Social media is, by definition, a very public forum. Whether it’s positive or negative, every legitimate question deserves a response! Letting your customers know their questions are being heard and addressed fosters a good relationship with you and your fans, and can serve to influence how your event is perceived.
Because your social presence is a critical factor in your event’s success, our social media experts compiled a list of guidelines for the most effective responses to different types of social media inquiries.
Simple Event Questions
With any publicly visible social media inquiry, it’s important to be as direct as possible. Be prepared for fans to ask a variety of questions about your event. Inquiries may include anything from when the doors will open, to where they can find the schedule, to what’s included with different ticket price levels. In these cases, we recommend simply replying publicly with a brief answer, or a link to your FAQ page. It’s also a great idea to personalize your responses to provide a more genuine feeling to the interaction. Beginning your replies with ‘Hey Mike, thanks for reaching out to us’ or something similar makes you seem less robotic and more like a real person!
Unique Ticket Questions
When a customer reaches out and asks a more personal question or brings a new issue to light, you’ll want to use your best judgment before replying. If their inquiry can be properly addressed with one or two brief messages, then go for it. A good rule of thumb, however, is to avoid posting more than two replies publicly. If it’s a question regarding private information like their specific tickets or a credit card decline, or you suspect it’s a more in-depth issue that requires research, request that the customer contact you via direct message, or provide them your customer support team’s email or phone contact information.
Widespread Questions
If multiple social comments contain similar questions or concerns, it’s typically in your best interest to publicly post a statement directly on your feed, detailing either the resolution or an announcement that the issue is being investigated. This will communicate to all of your followers that their concerns have been noted, and prevents you from needing to follow up individually with large numbers of customers.
Dissatisfied Customer Questions
Your fans are very excited and passionate about your event, so emotions can run high! When a frustrated customer reaches out to you via social media, you don’t want to ignore them, but you also want to avoid a public back-and-forth. Your best course of action is an offer to redirect the discussion to a private channel, either via direct message or your event’s customer support team. Then you should disengage publicly, even if the customer continues posting to your public profile. Only if things devolve to an untenable level should you consider actually blocking such a customer – this should be treated as a last resort, as it can sometimes serve to stoke tensions even further.