Should you use Formspring to communicate with your customers?
Formspring is a service that allows visitors to ask you questions, both anonymously and named, on any subject they like. It’s a prime example of a social network that experienced a surge in popularity, followed by a lull when the service was simply forgotten for the Next Big Thing.
The main reason a lot of people allowed their membership with Formspring to lapse is due to the anonymous nature, leading to some abusive questions and comments to be made to each Formspring account. While this isn’t a new occurrence in the online world, it did pick up a lot of speed on this particular site.
But does that mean companies should avoid the service? A thick skinned community manager can keep an eye on what’s going on, dealing with constructive criticism and removing abusive content. As an interactive FAQ section, it’s an interesting way to extend your social media strategy and improve your relationship with customers.
This kind of approach works well with online retailers, particularly for the fashion, technology and cosmetic markets. It’s a lightweight version of a forum, allowing users to ask all those niggling questions that they don’t wish to call or email about.
What do you think about Formspring? Would you use it?
