Pressure on brands to deliver quick responses to customers on Twitter

Recent data has revealed that 52% of customers now expect a response from a brand they’ve reached out to on Twitter within one hour, with that figure growing to 72% if a consumer is making a complaint.

According to the new Lithium-commissioned study carried out Millward Brown Digital, if companies fail to respond within the given 60 minute time frame, a substantial 38% of people end up feeling more negative towards the brand, with an intimidating 60% saying they would take ‘unpleasant actions’ to express their dissatisfaction with the lack of response.

These overwhelming statistics highlight the importance of implementing well-thought out social media and digital marketing strategies. With more than half of Twitter users choosing to actively engage with brands on the social networking platform, and almost half preferring to use the site to question brands on products, it’s important this integral area of marketing and brand promotion is used effectively.

Lithium President and Chief Executive Officer Rob Tarkoff commented: “It’s time for brands to wake up and realise that social response is the new real-time marketing.

“Brands must meet their customers in their venue of choice – Twitter – and a slow or silent response simply isn’t an option. With 57 percent of consumers unlikely to spend with you again after a negative experience, those could be the most expensive 140 characters a brand ever ignores.”