There’s no doubt in today’s day and age that social media is huge. There’s over 5 billion – yes with a ‘b’ – users across platforms. What’s more huge is the way brands and businesses communicate on socials.

Let’s paint a picture – you’re DMing a local consignment store to ask if they carry plus size items before you make the venture to their brick and mortar. Not only is there no reply, they left you on read yet are active on stories and posting day in and day out.

Talk about a sour taste.

Sure – some people might still make the effort as they pass by and have a moment of time to spare so they can wander in and ask the question in person. Many won’t.

So what’s the solution?

Simply put – answer.

Now of course, the strategy is going to differ depending on the company and how they choose to manage their social media platforms. Some might have a manager that takes care of all DMs, posts and other interactions. Some might opt for automated replies. And further, some are taken care of by the owner themselves who, of course, has their plate full with many other items on their to-do lists.

Regardless of who (or what) takes care of the replies, the overarching need is authenticity.

This word has unfortunately become wildly overused and a bit cliche, however the truth still stands.

Customers and clients want to hear from a human sounding, caring and honest individual on the other side.

Let’s run it back to the example earlier.

Of course, being left on read is one of the worst outcomes for that message. The next, being not opened at all. But what about a straight up “yes” or “no”.

That’s hardly a warm and engaging answer.

Here’s a simple formula to keep that engaging and genuine tone while not overspending your time on formatting a reply.

Respond – timely, within 30-60 minutes (or less) for best results
Resolve – answer the question, take accountability and have a solution
Reassure – empathy, tone and positive language can take you miles closer to a happy customer

Shall we go back to the DM to the consignment store?

Customer: Hey! Do you guys carry plus size clothing? (sent at 1:48pm)

Shop: Hi (name)! Thanks so much for reaching out. At this time we have a limited supply of plus sized items, which are always dependent on what flows through on drop off days. I’ll take a quick run over to that rack and send a few photos to you so you know what we have in stock at the moment. Let me know if you have any questions about them, I’ll shoot over a quick message in about 20 minutes with what we have. (sent at 2:15pm)

Shop: (photos sent of 4 items) – thanks for the patience with us gathering those items. We are able to hold any of these until 12pm tomorrow if you are interested and want to stop by to see them in person. We’re open until 8pm today so just send a message or give us a call! Hope you find something you love.

What a difference that time and effort makes.

Not only did you nurture a customer, you took the time to familiarize yourself with what you have available, the customer feels seen and appreciated and will be ready to tell people about the experience when thrifting (inevitably) comes up in the next group chat.

The long & short – DMs are a breeding ground for building trust, communication and community. What’s your strategy going to be?

As always, my DMs are open to help your customer service be the leading edge to your competitors.

Chat soon!