09 Jan Are Big Brands Leaving Customer Tweets Hanging?

Part of the appeal of brands joining Twitter is the accessibility it affords the customer, both for complaints and positive comments. Are brands really using this priceless opportunity to connect with their customers or are they making it worse with their silence?

While 90% of 50 large retailers are active on Twitter, only 29% use the platform to actively engage with shoppers, according to a study by digital marketing firm Acquity Group. Acquity studied the 50 retailers included in consulting firm Interbrand’s report, “Best Retail Brands 2012.”

While fewer of these brands are on image-based networking sites, the ones that are engage with their shoppers there. Between 70 and 80% respond to consumers. Not the same can be said for Twitter – in fact 71% of brands on Twitter are ignoring their customers’ tweets.

This continues to illustrate how companies sign up for major social networks but struggle to understand how these networks fit into their overall business and marketing strategy.

Today, consumers quickly decide to buy from a different retailer after their messages are ignored. Sporadic use of social media causes far more damage than having no presence at all.

To make sure your business is not only sending the right message to your clients but truly listening and responding to them, let Idea Associates plan your social media strategy.