If you would like to get a handle on what your customers are saying about you, one great way is to use social media to gather feedback on your brand. It’s actually one of the greatest things about using social media that many small businesses are ignoring; the ability to monitor your brand with Twitter and Facebook is fairly easy. One way to proactively use social media is to communicate directly with your customer to garner feedback on issues from new product ideas to marketing campaigns. The customer responses you receive can really be valuable information to help you make decisions.
• Add a poll to your Facebook page
• Add a survey to your blog or website
• Post a video
• Post a question on LinkedIn (great for businesses)
• Participate in a Twitter chat (How about #jewelrychat every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 8-9pm EST?!)
Here’s one way I would not suggest using social media. A few months ago I posted on Twitter (I am @rubymarcom) about how much I loved my new Zoot running shoes. I was pleased and surprised to find a that they had mentioned me later that day. We had brief messages back and forth a few times, it was nice to see that they were paying attention to what people were saying and I appreciated the connection. Fast forward a couple months. I ran a big race and noticed that my shoes had a tear. I took a photograph and tweeted to Zoot that while I love my shoes, there’s a tear and they’re new ones. What do they suggest?
This time they didn’t reply. I sent them a direct message (DM) thinking they hadn’t noticed. Still, no response. It’s been several weeks now and they’ve never replied and frankly, I’m disappointed. I just wanted a response.
Communication using social media is not meant to be a one-way method of communicating. If you can take the kudos, you need to be able to take the criticism too.
Pay attention to what people are saying about you and reply. You will learn from them and build more loyal customers in the process.
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What have you done using social media that you felt was an effective way of gathering customer feedback?
Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success
After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone.
Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently.
The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.
