Linking the voice of the customer to business processes and results, and integrating that voice into management and operations.

From files filled with folders to racks that runneth over with reports, your new social engagement program has produced the kind of information that’s right out of a marketer’s fantasy. But social media monitoring is just the first step in creating the successful voice of the customer (VOC) program that makes executives and investors happy. Customer experience expert Bruce Temkin notes that while large companies listen to the customer’s voice, few of them actually turn that data into the fuel that fosters sales or recommendations. Here’s your basic guide to transforming VOC into ROI:

1. Know where you’re going – Online listening is worthless if your “plan” consists of consigning an intern to occasionally check your Facebook page. Craft a strategic social media plan that takes the same systematic approach you’d take with opening a new facility or launching a new product. Set objectives, so you can analyze the data and take action.
2. Keep at it – Listening shouldn’t stop with the results of a single report. Create a culture that encourages constant online listening. For example, Temkin suggests that executives regularly listen—by reading blog comments, for example—to learn what customers are saying and how they’re saying it. Don’t stop with the upper-echelons either. Make sure the staff knows your brand message and can consistently convey it to social media users in a positive way.
3. Integrate the message and your actions – To bring attention to Nestlé’s use of a vendor who cleared rain forests, environmental activists posted critical YouTube videos and bombarded the company’s Facebook page with negative comments. After initial defensive actions by the company, Nestle changed their reputation management plan and posted their palm-sourcing practices on their Facebook page. Make sure if you tell customers you’re being “social” that you act like it by integrating transparency into daily operations.

Get the tools you need to turn your social media data into action. Contact the experts at Strategy1 today.