8 Tricks for Better Social Media Automation

Social media automation has both positive and negative aspects. The debate is still going on with individuals and businesses exploring the vast potential of it. Some state it as a dire need and some overlook possibilities to use it to their advantage.

Both sides of the discussion have valid points in their arguments. Many are concerned that automated updates on social media do not venture beyond a set template. However, sometimes templated responses make sense.

The key is to find a good balance between manual posting and automation.

Here are eight tricks for better social media automation.

1. Say No to Automated DMs

Many Twitter followers dislike automated direct messages. An example of an unsuccessful direct message could be: “Thanks for following us. Use our product now as we try to make your journey more exciting.” An automated DM quickly becomes spam.

A better way to use DMs is to acknowledge someone when they follow your handle, and not by pushing them to try your product. Be sincere and do not lead your social media presence through spam.

2. Out of Office

Every customer expects a fast resolution for a query. He or she wants the brand to reach out to him or her as soon as possible based on the importance of the situation.

Aggrieved customers may post on social media whenever they find gaps in customer service. So, you should be aware of social updates and mentions.

A better way to stay in touch with your customers is to leave an out-of-office message when you are not at work. Make sure to acknowledge that you will resolve their issue soon. This will help to instill confidence in your customers.

3. Don’t Go Overboard with Automation

Sending out-of office-messages is fine, but overdoing them can hurt your relationship with customers. If you drop a canned message such as “Thanks for the message. We will get back to you soon. Keep using our product for better performance,” it may not go over well with your customers. This approach is antiquated and not helpful to your customers.

To avoid customer frustration with automated messages, try to make your responses more personalized. Keep some unplanned and reactionary tweets so that the whole process looks less automated.

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4. Balance the Content

Add variety to your content and avoid unnecessary posts. When you are out of new ideas, do some content upgrades and re-position your old posts.

Repetitive use of the same offers to entice customers has become obsolete. Make sure to find a balance of articles ranging from tips and tricks, hacks, blogs and new offers.

This makes even your automated posts look different, and it wards off monotony.

5. More Irregular Triggers

You should be automating at set times, as it may be helpful to your business. However, do some brainstorming to come up with offers at different times of the day based on the fluctuations in the market and nature.

For example, if you have a coffee company, set up an automation trigger to publish discounts at hot temperatures. You could do the same for warm clothing during summer. Or if public transport is down, you can push content related to alternate modes of transport, such as cabs, carpools and ride shares.

You need a more unified automation service to pull off this feat, but it’s worth the effort.

6. Get Some Urgency

When you are not in the office and you get a bad review or a critical support request of your product, don’t let it stay in your inbox for many days. Delegate the work to someone else from your team.

At this crucial juncture, social automation can scan your negative reviews. Then, it can trigger a message or email alert to a designated employee from your team. This helps to make your company reliable and responsive.

7. Keep an Eye on the Competition

Optimal use of social automation comes with thinking outside the box. Explore beyond your channels and keep an eye on your competitors’ pages. Search for company mentions, product names, and other activity of the competitors.

Social automation software should give you insight into the market, rather than just helping to aid in posting.

8. CRM Integration

Social automation activity has to be tied to CRM for better results. This puts you in a better position to pacify aggravated customers, perform sentiment analysis and clear support tickets. Choose an all-in-one CRM solution such as Agile CRM to integrate and keep track of all social interactions.

The software creates records in your CRM, which helps you track interactions with your customers. It saves you valuable time and ensures consistent messages with no data leaks.

Social automation has immense potential. Make sure to always find a balance between manual social media posts and automation. The best approach is to mix and match both the worlds of automation and personalization to make the most of your social media output.