British Companies Don’t Engage Customers with Social Media

The majority of British companies don’t use social media to engage customers in a two-way conversational tool, according to a new survey conducted by Aspect Software.

The survey found that 40% of businesses in the U.K. claim to use social media to engage customers, labeling social networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn as mass broadcast tools. Customer contact and workforce optimization technology provider Aspect Software surveyed 100 business and IT professionals in March.

Aspect Software’s survey sought to find out how respondents viewed social media within their companies, how it’s used or will be used, and how closely it is integrated with other forms of communication with customers and prospects. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of businesses surveyed said they use social media, with another 8% implementing in the next year, with 16% seriously considering using it in the long term.

Mark King, Aspect’s Senior VP Europe and Africa, said in a statement that the customer conversation is changing.

“No more are we restricted to using the telephone when we speak with companies we buy from,” King said. “Although it is fair to say that most organizations now recognize that being present on the most popular social media networks is a necessity, as that is where their customers are, it should be much more than just another way of talking about how great your brand is. Business leaders just don’t know where it sits in the organization, who within the business should own it, and the ever-increasing importance of harnessing the unstructured content derived from that conversation.”
 
More than 60% of respondents indicated that social media does or will be integrated with other business processes and communication channels; 28% said that social media is not or will not be integrated at all, and stood alone within the business.
 
Regarding ownership, 40% of respondents feel that in the main responsibility for social media should fall within the marketing department, but 26% believe it should be handled by senior management. Another 20% said contact centers should control social media.

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