Photo by: Miguel Á. Padriñán

What is so vital about two-way conversations? In short, two-way conversation is the communication between an organization and its customers, which increases the organization’s awareness and forges genuine connections with customers. If you are new to this concept, ask yourself how you can achieve two-way communication and why you should care about it. In this blog, I will be sharing how you can do just that and prove that it is worth your time.

 

Community Management 

A good starting point is community management because it supports two-way communication. You should first appoint a community manager if you do not already have one. A community manager acts as the professional representative for the organization by asking questions, responding to comments, and gathering feedback to improve your product and keep your customers satisfied. 

The goal for a community manager is to facilitate two-way conversations that lead to idea sharing and customer appreciation, which will help continuously improve the organization and establish brand loyalty from your customers. So, what does good community management look like?

Create Connections

The biggest challenge for a community manager is getting started. After all, if there is no one to engage with, how can the community manager do their job? A community is different than your audience; these individuals are invested in your work, respond to your messages, and share posts to actively promote their support of the organization. You can create these connections by motivating your audience to engage with topics that interest them, using real-time marketing opportunities, or even joining groups that are interested in what you are offering. 

Create the Right Content 

Consider creating topics about articles related to the organization or industry, deals or opportunities for customers, content from the organization’s social media channels, or other interesting topics that compel your audience to engage with you. You can also encourage community members to write blog posts, post simple opinion polls, or leverage contests. Monitor your community and pay attention to what influences their participation. Once the conversations are flowing, your community will grow naturally. Active members will invite others, people will share your content, and you will appear in more searches.

Go the Extra Mile 

Most organizations get carried away with what they can offer, what they are working on, and how they can help you with your needs. Although it is excellent to show your community your passion for your organization, it is also what every other organization does. Commenting on posts, listening to what your customers tell you, and answering questions can create two-way communication that will benefit your brand and grow your reputation among your consumers. You should use engagement tools and tactics to stay organized and implement this step accurately and continuously.

Manage the Negative 

One thing to consider when communicating in two-way communication is never knowing what the consumer will say. What if they are not happy with the organization or have something negative to say? You cannot please everyone and more than likely; you will have to handle a situation with an unhappy customer. A crisis response plan is an excellent way to prepare for this. This plan will be unique to your organization, but for reference, a good response plan responds quickly to the problem, figures out why the consumer is upset, apologizes, identifies a solution, and connects the customer with who can help. Your response to the consumer plays a massive part in the growth of your organization by taking the negative feedback into account for product development and your organization’s reputation.

 

Two-way Conversations Can Help Build Your Brand.

Two-way conversations are about engaging with your community. This can help you build your brand because it allows you to show that your organization values your consumers and improves your product development to keep up with the consumer’s needs continuously. Create connections, create the right content, go the extra mile, and manage the negative to achieve two-way communication successfully.

 

Are there any brands you know of that do this well? Comment on this blog and share your thoughts!

 

Author: Taylor Munghia

Social Media Strategist Intern

Taylor Munghia is an intern for the National Institute for Social Media, who is working towards achieving the Social Media Strategist certification. She is a recent graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in marketing. She is also educated in social media content and strategy.