What we are hearing from you: a state of the state

I spent the last few months doing quite a bit of listening. From our internal project leaders and global mods to industry pundits, clients, and former colleagues. The majority of connections don’t intersect, but the themes I’ve picked up are consistent.  I’d like to share them with you firsthand. Gather around the digital campfire, would you?

#1. Agencies of all sizes want to prepare entry level staff for advancement 

entry levelFrom PR agencies to traditional advertising firms, there is a strong focus on giving fresh college graduates the business experience needed to move up in a company, while harnessing the natural social media expertise of those college graduates. Because the heart of social media and digital engagement is steeped in 24×7 community and moderating conversations, burnout amongst the first or second year college graduate is increasing.

Agencies are balancing the fine line of wanting to service every aspect of their client’s needs,while keeping the morale and interest of their internal staffs going.  Equipping a full team to moderate a brand conversation 24×7/365 is becoming very important, yet finding team members to complete the task is a growing need.

#2. Brands are recognizing the importance of 24×7 communications (and not just moderation)
247-reference-servicesI eluded to this above, but more than ever, brands understand that customer service is vital for retention.  With mobile usage not slowing down and the ‘always on’ expectation of the consumer, brands are looking for ways to be able to handle a consumer request at any time, from text to email to tweet to instant message.

#3. The Future as a blending of front-end service disciplines 

Traditional social media teams recognize the importance of merging with customer service teams. At the end of the day, the consumer doesn’t care what division of a company responds to their request. That request could be in the form of seeking something as simple as a ‘thank you for purchasing our product’ to an apparel size issue. Consumers are comfortable with web technologies in a way that they expect a response quickly.  Brands that are starting to remove the Social Media vs. Customer Service vs. Marketing silos are seeing tremendous efficiencies with their efforts, and more importantly, happy customers.

In all of these examples, we’re here to help, providing thousands of digital hands to get the job done. Our passion lies in engaging with your audience and helping you, our clients, solve problems and build community.  Let us know how we can partner with you!

Have a fantastic holiday!

Blagica Bottigliero
VP of Digital Media

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