Throwback Thursday: The Evolution and Future of Social Media

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When we think of social media, Facebook,Twitter, and the most 'popular' social media sites come to mind.  There are dozens of sites similar to these, and your audience could be on any one of them, at any time. In fact, the number of people on social media continues to increase daily.

To the right, is an infographic about the evolution of social media (Prohibition). As time progresses, more and more social media sites are appearing and each one has its own unique functionality. One way to enhance social media sites is to integrate Virtual Agents (VAs). Here are just a few reason for doing so...

1. They can answer questions on Blogs/Facebook. Consumers look towards social media to get quick answers to their support and sales questions. Implementing a Virtual Agent onto your blog or Facebook profile will give consumers a fast, reliable option while getting great customer service; and as we know, customer satisfaction via social networks is critical. If one person is unhappy, they often blast negative remarks about your company to their network, discouraging potential customers to shop with your brand. On the flip side, if they are happy with your products/services, they could post a positive recommendation. According to an article in Yahoo! Small Business Advisor, "50% of shoppers have made a purchase based on a recommendation through a social media network" (15 Social Media Statistics That Every Business Needs to Know).
2. Sharing is another popular function on social media. When you find a solution or cool new product from the Virtual Agent, you have the capability to share that information easily with your network. 
3. Virtual Agents can be applied to community forum pages as well. For example, when a member posts a question, the Virtual Agent will assess the question and depending on the degree of confidence, it can post the appropriate response automatically. Similarly, the Virtual Agent can be a more passive option, by simply being available to answer questions if engaged by your audience. In both examples, a Virtual chat is beneficial because most community forum pages don't provide immediate solutions. Users can get an immediate response and have confidence that it is the right solution. 

Today, human interaction is still necessary. By realizing the popularity of social media, and considering the benefits of a Virtual Agent, the two go hand in hand. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already everywhere (Siri, Watson, Google Now, etc.) - Can you imagine a future where Virtual Agents become the 'MVPs' for interacting with your clients in community forums? What about on Facebook/ Blogs?

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Throwback Thursday: Do Your Customers Want a Virtual Agent? Why Don’t You Ask Them?

Happy Throwback Thursday all!

This past Tuesday we shared a blog on leveraging social media to promote self-service tools (i.e. Virtual Agents) and how it can increase usage, and in turn save companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. Click here to read the entire blog.  For Throwback Thursday, we wanted to share another example of a leading PC manufacturer for gaming systems, quickly tweeting and engaging their audience about their self-service tool.

Staying connected through social media is one of the most popular methods to communicate in today’s market. This company is not only using social media to promote the use of their VA, but also asking end users for their feedback to enhance the experience. After all, understanding what the customer will use for support is critical in promoting self-service.

This is another idea to inform and engage consumers to utilize self-service options.

This company used a community forum page as another way for customers to voice their opinions. Instead of simply using the forum to answer support questions, they encouraged people to try out their VA to find answers and provide feedback on how they liked it or what could be done to improve it. It was a great way to start interactions with their customers and provide an outstanding customer experience.

Social media channels have been around for a while, and are becoming invaluable tools for businesses. Listening to your audience about products/services allows your company to get closer to the voice of the customer. I’ll leave you with this quote from Bill Gates,

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Cheers!