A new report by social customer service software provider Conversocial looks at how social channels are being used to connect with customers, and particularly the rapid growth of customer service on social media. According to the study, “Consumer demand for social relationships with brands has skyrocketed in 2012.”
Here are some highlights from the study, which analyzed over 770,000 social media interactions (over the last year) directed at leading retailers and service providers using Conversocial:
- 91% growth in the response rate of leading retailers
- 297% growth in the number of replies brands sent on Facebook and Twitter
- 393% growth in the number of replies brands sent on Twitter
- 53% of Twitter mentions were responded to…compared with just 16% of Facebook comments and posts
While Facebook still dominates in total volume of comments and posts, Twitter has experienced greater growth as a customer service channel. In Q4 2011, Conversocial brands made nearly exactly the same number of responses on Facebook as on Twitter — now, brands are responding more on Twitter.
A collection of data from NYU (also cited in the study) shows a 459% surge in customer communication on Facebook for America’s biggest retailers, measured over Thanksgiving week in 2011 and 2012.
Liel Leibovitz, Assistant Professor of Communications at NYU, says “…platforms like Facebook and Twitter are rapidly becoming prominent means of communication between consumers and corporations.”
While Conversocial shows that the number of brand responses via social media is increasing rapidly, a recent study by Simply Measured found that top brands are still responding to only 14% of tweets. Which means there’s still a long way to go before brands respond as often – and as quickly – as customers expect.
Is your brand using social media for customer service? What percentage of tweets, comments and posts does your brand respond to?
