Once upon a time, being a brand on social media was enough to be considered innovative. Social networks were born as, and still are, uniquely personal arenas. They were not meant to be vehicles for businesses to drive sales.

This is where so many brands go wrong today.

Simply having a social account and pushing out company-related messages is simply propaganda. Social media is rooted in the art of conversation. And, as we know, a conversation cannot happen with dialogue flowing from only one end. Here is where the disconnect exists.

Marketing has a very clear end-goal. Drive sales. Boost the bottom line. Increase awareness. Social media is not an inherently good place for brands to be because it requires a completely different way of thinking.

It is, however, a necessary place for brands to be. As a matter of fact, practically everyone is already there. How can your brand stand out?

It is so hard to create a marketing campaign to truly separate oneself from the noise. Think of social networks as if they were Times Square. When everyone is trying to get your attention at once, no one succeeds. Casting a wide net, spraying and praying, is no longer the smartest route for gaining notoriety. The ability to disrupt one’s audience is the key to effective marketing.

Instead, a marketer’s best friend is a theory by the name “disruptive hustle.” By painstakingly forging one-to-one relationships, a brand can effectively separate themselves from competition.

Social users love lodging complaints. According to a recent study, 47% of social media users now actively seek customer service through social media.

Furthermore, 83% of Twitter users and 71% of Facebook users expect a response within a day, and 50% expect that response within two hours.

Those numbers mean one thing – customers take social media very, very seriously. Purchasing decisions are heavily influenced and discussed on social networks. Buying and discussing products has always been a personal activity. If customers aren’t happy with your performance, they’ll be more than happy to tell you.

Your customers take to social media to address problems. Therefore, so should you.

Qdoba may be one of the best at practicing disruptive hustle. Notice how they handle this customer’s issue.

@brodella I am sorry about that. Totally lame. Next one is on us. Do you have a Rewards card?

— Qdoba Mexican Grill (@QdobaMexGrill) January 25, 2013

@brodella Of course – it was our error. Send me a DM with your card number and I will load your entree today!

— Qdoba Mexican Grill (@QdobaMexGrill) January 25, 2013

Qdoba used a negative comment to create a highly positive user-experience, retaining brand loyalty and doing so quickly and efficiently. Two tweets salvaged what could have been a lost customer. That is social ROI at its finest.

Disruption can be found through hustle. Responding to every client, customer or complainer will set you apart from your competition. If you are capable of creating a dynamic and memorable marketing campaign, do it. But in the mean time, be unique by being tireless.

Be relentless in your pursuit of 100% customer satisfaction. The customer service desk is now a 140-character conversation. Be prepared.

Learn more about what our team of experts can do for your social media efforts.

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