Recent data collated by US social media and analytics provider, Locowise, indicates that businesses ignore almost 90% of customer feedback received on their Facebook pages. It's a startling statistic and seems to support the argument that perhaps many businesses with social media are missing the point of their presence online.

It is simply not enough to have a Facebook page or Twitter account as a means of 'checking a box' when it comes to your business having a social media presence. We've previously talked about the potential benefits of companies engaging with their customers via social media. The value of social media can only be unlocked through meaningful engagement with consumers.

We acknowledge that there are many misguided social media trolls out there who just want to cause a ruckus. In those instances the best approach may be to ignore or delete those specific posts. Similarly, you may occasionally receive positive posts that don't necessarily need a detailed corporate response but a simple 'thanks for your support' doesn't go astray. Similarly, if a customer provides legitimate feedback highlighting areas that perhaps your company is not performing so well in, it's critical that you provide a meaningful response and consider if there is something that your company can do to improve the situation.

The critical element to a good relationship is using your chosen social media platform to actually ENGAGE with your customer base. This means taking on board the good, the bad and the just plain ugly.

Ignoring your customers is definitely not the ideal way to build rapport with your client base so the results of the Locowise data begs the question, 'is it really worth having a social media presence if your business doesn't have the resources to maintain it?'

From where we are sitting, there's a lot more damage that could be done to your brand's reputation by having a social media channel and ignoring it altogether or failing to use it correctly. Social media should be viewed as an opportunity for businesses to build a positive relationship with their customer base. It is not a one way conversation and if social media is not being used appropriately by a company then perhaps it is better to have no social media presence at all.

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