Much like the great Wizard of Oz, it's not always clear to consumers who, exactly, sits behind the curtain of a brand's Twitter profile, but they believe someone is there. For years companies have been pouring money into marketing and advertising on Twitter and have, effectively, taught customers to turn to the all powerful Tweet to get their questions answered as quickly as possible.
Usage of Twitter for customer service is growing, perhaps more rapidly than any other social channel, but the level and quality of support provided across brands and industries is uneven, and there is clear room for improvement. A March 2013 study by Simply Measured reported that 99 percent of the Interbrand Top 100 brands now have an active Twitter handle, and 30 percent of those brands have dedicated support handles. While it's a promising start, only 10 percent of these brands responded to more than 70 percent of their contacts, and the average response rate overall was 42 percent.
Our tip sheet for providing support through Twitter includes suggestions for:
- Searching for direct and indirect mentions of your brand
- Using Twitter to promote other support channels
- Learning the language and mastering the art of brevity
- Using features such as direct messaging and lists
- Hosting a Twitter Chat with your customers
- and more!
