In 2012, Socialbakers introduced an industry standard called “Socially Devoted,” addressing brands that incorporate social networks into their marketing strategies. Although the Socially Devoted standard provides results for brands on Facebook and Twitter, its principles apply to all social networking platforms, including Google+, YouTube, and others. In order to be successful on social media channels, it is crucial to be Socially Devoted no matter what industry you are involved with – whether it be retail, airlines, media companies, and even film!
How we measure Social Devotion?
1.) The company creates an open line of communication with fans
The brand’s social network Page is set up in order to create an interaction with its fans. This means that brands should be posting sharable content that fans and followers can relate to and engage with. Regarding Facebook, the Page’s walls must be open so that fans can post comments and questions.
2) The company responds to its fans’ questions at least 65% of the time
The brand responds to as many fan posts as possible. Our criteria state that at least 65% of all questions should be answered. In June 2012, the average industry Response Rate was just 30%, but has since increased to 60% of questions responded to – a 100% increase!
According to the 2013 Q1 results, brands on Twitter respond to 38% of followers’ questions.(a 4% increase, compared to the Response Rates brands held in Q4 2012.).
3) The company responds in a timely fashion
Your Page essentially doubles as a customer care site. Therefore, not responding in a timely manner is off-putting for fans that are anxious for information. During Q1, in 2013, the volume of questions asked by fans increased by 30% compared to those throughout Q4 in 2012. In this quarter, brands performed fantastically, as they managed to answer 50% more questions than in Q4.
The current industry benchmark allows for a response time of around 22.5 hours, though realistically, brands should be aiming to respond within 30 minutes. Depending on the nature of your service, you may want to consider 24/7 support.
We've created these criteria to help brands most effectively engage with their fan base. The social marketing industry is based on fan interaction, sustaining engagement, and loyalty. Since we’ve implemented this standard, we’ve already seen a dramatic increase in brand page engagement and Response Time. Well done, brands, and keep up with the good work in managing your fans interactions!
