Which are the best ways to engage with customers and hear what they are saying about your company? What are the options for brand coverage?
A recent report from New York-based social media monitoring company Digimind[1] shows that consumer feedback tends to happen by use of hashtag, and not brand mentions.
It discovered that an overwhelming 96 percent of total US retail social brand mentions use brand hashtags, over the brand name.
For global brands, 91 percent of posts included brand hashtags, and only 9 percent directly tagged brand handles.
To fully understand how consumers are discussing products, brands must engage with consumers using compelling hashtags that resonate with their target audience.
But there are other ways that brands can gain customer loyalty without hanging on mainstream social sites for mentions. One way is through the use of apps.
A well written app could be key to the brand's relationship with its customers. The quality and usefulness of apps are indicators of how much a brand cares about its customers.
Consumers expect greater value and functionality from company-specific apps which play a crucial brand affinity role for consumers who say a positive experience with a brand app translates into greater loyalty.
Charlottesville, VA-based digital experience company WillowTree recently released its 'The Brand App Experience: Value, Purpose and Brand Loyalty'[2] report.
It looked at over 1,000 US-based consumers' usage of brand apps, the expectation for value, and the impact their experiences have on brand loyalty.
The most popular categories of brand apps tend to be apps from banks, restaurants and retailers, which, if well written, drive frequency and loyalty.
Consumers want a specific features: 65 percent of