The intersection of mobile and social changes all the rules. It gives people a voice and allows them to praise and/or punish companies/brands in public. What is the impact on marketers? Are people really influenced by posts and tweets they read? New independent research from Jeff Hasen — a brave voice in the mobile marketing space and consistently named one of the top Chief Marketing Officers to follow on Twitter — has stepped up to document just how people use their mobile phones to communicate their brand experiences. The result is must-read analysis that should spark marketers to listen in and answer back.
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At first it was about the freedom to capture and create our own content, a shift that opened the door to mobile blogging, picture-sharing and a slew of life stream applications that encourage us to document and share our lives as they happen. We were connected and we had a voice.
Fast forward, and mobile social media doesn’t just let us talk about us. We are empowered to amplify experiences we have — good and bad. We broadcast what we love and hate about everyone (and everything). And we are passionate about both. This gives us reach and influence. And what we have to say matters a lot to a lot of people.
Interestingly, we are particularly vocal when we are in shopping mode, using our mobile phones as “megaphones” to tell friends and followers in our social networks all about our in-store experiences.
Telling is like it is
This is the key finding of new research released just a few days ago at the 140 Characters Conference in New York City.
Jeff Hasen — in his capacity as a mobile marketing authority who works with companies to win what he calls the “Moments of Trust” that impact sales and brand loyalty — commissioned Zoomerang to conduct a survey of 100 U.S. mobile users to find out if they use their devices to share (translated: broadcast) their positive and negative shopping experiences.
Predictably, bad news travels fast. Some 40 percent of respondents said they have used their mobile phone to communicate with family/friends/social networks about a negative retail experience. Fortunately, even more (46 percent) have used mobile to share their positive in-store experience.
What tools and technologies do these consumers use?
- 8 percent have used Twitter
- 18 percent have used Facebook
- 32 percent have sent a text message
Granted, the sample is not massive, but is it representative and provides us an important confirmation of the impact of mobile and social on our shopping behavior. Put simply, we share our experiences with our friends and networks.
The questions is: do they listen?
Just over one-third of respondents (34 percent) recall having seen a comment from a friend or member of their social network describing their shopping experience. Additionally, almost half (48 percent) said they would be influenced by a post describing a retail experience.
Pump up the volume
The findings confirm that we listen to people in our networks. Our mobile megaphones allow us to instantly amplify our knee-jerk reaction to our retail experience.
Thankfully, people don’t want to just gripe about their bad experiences. They also want to know that brands are listening. In fact, one-third (35 percent) of respondents said they would want to hear from a brand after a negative retail experience.
The reality: only 10 percent of respondents have actually heard from a brand following their post about a retail interaction (both good or bad).
Connect the dots, and there is an opportunity (even a requirement) for brands to listen in to what people are saying about their retail experiences and — more importantly — respond. No doubt this approach would go a long way toward solving issues before they balloon into full-scale social media meltdowns.
How does mobile-social transform commerce?
We catch up with Jeff for his high-level view.
MG: Your research shows consumers can — and do — broadcast their retail experiences and influence their peers. Interestingly, the breakdown shows most consumers use text messages to spread the word about their good and bad experiences. Only 8 percent reach to Twitter. What does this tell us about consumer behavior and what are the implications for marketers?
A: As suspected, be it feature phone or smartphone, consumers are increasingly using their devices as megaphones. It used to be that a brand could lose the battle for public opinion in two hours. It’s now closer to two seconds with Twitter and Facebook members twice as active as mobile as on a PC. This has dramatic impact on brands and retailers.
MG: The report tells us many consumers want to hear from brands and stores after a negative in-store experience. How should marketers approach this? What are some of the do’s and don’ts of customer engagement in this scenario?
A: Marketers need to celebrate those who perform at the Moments of Trust and help organizations identify and rid themselves of those who fail. Consumers are adapting and adopting – brands and retailers need to do the same thing. Take the example of Nordstrom, the preeminent customer service organization that is rolling out iPads and other technologies to better serve the consumer.
MG: You focus on the “Moments of Trust” — the consumer touch points with brands that influence trial, sales and loyalty. What is the key takeaway of this report and what action is necessary to turn a problem – like a negative in-store experience – into an opportunity?
A: One of the most interesting findings is the fact that 35 percent of those surveyed said they expect to be contacted by a brand or retailer. If brands and retailers can’t control the quality of their Moments of Trust, it is imperative that they take action after a bad experience to keep the customer and make the best of the situation. Many customers are forgiving – so the chance for a brand to deliver a good experience does not end in the shopping aisle.