Respond To Social Media Contacts

I’m not trying to pick on Pizza Hut, but I wonder who is at its social helm.  Just as people are not logical, business are not logical either. Pizza Hut tweets typically tempt about its pizza, and wanting followers to jump at.  One particular tweet a couple weeks back was indicative, so I decided to engage asking for a tasty recommendation.  There was no response back. Hello, is anyone at the helm?

Social media is a great way to build business. Taking part in online conversations (especially those directed at a business) augment consumers confidence in a brand, but keep in mind that all responses are not equal. Customer Service Investigator (2014) reports that only one percent of a brand’s customers find that social media responses actually provide good customer experiences. Let’s step-back to my Pizza Hut account. A friend on Facebook had coincidently posted a rather catty post about Pizza Hut’s bacon stuffed crust pizza. 7:41PM 11/5 “Not a fan of Pizza Hut's Bacon Stuffed Crust. I could sprinkle fake baco-bits on it myself. If I liked fake bacon...Pedro Puppy can have my crust…”

This caught my eyes because of Pizza Hut’s engagement void with my interaction.  Her audience engagement threads to her post:

7:47PM 11/5 "Little Ceaser's pretzel crust pizza is INCREDIBLE!!"


7:48PM 11/5 "Like Wendy's Bacon Pretzel Cheeseburger yummy??"

7:49PM 11/5 "yeah...yeah, but on a Pizza!!"

7:50PM 11/5 "Hmmm..guess that's what's for lunch tomorrow..Thanks.. my inner fatass is happy now!"

7:52PM 11/5 "Pretty sad.. Pedro Puppy wouldn't even eat it…"

1:20AM 11/6 "Ordered it 2 weeks ago and it sucked. Angie said if it left the cheese pink, it was fake bacon bits. Needless to say it eventually made its way to the curb come Tuesday night.
"

11:07AM 11/6 "you are a pizza genius!!!!! Guess what I ate for lunch today?
"

11:09AM 11/6 "Love little ceasers pretzel crust pizza!
"

12:10PM 11/6 "Glad I could help"

are snide and most of all engaging.  Reaching out to Pizza Hut again about finding some not so flattering conversations threads did not bear fruit either. Once more opportunity missed, possibly due to not hungering to listen or not having someone at the helm who is authorized to respond. I was hoping Pizza Hut would get beyond the script and become involved.

See, when businesses expose their Achilles’ Heel; it allows the competition to steal consumers as well as reposition consumers' trust of a brand.  One-way old command and control marketing methods are absurd once a business gets involved in social channels. Online social content is about creating content that people want and share. It’s not about restricting or curbing social dialogue. Instead of being nervous of the unknown, CEOs and Marketers should take time out to reflect on the last couple things they personally purchased. If typical as most, they went online, did some fact-finding, and then purchased.

Lose control, so you can take control. Adroit businesses ask their customers, “How can we help you more?”

For to do nothing, is daft.

Social marketing is merely communicating, and social networks are open communication channels. Today’s businesses must integrate social into every aspect of their structure. Allow consumers in, so they are part of the story.  Engage with consumers on all levels, and allow conversations to grow instead of hanging up.

Welcome to real time marketing, and it’s just getting started.