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Social media has become the preferred channel for B2B brands and customers to communicate and engage with one another. After all, having meaningful conversations on social media is what connects people and brands. Whether it’s to feel more connected, access quick responses to questions, or feel part of a community, social media’s casual and convenient nature usually offers a more personalized and familiar experience for B2B buyers looking to connect. But even on a good day where social engagement is meaningful, social media itself can be chaotic.

With so many conversations taking place at once, it can be tough to handle all the direct engagement across channels taking place in different forms. If your brand is on social media but not engaging with the people who take the time to communicate with you, you’re missing out on the best part of social media—being social.

One powerful way to significantly help personalize your customer interactions across social media and effectively manage incoming conversations is by having pre-written social responses, also known as Canned Responses, ready to go when many people reach out to your brand about the same topic.

That’s exactly why we’ve introduced Canned Responses inside of the Oktopost Social Inbox — so you can create pre-written responses to common questions and issues that can save you time, ensure consistency, and improve the overall experience for your customers because you will be able to get back to them quickly and accurately, all from one place.

Let’s explore Canned Responses in Oktopost and how you can use them to *wow* your customers.

What are Canned Responses?

Canned Responses, additionally known as Social Media Response Templates, are pre-written messages in the Okotpost Social Inbox that help answer frequent questions or engage in meaningful conversations on social media.

These pre-written replies typically consist of a few words or sentences and can be quickly sent to anyone who engages with your brand. This allows you to respond quickly and accurately without having to draft a new message each time.

While the replies are pre-written, these saved replies can be flexible, giving you and your team the ability to edit them on the go before sending them to best tailor your response to the specific context of the customer conversation.

While social listening can help you identify conversations, engagement is what builds stronger connections and leads to positive relationships with your customers. However, realistically, we know you don’t always have time to craft a personalized response to every comment.

Canned Responses are the perfect way to provide a framework and pre-written copy for responding to different types of comments, inquiries, and situations at scale, no matter the situation.

Top benefits of using Canned Responses

Aside from reducing frustration or miscommunication for both brands and customers in communication, Canned Responses have many benefits for B2B businesses. The major advantages are:

With social media often being the first place your customers will go to connect, you should consider using Canned Responses to increase your productivity.

Creating and using Canned Responses effectively

There are two main ways to use Canned Responses in Oktopost: you can create them for yourself (Private) or share them with everyone on the team (Public). In our experience, a mix of both helps easily navigate conversations across social media. Here’s a look at when to use each:

• Public: Many teams create collections of Canned Responses that can be accessed and used by all team members. These shared collections ensure everyone is on the same page and can provide consistent responses to common questions. They are particularly useful in larger organizations where multiple team members may be handling customer interactions across social media.
• Private: In addition to shared collections, individuals can create their own personal collections of Canned Responses. These personal collections can be tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the individual, allowing for a more personalized touch while still reaping the benefits of efficiency and consistency.

5 Best Practices for Using Canned Responses

Now that you know where using Canned responses can come in handy, here are a few best practices on how to use Canned Responses to get the most out of your conversations with your social community:

1. Regularly update your responses: Make sure your Canned Replies are up-to-date and reflect any changes in your products, services, or policies. Outdated responses can lead to confusion and dissatisfaction.
2. Personalize when necessary: While Canned Responses are a great starting point, it’s important to personalize your responses when needed. Address the customer’s specific question or concern and add a personal touch to show that you care about their experience.
3. Use AI Assist to fine-tune your responses: AI Assist is built right into Canned Responses, making creating responses even easier for yourself. Craft precise and engaging replies in the tone you choose, saving you time while ensuring your communication is top-notch. 
4. Review and revise: Periodically review your saved replies to identify any areas for improvement. Gather feedback from your team and customers to refine your responses and make them even more effective.
5. Train your team: Spend time with your team to ensure all members are familiar with the saved replies and understand how to use them effectively. Provide training and resources to help them personalize responses and handle unique situations.

Conclusion

Having a library of ready-to-go Canned Responses inside the Oktopost Inbox is a powerful way to save time answering FAQs, ensure consistency, and improve the overall customer experience. Whether you decide to share collections or create your own personal collection of pre-written responses, incorporating Canned Responses into your social media customer communication strategy can lead to more efficient and effective customer communication on social media.

Canned Responses are already available in your account. You can start crafting responses for yourself or your entire team inside the Inbox or the Social Inbox Settings.