Friday, June 5, 2015

What is Customer Satisfaction

Everyone knows what satisfaction is,until asked to give a definition.Then,it seems,nobody knows.This quote from Richard Oliver,respected expert and long time writer and researcher on the topic of customer satisfaction,expresses the challenge of defining this basic of customer concepts.
In less technical terms,we interpret this definition to mean that satisfaction is the customer's evaluation of a product or service in terms of whether that product or service has met the customer's needs and expectations.Failure to meet needs and expectations is assumed to result in dissatisfaction with the product or service.
Although consumer satisfaction tends to be measured at a particular point in time as if it were static,satisfaction is a dynamic,moving target that may evolve over time,influenced by a variety of factors.

Expectation > Reality = Dissatisfaction

Expectation = Reality = Satisfaction

Expectation < Reality = Delight

"Satisfaction is the customer's fulfillment response.It is a judgement that a product or service features,orthe products or service it self,provides a pleasurable level of consumption related fulfillment."
>> Oliver

"Customer satisfaction is a person feeling of pleasure or his appointment one of resulting from comparing a product perceived or performance in relation to his or her expectations."

>> Kotler

"Customer satisfaction is the feeling that a product has net or exceeded the customers expectations."
>>Lamb.Hair&Medoniel

Source :http://mktgide.blogspot.com

Top 6 Social Media Sites For Businesses

Posted by Unknown on 9:34 PM

Close to 80 percent of small business are using social media. However, the question is are they using it the right way? Truth be told most of them are not. This is because most small businesses try to use all of the social media sites. This is a big mistake.

As a matter of fact, before you even set up social media accounts you should take the time to find out which one will work best for your business. Below I am going to share with you 6 of the top social media sites for businesses to use. The key is to do more research to find out which one will benefit your business the most.

Instagram:

Over the last couple of years Instagram has picked up a lot of steam. It is a social sharing app that allows you to share photos quickly and easily. If your audience is the twenty something crowd this is a good social media site for you to use. Some businesses that can benefit from this site include hotels, fitness professionals, restaurants, travel companies and much more.

According to SumAll, a top analytics company, an Instagram follower is worth 10 times as much as a Twitter follower. That alone should tell you how valuable it can be to post interesting photos for all to see. The one downfall to Instagram is they don’t let you link your photos to your website.

However, there is a simple way around this. Connect both your Twitter and Facebook account to your Instagram account. This way your photos will be cross posted. Be sure to post new pictures at least three times a month.

Pinterest:

Pinterest is very similar to Instagram in that its all about posting pictures. On Pinterest it is known as pinning. And if you have a predominately female audience this is the place you need to be. Travel companies, weight loss companies and manufacturers can benefit greatly from this site.

The key is to practice good SEO. Be sure to use keywords when you title your boards. You should also fill out the description section. Always remember social media sites are just like search engines.

People use the search boxes to find what they are looking for. That’s why it is so important you use the right keywords and phrases to name your boards. Never post copyrighted pictures on the site. Only post pictures you own and have the rights to.

YouTube:

Video has literally taken over the world. Over 1 billion unique visitors visit YouTube every month. That alone should tell you why this is a social media site you should be using for your business. YouTube is all about posting valuable videos that people will learn from, find entertaining or both. And don’t worry, the videos don’t need to be anything fancy.

As long as your content is good you can get away with a powerpoint slide show. Youtube is one of those social media sites just about any business can benefit from. From lawyers, to musicians, to doctors to chefs.

To get started make a list of the top 10 most asked questions you get. Now record yourself, or a powerpoint presentation, answering those questions. Make sure you optimize your videos by using keywords in the title and the description. This is very important as YouTube videos show up in the search engines.

The key is to keep your videos short and to the point. Try to keep your videos under two minutes. Each video should address only one issue. Also make sure you have a call to action at the end of all of your videos. This is how you will drive traffic to your website or blog.

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is one of those social media sites that isn’t for every business. It is basically one big pool of resumes. If you are looking to hire new employees or you are trying to reach potential clients, this is a good site to use. It is the perfect platform for B2B companies.

Start off by building relationships with those who have the potential to be good hires. Join a group or two that relates to your market or industry. The idea is to show your expertise or knowledge by answering questions and starting conversations. Avoid constantly pitching your products or services.

Twitter:

Twitter became popular for its 140 characters or less idea. It is a great platform to announce special events or specials. To get the most out of it you will need to spend at least an hour a week reading messages and retweeting some of your followers. You should also post something valuable every so often.

One simple way to get the ball rolling with Twitter is to use the hashtag symbol and the advanced search feature to find questions your target audience is asking. Take the time to answer a few of those questions. This is how you will build a loyal group of followers. By answering questions and engaging your followers they will be more likely to visit your website and see what you have to offer.

Never, and I do mean never, have your tweets automatically go out. Before you retweet something take the time to read it to make sure it is something you actually want to share. Also make sure you only spend a couple of hours a week on Twitter engaging your audience. It is very easy to get sucked into Twitter and spend hours doing absolutely nothing.

