social media. Offer your opinions, not just the facts. Win friends and influence people with refreshing candor. Mean what you say and say what you mean. Put a face on your brand every step of the way.

8. You're not listening.

Don't be the account that only talks about itself. Don't be a self-centered know-it-all. Pay attention to what others are saying not just about you and your brand, but about their own products and services, too. Mine the media for knowledge and expertise as much as mentions, questions, criticism, and praise. Thank people for sharing your content and don't forget to return the favor.

9. You're erratic.

Whatever you're doing on social media, do it on a regular basis. Disappear for even just a few days and you'll be testing the loyalty of those who follow you. Your content stream should serve as a virtual extension of you and your brand, leaving an indelibly consistent, not scattershot, impression on your audience.

10. You're careless.

Written communication is far more informal than it was back in the day. But that doesn't excuse you from making typos or blatant grammatical mistakes. Some colloquialism and slang is called for on social media. But so is some measure of decorum and professionalism.

11. You're no fun.

A good sense of humor goes a long way on social media. Accounts that are spirited, playful, irreverent, and even mischievous (in a good-natured way) tend to be popular. Don't hesitate to share a few laughs with your followers and fans. Social media works best for brands that take their products and services, not themselves, seriously.

12. You're as bland as milk toast.

It's much better to be safe than sorry on social media, but that doesn't mean you can't go out on a limb once in a while and express your creativity. Be colorful, not controversial. Bold, not brash. Avoid arguments at all costs and always take the high road. But show you have more than just a pulse, show you have a personality.

13. You're not sharing any pictures.

It's no secret that visual content on social media commands attention. It really doesn't matter what kind, either. Stock images. Candid shots. Video. Instagram. Vine. Complement your words with pictures in any way, shape, or form and stand out amid the clutter.

14. You're not paying to play.

You may have the most compelling content imaginable, but you still may not be seen by enough people on social media. Organic reach is down. Attention spans are short. The best laid plans can easily go astray without putting at least a small budget behind your efforts.

15. You're ignoring the numbers.

Branding is important, but like any other form of marketing, social media marketing is all about the results. Establish your goals and develop a methodology for measuring your performance. As Stephen Covey wrote in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, "Begin with the end in mind."

Courtesy : Bob Cargill

This article originally published at ClickZ

Keywords:

Social Media |Socialmediatoday | Socialmedian | Social Media Icons |Social Media Week |Social Media Sites

இன்று – பிப்ரவரி 27 – சுதந்திர போராட்ட தியாகி சந்திரசேகர் ஆசாத் அவர்களின் நினைவு நாள். இந்திய சுதந்திரப் போராட்டத்தில் சந்திர சேகர ஆசாத் அவர்களின் பங்கு அளப்பரியது...

Customer relationship management systems are a great help for the agents and management of a call center. They have in a way revolutionized the way call centers can offer their services to the clients. But there is a lot more to customer relationship than gathering customer information and arranging them neatly in a system. Yes, the single view of the customers can help the agents win over their hearts but that is as much as it can do. If you want to maximize the impact of this system on your customer service then there are certain skills that you need to incorporate. Some of the call center experts feel that the true potential of CRM systems has never been explored. If all the best practices are followed CRM can prove to be a decisive difference between you and your competitors. Below are some tips for utilizing the CRM in the best possible way.

•Shift from Scripts: There are some processes which cannot move away from their pre-set scripts. There might be various reasons for the same such as security compliance and other needs. But as per the best practices it is wise not to have a script in place. They are quite obvious answers and the customers get more frustrated in place of getting some solace. It mars chance for the agents to create a rapport with the customers. And rapport building is always essential for any customer service. Pre-set scripts take your conversation to a direction that might not always be ideal for your customer. So, it is wise to train your agents thoroughly about the products, services, cultures and languages rather than having a script.

•Listen with Empathy: Customers are common people like you; they have their own set of problems in life. When a product or service is not doing what it should, they get irritated and call up the call center seeking a solution. Some might show their irritation while others will talk to you calmly. It is just their character. But no matter who calls up at the call center, he/she deserves the right to be heard with empathy. It is only after hearing to the customer’s comments that an agent can provide a solution. There are too many mechanical answers given to calls. It comes down to lack of listening or understanding of customer problems. This is not at all a wise practice and you will definitely lose customers if cold answers are given. Energetic and empathetic answers make the customers feel secured.

•Special Treatment: Who are the secret treasures of your business? They should be the old customers, the people who have been doing business with you over the years and they have never complained. More so they have always praised your services, overlooked the minor faults and have referred their mates to your service. They have given you a lot of things: revenue, fame and new customers. So, they deserve to be treated like VIP. The CRM as it is holds the names of such customers, why not set up a VIP connection for these revered customers? Why not get your most talented agent tackle their problems and keep them happy? It can be done easily in the modern era with the help of distinct numbers for the customers.

•Intelligent Call Routing: Call routing has become much more efficient than it was in the bygone days, but there are still certain loopholes. The name of business growth is to learn new things every day. Your CRM will contain plenty of useful data, one such data is a list of the top callers to your customer support services. These people might be the oldest customers or newbie who just like to stay in touch with the brand. It is essential that the opportunity is grabbed with both hands and these top callers are segregated from the rest of the normal callers. This would mean they can call to the customer support center and talk to an efficient agent any time. They do not have to wait in call queues. Many brands create a distance between themselves and frequent callers due to call queuing. Do not let that happen to your process.

•Open Line for Unresolved Problems: Again an area where the call centers need to improve. When a customer calls in with a basic question or problem the trained agents can give them viable answers but there are times when the question or problem is so complex that it has to be sent to the technical team. In such a scenario all the agents do is provide the callers with a ticket number or reference number for complain and move over to the next call. This means, next time the customer calls he/she has to again wait in the queue and then talk to the agent. This can be very frustrating for a customer who is as it is suffering due to the brand’s fault. Why not create an open line for such customers. Make a mention of their problems and its status in the customer relationship management system. It is a common behavior that a customer whose problem has not been met will keep calling in at the call center, so why offend him/her even further?

•Seek Help if Required: Perhaps “if required” is a term that should be omitted because most of the call centers do not understand the full range of options while purchasing a CRM system. They are stuck with only a certain basic functions. The greater good that CRM can do is never quite explored. You might be a great businessman, but this does not make you a geek. So, it never hurts to employ a consultant while and after purchasing the CRM system. This would help you make the most of this system. May be you can use it in a better way than what is mentioned in the article!

Customer relationship management is one of the most helpful technologies for a call center. Its prowess can be extended even further if the best practices are followed.

Courtesy - Alicia Gray

(Alicia Gray is an BPO and outsourcing industry analyst, and writes about technology. Currently working with one of the business process outsourcing (BPO) services provider)