المستخلص: |
Where communication, even online, was once usually one way, from author to audience, the new social media technologies have revolutionized it, making it essentially multi-way. Content is no longer static and delivered to a passive audience, but dynamic, created with the collective participation of the audience. Retail companies in Saudi Arabia have used these new social media technologies to engage with their customers, adapting their business strategies and procedures accordingly. Three such companies are taken as case studies, examining their use of Twitter, the most important social media platform in Saudi Arabia, to enhance their customer relationship management (CRM). A questionnaire survey and interviews are used to identify customer attitudes to retailers’ use of social media. Consumers appear to be receptive to retailers’ Twitter communications, but they also expect multi-way conversations and timely response to queries and complaints. The results show that the changed dynamics of online communication give companies the opportunity of value co-creation, where increased interaction with consumers allows them to do more than merely satisfy the immediate customer. The use of social media extends traditional CRM and marketing, creating social CRM. Finally, the research finds that there is a need for instant, on- demand communication, which companies cannot ignore if they wish to succeed in today’s marketplace.
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