Every modern business needs a community management strategy. With the advent of social media, digital platforms, and online networking, it’s never been easier to build a community-focused brand. There are many different ways to manage your community based on what you want to achieve. But where do you start?
We like to start managing our communities by first listening to their needs. This can be done by reviewing previous comments and messages so you can know what kind of questions they ask the most, and what areas they’re most interested in. We list these questions into what we call a “pulse document” or a “pulse doc”.
What exactly is a pulse document?
A pulse document is a living, breathing FAQ list. pulse docs are created by finding the most frequently asked questions from your customers, and then organizing them into a single document that you can easily pull up when needed.
For example: Let’s say you work for a dog walking business. You’ve noticed that the question “How far in advance do I need to book dog walks?” comes up again and again among potential customers. The idea behind creating a Pulse Doc is to put all these questions together in one place—so instead of answering each client individually every time they ask this same question, you can refer right back to the Pulse Doc!
Why does my company need a pulse doc for community management?
The pulse document is designed to help you manage your community in a more efficient and streamlined manner. It will save you time researching for the answer to the customer’s query, which is crucial for improving customer service response time. The pulse doc will also improve response accuracy and consistency, as it provides a single source of information for your team.
How do I create a pulse doc?
Creating a pulse doc is straightforward. Just follow these steps:
- Go create a new document on Google Docs or any other collaborative medium.
- Create a list of frequently asked questions, and then write answers to those questions below. The answers should be in sentences and not stand alone words.
- Add links or other resources where people can find more information. For example, if the customer needs to contact customer service in other ways, you might provide a link to the customer support page so customers know where to go if they have more complex questions or issues.
How do I use a pulse doc?
- Whenever a customer asks an FAQ, simply go to your pulse doc and copy the answer to the question.
- Once it’s in the message bubble, tweak your response accordingly to the customer’s query. We recommend personalising and changing the way you deliver your answer to each customer, so that they feel prioritised and that they’re communicating with a real person.
- When you notice new areas of concern popping up, add the questions to your pulse doc, answer them, and repeat the process.
A good pulse doc will help your business know the right way to react in almost any situation
A pulse document is an important tool for community management because they keep you organized and on track in the long run. They also act as a communication mechanism between different departments, allowing everyone to be updated on important information.
And remember, a pulse doc is only a GUIDE for community management. It’s not a good practice to just copy and paste the answers every single time a customer asks you a question. Customers ultimately want to be heard by real people, and if they’re always given canned answers, they’re not going to feel supported.
We can create a pulse doc for your brand
We begin by conducting an audit of your public relations and social media interactions, and once we have all of the information gathered and analyzed, we’ll present it to you in the form of a pulse doc. (You can also use this document as both a guidebook for your team or even as part of their onboarding process!) Once that’s settled, we can begin managing your community.
An excellent pulse doc can help your business avoid the most common mistakes with community management. Ready to get one for your brand? Contact us today.