Len Rosen describes in this article four examples of how private enterprise-based social networking can be used by a business to engage customers:
1. Customer Service and Support Virtual Rooms
"A company can create a dedicated room for this function inviting customers and members of its support team to interact. As customers interact with the support team the company begins to build a knowledge base that is accessible to all who enter the support room. Customers can be rewarded for interaction through loyalty points programs. "Ask the expert" chat rooms can deal with customer issues in a friendly and informative way. Customers can contribute to blogs and comments. Important documents and files can be shared. Video and other multimedia support can address common customer "how to" issues."
2. Support Escalation Virtual Rooms
"A company can create an internal support room not visible to the public. In this room company experts can collaborate on issues that customers raise. Collective wisdom can be applied to customer problems and then fed back into the public facing service and support room as well as to public social network pages."
3. Customer Community Virtual Rooms
"More and more companies are experimenting with online private social communities focused on customer engagement and retention. These sites can be used to extend web conversations that start on public sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. For example iCoke.ca, the Canadian Coca Cola online community encourages members to create a profile, get involved in quizzes and polls, collect iCoke points on special product promotions, enter contests, and cash in points for rewards. The end result is the fostering of greater customer brand loyalty."
4. Sharing Challenges Virtual Rooms
"To many organizations admitting customers into the process of problem solving can be unnerving. But the truth is customers may be the best source for a company to create new ideas, products and services. Within this type of room invited customers can brainstorm with members of the company's design teams, looking at new processes, methodologies, and product ideas. Customer contributions can be acknowledged and rewarded furthering the brand loyalty bond."
