336: Joshua March, Social Media Messaging

Joshua March, bestselling author and Founder of Conversiocial, shares how social media messaging helps create better customer experiences while cutting customer service costs. Customer service efficiency through social media messaging Besides the fact that customers want help via social media messaging, it’s cheaper, faster and more efficient that traditional channels. But most companies have yet to adopt it as a core channel for customer service and communication in general. “If you’re taking a day to respond, then people will just end up phoning” @joshuamarch These channels aren’t going away, friends. In fact, 8 billion business-to-consumer messages are sent via Facebook messenger monthly, and this number has grown 4 times past 12 months. So we invited Joshua March, Founder of Conversocial, to discuss the benefits and challenges of adopting social media messaging as a primary method of communication, both internally and with customers. “You really need to be treating messaging as a semi-real-time channel.” @joshuamarch Josh not only explains why social messaging is important and here to stay, but he shares great examples of companies using social media messaging in ways that provide faster, more efficient customer service while saving big money on communications. For example, one company has moved up to 60% of their customer service communications to social messaging. You can do this too! You can handle customer service more efficiently and consistently via social media messaging than any other. As a result, you will save money, bolster public perception, CSAT, NPS and more. Listen in! Interview Highlights If apps have made so many things easier, then why is customer service is still not where it needs to be? [4:50] What is a "conversational relationship," and more importantly, how can brands create and maintain that type of relationship? [9:05] Messaging is all over the place these days, so what kinds of apps should we be focusing on for today’s customers? [11:32] What are the short-term and long-term pros and cons of making messaging a core method of business communication? [13:15] Having a quick customer service response time has helped many brands with public perception, so Joshua shared his favorite examples of brands who have done this well. [16:31] About our guest Joshua March founded Conversocial in 2009 based on his vision that online communication and customer service were undergoing fundamental shifts, requiring businesses to invest in new processes and technologies to manage the rapidly shifting social landscape. A leading proponent of social media, Joshua previously founded leading social application company iPlatform, one of the world's first Facebook Preferred Developers, which was acquired in 2012.  Having started his career in London, Joshua is now based in New York where he leads the US operations of Conversocial, as well as global strategy. And he is now the author of the new book Message Me, a book on the future of customer service. Connect with Joshua Twitter Conversocial Website Joshua’s book, Message Me, on Amazon Related Content 360Connext® post, 3 Ways the Best Brands Do Omnichannel Right Customers That Stick® post, How Employee Empowerment Really Works Episode 229: Dan Gingiss, Social Customer Care Episode 150: Phil Gerbyshak, Social Connections We’re on C-Suite Radio! Check it out for more great podcasts   Take care of yourself and take care of your customers.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices