Build real customer relationships. Many businesses approach social media as another marketing channel for self-promotion and don't always respond when customers comment on their posts or tweet at them. Use your Facebook and Twitter accounts as an opportunity to build real relationships with your customers by engaging in conversation.
Focus on creating a customer advocate base. If a customer has a bad experience with a company, one of the first things he or she is likely to do is write about it on social media. Instead of figuring out how to manage and respond to those negative comments, businesses should focus on providing such excellent service that they create a strong, loyal customer base that will advocate on their behalf if someone has something bad to say.
Remember that social media is a mirror. No matter how good you are at responding to social media interactions, your customer service ultimately rests on how well you run your business. If your business is going well and customers love you, that's reflected on social media. If they dislike you, social networks become a tool to amplify their voice.
