If you start to think ahead and create a great plan you will be able to assemble a support staff in anticipation of such seasons as the end-of-year holidays, but this will not be an easy job.
Whatever the time of the year the peak season for your product is, it can be tricky times; even planned sales can result in an increase of customer inquiries that will likely take over our staff capacity to execute their assigned tasks, this is why the planning ahead can take another direction and lead you into an outsourcing path that can be really beneficial to your company.
Everyone knows that without pre-planning, peak season can become stressful weeks and months.
You may think your team has superhuman powers, but managing your social pages, customer inquiries and online forums constantly, can wear out your existing staff.
If you’re planning any social media or marketing campaigns during an upcoming peak season, you will need a solid backup plan.
Outsourcing your seasonal social media management and support during busy times can be really beneficial for your business and may help you have the necessary time to solve all the inconveniences your business may experience.
Here we share eight things that can help you assemble your seasonal support strategy to get the advantage your business deserves.
1. 24/7 availability, scalability, and flexibility. The best service providers will help you plan the most cost-efficient amount of coverage hours, but will also work alongside with you to scale up and ramp down as your business needs it. Don’t get locked with a certain amount of hours throughout the season find a flexible provider who can offer the scaling you may desire.
2. Look for a full service team. Your social media moderation coverage may require a number of professionals, from content moderators, engagement moderators, social media specialists, community managers, and social strategy consultants. So, make sure your service provider has the required staff to best serve your company’s needs.
3. Multilingual coverage. In these modern times, your customers may approach you from many parts of the world and in many different languages. With the right team in place, you can be ready to solve any customer queries in a variety of languages from Spanish to German, so check with your service providers about the available languages.
4. All in one package. It is convenient to purchase bundled services because it is cost-effective. You should look for one provider that offers integrated moderation, social media, customer support, community management, and other digital services.
5. Expertise is key. Your moderation and social media team should include top expert agents well trained and be people who have a genuine passion for customer service. Make sure your outsourced support team brings that same dedication and knowledge to your project.
6. Ramp-up. Your team should be comfortable working on whatever tools and systems you are already using without need for extended training periods, they should have the capability of providing the best equipment and software to help you improve your company and provide a better customer service experience.
7. Detailed reporting. Your service provider should be able to create reports that go beyond basic metrics, ones that include recommendations on how to better engage your target audiences that can help you understand the gaps between your customers and your brand and improve the overall customer experience. The reports need to cover a wide range of data to provide enough feedback.
8. Transparent pricing. Finding a great company with all the qualities we already discussed and honest about pricing seems impossible, but with a good research you will find a good number of options that may suit your business needs and budget. Just check that the pricing clearly illustrates the cost-effectiveness of the solution you are hiring.
It would be great if your customers could contain their inquiries to the traditional nine-to-five workday, but in this global industry your business needs to be available and easy to access for customers all over the world, that is today’s reality. Your audience will be looking to engage with you 24/7 throughout this and all the upcoming seasons, so get one step ahead and outsource your seasonal social media and marketing support to take full advantage of this season and make your business grow.
The outlined qualifications in the checklist above will help you identify the ideal partner for you and the services that will help you the best during the seasonal rush.
One last tip: Have a clear view of your company’s goals and expectations for your busiest season, and for the outsourced tasks in order to give great guidelines to your service provider so you can have a chance to take everything that’s on the table!
