Week 2 Post 1: Blog Post

Communication Between Business and Consumer

The Shift of Social Interaction

    The way businesses communicate with their customers has changed drastically over the years, with the development of technology and expansion of the internet. Social media has become prevalent in today's world, with a huge portion of the population being active daily on different platforms. This shift of human interaction has driven businesses to adopt methods of marketing and communicating with their consumers through social media. Using an app such as Yelp, consumers can easily leave reviews for businesses and see other reviews before making a decision on which business to shop at next. Beyond that, businesses that use Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter look for active engagement through their posts to spread awareness and build a following, appeal to the mass population of social media users, and even communicate with clients either through private messages or public comments.

Metcalfe's Law

    Before widespread use of social media, businesses communicated with consumers through email, phone calls, or face-to-face conversation. These limited streams of communication have proven the test of time, but have been complemented by social media platforms to enhance the customer experience. Instead of having to wait in a line, or on hold on the phone for hours on end, consumers have the ability to use instant messaging on a variety of platforms to communicate with customer support and get the answers they need faster than ever before. Businesses feel obligated to provide the customer a good experience in order to maintain a positive standing with the online community. Comments and reviews, either positive or negative, have and impact on a businesses reputation on public forums and apps that receive feedback from visitors. A business with many of good reviews and few bad reviews will likely have more inflow of customers than a business with more bad reviews than good.

Leaving A Solid Review

    These methods of leaving feedback for businesses have become accessible for nearly anyone at any time, through their smart phones. Online marketplaces such as Amazon, allow businesses to sell their products online and receive reviews from customers, that are then displayed on the product page, to add credibility through high user ratings and good reviews, or otherwise deter consumers from ordering a misleading product listing. When commenting or leaving product reviews, it is important to leave an appropriate rating, as well as a detailed description of the product's condition when it is received and its likeness to the online listing.

How Do I Respond?

    Having just started my brand online, I have yet to receive negative feedback, although it is much anticipated. The positive feedback on the other hand, I respond at least with a genuine thank you, even if it is a small comment. For the individuals that leave questions or extensive comments, I find it necessary to reach out with a comment, and if appropriate, a private message consisting of an answer to their question, or just a more in-depth response, rather than flooding the public comments. This results in the consumer having an overall positive experience with my company. I assume negative comments will have at least some insight into the subject, so I will have to take them into consideration to be able to improve and appeal to a more broad audience as I strive to expand my following.