Facebook:

Last on my list of top 6 social media sites is none other than Facebook. They are without a doubt the world’s largest and most popular social network. Facebook is all about sharing. And just like YouTube, it is a social media site all businesses can benefit from. Anytime you post something on Facebook, or any social media site for that matter, make sure it is something of value.

Share information you know your audience can connect to. Never use your fanpage as a place to advertise. It is a place to build relationships and generate leads. And while it may be tempting, try not to get into a lengthy back and forth with any of your followers. Things can quickly turn ugly and it can backfire on your company.

Source :http://socialmediamarketing.tips

5 Great Places To Promote YouTube Videos

Posted by Unknown on 9:11 PM

An idea has crossed your mind and you have crystallized it into a terrific YouTube video. Or, better yet, you have begun the hard journey of becoming a regular vlogger with your own YouTube channel. Have to say it: you’ll need discipline for sure, as well as a constant stream of fresh ideas, if you’ve chosen the path of vlogging.

But making the videos is half the effort. The other 50% are reserved for the good old video promotion. YouTube noted a total fail rate in video responses (only 4 people in approximately 1 million were reported to click on the comment option which has since been removed)…so there’s one less way of promoting your video.

What you should you do? How are you to approach sharing? And most importantly, where to promote your YouTube videos?

Don’t worry, this is what I’ll be talking about in today’s post.

Forums

Before I mention anything else, let me focus on the community forums and discussion boards. Many people seem to think that social media killed the forum culture, and while Facebook/Twitter certainly have had their effect, don’t make this rookie mistake.

Forums are still a great place to promote your YouTube videos, especially if you make the effort and research some boards that are strictly related to the nature of your channel. The engagement will surely be high, because most people are in discussion boards for a reason: to talk, give feedback and study in-depth the main forum theme.

What you need to make sure, though, is that you’re adding value. Forum users can be extremely scrutinizing and sensitive to spam, so don’t make the mistake of shotgunning your video link all over the place. You might get banned and then good luck promoting your video.

Social media platforms

An obvious place and perhaps normally the most popular answer of the “Where to promote my YouTube videos?” question. Both Twitter and Facebook are alright, especially Facebook which gives you the freedom of creating your own page to support your personal YouTube channel.

It’s been heavily utilized by both vloggers and streamers from Twitch recently, and it can really net you a few thousand likes in no time.

Don’t forget about Google+, though. While underrated, Google’s own social media is a great way to connect with like-minded individuals and join community discussions. Same applies for LinkedIn and its niche groups with thousands of people. Just remember what I said about the forum rules – LinkedIn groups (at least the quality ones) are very sensitive to spamming, so you’ll want to avoid that.

People who are close to you

A friend of mine who’s a semi-prominent YouTube vlogger said that it all starts with a bunch of friends and relatives. If you’re a company – with your most loyal clients.

He might be right, because reaching out to your close people (or customers) is a good headstart to any YouTube channel. What you need to do is just tell them that you’ve got a video running and they can see it and give you some feedback. Additionally, you might ask them to share it on your profiles for extra exposure.

It actually works to a great extent. Don’t forget that Kickstarter follows a similar principle – most of the initial project backers come from family, friends, and relatives. Utilize this approach when thinking where to promote your YouTube videos too.

Similar to the concept of forums, yet a little bit different due to its unique structure, Reddit can be a powerful way to grow your audience. Subreddit segmentation means that you have at least several core subreddits to the nature or industry you’re vlogging in. Sometimes when a small website gets shared, Reddit “breaks” it due to huge traffic inflow. This is pretty vocal for the power this platform has.

I’ve seen numerous videos and channels get their main audience from Reddit and people staying loyal to the YouTube channel. This could happen to you easily, if you a) provide real value with your videos and b) don’t spam, and remember to participate in the discussions.

Collaborations with other YouTube channels

YouTube collaborations are worth a mention here, but deserve a whole another post. What you need to consider is teaming up with another vlogger because other people’s channels are a powerful place where you can promote your YouTube videos.

In this way you two (or more, depending on the size of the collaboration) will benefit from mixing each other’s audience (given that you’re similar in a way). This mix will bring forth a surge of new subscribers which will effectively increase your channel views.

Collaboration can be a tricky experience. For now just remember it as one of the five great places to promote YouTube videos…later I’ll be sure to revisit the topic for more in-depth study.

Source :http://socialmediamarketing.tips

The Only 6 Content Marketing Tips You Need for 2015

Posted by Unknown on 4:00 PM

Content continues to be one of the most important aspects of online marketing; however, methods are rapidly changing. In 2015, successful businesses will be the ones that understand this dynamic shift and develop a strategy that accounts for new changes.
More Valuable Than Ever Before

Content marketing is more valuable than ever and heavily invested companies are seeing huge returns. The good news is that regardless of your size or available resources, there are targeted strategies available to you. Content marketing can be scaled according to your needs and options exist for every budget. If you want further proof that content marketing works, just consider the following statistics as curated by Kapost.com.
82 percent of B2C marketers and 95 percent of B2B enterprise marketers use content marketing.

