World Social Media Day is celebrated annually to highlight the pivotal role that online platforms play in our lives, especially in today’s era. Engagement in social media is a vital factor in telecom branding and ensuring a high customer service level.
Social media gives a voice and a platform to anyone who is willing to share their thoughts to relay information, educate, entertain, sell, or discuss. In the field of the telecom industry, digital channels have become a major conduit for sales and service.
Working in social media as well as partnering with social media players can lead to a medium to high impact on most of the telcos’ customer lifecycle touchpoints. Varied statistics revealed that social media is the preferred customer support channel for those under 25, with over 70% of consumers being more likely to purchase a service or a product when referred through social media.
In light of World Social Media Day, at the core of the social media platforms’ business model lies its strong expertise in measurements and insights, providing accurate views of the results achieved from social media marketing campaigns. Here are some examples of telcos utilizing social media for digital marketing:
- Zain KSA used Snapchat to run a 5G campaign, reaching 10.2 unique users in just four days, increasing 5G leads by 270% in the same period.
- Ooredoo started a Facebook and Instagram campaign in Kuwait that led to a seven-point increase in brand awareness and an 80% improvement in people’s perception of Ooredoo’s Internet experience. Moreover, Ooredoo Group made a strategic partnership with Snapchat to enable the use of advanced augmented reality (AR) technology for enhanced customer experience.
- Huawei succeeded in becoming one of the most talked-about brands during and after MWC 2017, garnering more than 50 times more Twitter mentions of #HuaweiP10 compared to the average daily mentions. Broadcasting live on Twitter, @HuaweiMobile saw more than 230,900 viewers, resulting to the campaign’s 11.7 million total impressions.
- Customers can use MTN Chat on WhatsApp to manage their accounts.
- e&, previously Etisalat Group, has also been active in numerous social media campaigns such as the “Thank You” campaign for over 30,000 Expo 2020 Dubai volunteers; “Stay at Home” endorsement of the UAE government campaign; and “Together Matters” which highlights core value of human connection.
- du has set up an AI-powered customer care bot, which resolves over 50% of customer inquiries. For a promotional stunt using viral video, du’s social media engagement went through the roof with the video receiving over 300,000 views and generating 65,000 likes on Facebook and a ton of new followers.
- Verizon generated a 100% brand sentiment through a Twitter campaign that raised funds for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, Snapchat provides premium sponsorship placements for Verizon, while Verizon preinstalls the Snapchat application on some of its 5G phones.
- Telecom Egypt’s (WE) innovative digital approach achieved 56 million views, reached 35 million users, and saw 1 million new conversions across mobile and data products.