Increasing company profits in a rocky economy is a tough task that requires superhero-ish powers. Some may dump money into advertising campaigns, while others downsize their workforce (e.g. Yahoo! layoffs). These approaches work, though I’m surprised no one ever mentions improving efficiency as a way to cut costs.

In recent years, customer service has floated towards social channels and instead of taking to the phone lines, or good ole’ snail mail, customers jump online to receive answers to questions, or voice their opinions. Businesses around the world need to respond by adopting new age customer service strategies.

To decrease customer service expenditures and improve brand reputation, I am campaigning for corporations to answer common questions in the form of blog posts. If 100 customers call each day with the same question, and answering such a question takes an average 5 minutes, over 8 hours per day are spent on customer service for that question alone. Given the fact that this constitutes a full-time employee at anywhere from $30k-$45k per year, by simply writing an in-depth blog post providing information, then directing customers to the post, efficiency is improved and laborious, repetitive customer service communications are diminished.

I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t this the same as having a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of a website? Well, no.

By creating a blog entry on a specific question, the information acts as an independent page. This allows company representatives to forward information on the particular question without forcing customers to browse through a lump of FAQs, most of which are not relevant. More importantly, individual blog posts can be quickly and easily found in search engines, which will likely eliminate the need for correspondence altogether.

In conclusion, consider utilizing blogs (and social media as a whole) for customer service. Either you voluntarily make the move now, or you’ll be forced to in the future.

Aaron Schoenberger
@TheSchoenberger
The Brainchild Group

Aaron Schoenberger is Founder of The Brainchild Group — a world-renowned Internet marketing agency that specializes in Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). He’s known for his work with celebrities, top restaurants, automotive manufacturers, professional athletes, educational institutions, luxury brands and Fortune 500 companies.