As one of the nation’s largest energy providers, Duke Energy initially saw opportunities in social media because its customers wanted more mobile messaging during power outages.
Today, rain or shine, Duke Energy is using tools like Twitter and YouTube to communicate with their customers on a daily basis. In their recent BlogWell presentation, Lisa Hoffmann and Michelle Pearson shared a bunch of practical ideas based on how they’re engaging with Duke Energy fans and followers:
- Find ways to start small. For Duke Energy, Michelle says, it was able to take baby steps in social media by sharing links to outage maps, how-to videos, and helpful tips related to storms and power outages.
- Pictures speak volumes in an industry where people don’t always trust you. Lisa says sharing photos of the staff ready to serve customers overnight if their power went out has helped put a human face on what they’re doing. They’ve also posted videos showing the customer call center in action.
- Share the love. Lisa says that whenever she sees positive feedback through social channels, she tries to share it with the guys in the field and let them know they’re appreciated. It’s a small step toward buy-in and a big step toward supporting her colleagues.
Disclosure: Duke Energy is a Social Media Business Council member (of which I am the CEO). Learn more about it and our members: http://www.socialmedia.org