Customer Service online is an expectation of the average consumer in today’s world.  Businesses are flocking to the digital space to meet this expectation but tend to be skipping the vital planning step before executing.  Planning takes time and strategy to ensure it is effectively adopted throughout the organization.

Customers expect to be able to reach someone who can help them solve their problem with the ever growing digital space, we see the desire growing here as well.  According to a recent report, 71 percent of customers expect service within five minutes.

Rushing to solve the problem results in a number of mistakes that will only mean more problems for the organization.  Businesses are posting statuses and tweets with typos or incorrect information.  This all goes back to planning ahead. Building a digital presence is more than just reading a few blogs, it requires strategy and planning.

For example, having Facebook and Twitter managed by different teams who do not communicate is one problem Delta currently faces.

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It is to late for businesses to back track but it is time to start putting more emphasis on planning.

Olivier Blanchard in Social Media ROI talks about the importance of planning and goes through a process of how to be successful online.  He explains that if you are currently online it is best to start pulling in groups currently working in the area for a think tank.  Then the next step is to redevelop and mold the program to be most effective for your business.

Planning is key and without it creating any digital presence will have you asking what have you accomplished after a year. Know your goals and be sure to have multiple areas working together to ensure the most success.  Remember building an effective social media program requires constant modeling and planning to cater to changes among consumers and technology.