78 percent of CMOs believe custom content is the future of the marketing industry.
Only 12 percent of companies ignore content in their marketing efforts.
Despite the fact that content is proven to be valuable, only 32 percent of marketers believe they’re executing an effective strategy.

It’s the last statistic that’s so alarming, yet incredibly promising. It means that 2 out of 3 companies aren’t maximizing their potential. Is your company part of that cohort? If so, 2015 presents an amazing opportunity to shift your strategy and increase returns.
6 Important Tips for 2015 .

In order to make 2015 your most successful year for content marketing, here are six valuable and timely tips. Find ways to incorporate them into your strategy and discover why so many successful companies point to content marketing as their highest returning area of business.

1.Invest in visual content. As Jeff Bullas emphasizes, we live in a visual world. When it comes to content marketing, this is convenient. Digital technology is evolving at a rapid pace and has given marketers the chance to tell stories through the use of videos, infographics, and compelling imagery. Using the fact that 94 percent of content with visuals get more total views than textual content, you should be aiming to incorporate visual elements in every single post, article, and tweet you produce.

2.Leverage A/B split testing. 2015 will be the year that people test everything. Testing software has exploded onto the scene and now allows marketers and business owners to test and tweak almost any element of a digital marketing strategy. You can use this to your advantage by implementing a split testing tool and messing around with various titles, images, and call-to-actions to see which perform best.

3.Focus on social. According to Chris Delany, founder of SEMGeeks, a popular digital marketing agency, “The top social media platforms being used by marketers are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Use for both SlideShare and Google+ has increased, but marketers are still most likely to put their time and dollars into the top three social media channels because of their potential for engaged, targeted audiences.” Furthermore, platforms like Vine and Snapchat are also becoming increasingly valuable. You should use your social profiles to promote one-on-one customer engagement and effectively disseminate content that resonates with the target market of each networking platform.

4.Learn to curate. It’s becoming increasingly clear that customers are less interested in promotional content and more drawn to thought leadership quality content. In other words, you should stop trying to force-feed sales copy and invest in developing yourself as a reputable source of valuable content. The best way to do this is by learning to curate relevant content from across the web and providing your followers with information they want and need.

5.Repurpose for max value. Unless you have a massive team of content creators, it’s difficult to produce tons of material on a daily basis. In order to maximize the value of the content you do publish, find ways to repurpose it for continued use. For example, you can pull key points from an article and tweet them throughout the week; or you could use a long blog post as a launching point for an entire blog series. Whatever you choose to do, finding ways to repurpose material will allow you to extend the valuable life of your content.

6.Try segmentation. Finally, micro-segmentation will be key in 2015 and beyond. As the internet becomes increasingly saturated, the only way for smaller companies and brands to stand out from the crowd will be to target a niche community or a highly-specialized segment of the larger market. This can be done by incorporating long tail keywords, linking up with industry blogs, and focusing on social media to connect with a target market.
Measuring Your Return on Investment
Whatever you do, it will be important to measure your efforts and evaluate your ROI. You should focus on analyzing four major components: content message, content format, distribution channel, and promotional efforts. By understanding how you’re performing in each of these areas, you’ll be able to better allocate your budget and retarget your efforts for maximum return.
Be Content Centric This Year
Your marketing focus this year – as in years past – should be on producing and distributing quality content. However, as the weeks and months pass by, it will be important to recognize the shifts taking place and to adapt your efforts accordingly. The current state of content marketing never stays still for long and you must be ready to evolve with it; use these six tips to maximize your efforts this year.

Source :http://www.forbes.com

Service Encounter

Posted by Unknown on 10:48 PM

We have just finished a discussion of customer perceptions,specifically customer satisfaction and service quality.As discussed in our strategy insight,companies today recognize that they can compere more effectively bydistinguishing themselves with respect to service quality,satisfaction and loyalty.Next we turn to what have been termend the building blocks for customer pereptions service encounters or moments of truth.Service encounters are where promises are kept or broken and where the proverbial rubber meets the road.

From the customer's point of view,the most vivid impression of service occurs in the service encounter or moment of truth,where the customer interacts with the service firm.
For example: among the service encounters that a hotel customer experiences are checking into the hotel,being taken to a room by a bellperson,eating a restaurant meal,requesting a wake up call,and checking out.You could think of the linking of these moments of trush as a service encounter cascade.It is in these encounters that customers receive a snapshot of the organization service quality and each encounter contributes to the customer's overall satisfaction and willingness to do business with the organization again.From the organization's point of view,each encounter thus presents an opportunity to prve its potential as a quality service provider and to increase customer loyalty.

Some services have few service encounters and others have many.The Disney Corporation estimates that each of its amusement park customers experiences about74 service encounters and that a negative experience in any one of them can lead to a negative overall evaluation.