DON’T BE SEDUCED BY SOCIAL MEDIA, URGES PITNEY BOWES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 29, 2011 -- Media Contact:
James Harris
james@lure.co.uk
0208 332 9690


DON’T BE SEDUCED BY SOCIAL MEDIA, URGES PITNEY BOWES
- Small businesses need to get the basics right -

Harlow, UK, 28thNovember 2011: Small businesses seduced by the hype around social media risk alienating their customers by investing time and money in socialinteraction techniques they do not want, rather than focussing on getting the basics right.

The research*, commissioned by communication expert Pitney Bowes with the aim of providing SMEs with insight into which customer interactionmethods encourage repeat purchases, reveals thatsocial media inspires loyalty injust 18% of customers, rising to 25% for larger businesses.And just as ineffective are personalised web pages (14%) and online communities(23%).

The findings revealed that customers are more likely to stay loyal and purchase again from small companies that offer them concrete customer service initiatives and communication management rather than social media interaction, such as:
• An easy and effective way to contact the company (46%)
• Home delivery (45%)
• A say in ranges of products and services (45%)
• Control over method and frequency of received communication (44%)

The results highlight the importance of establishing the basics before moving on to techniques that deepen customer involvement and move towards a social relationship. Smaller businesses that lead with these techniques and do not listento their customers will find they are out of step with their thinking. For SMEs, this can mean the difference between success and failure.

Phil Hutchison, Pitney Bowes Tactical Marketing Director at Pitney Bowes says, “Thereis no doubt that social media can be an effective tool for small companies, it’s just a question of priority. Used in isolation, with a lack of understanding and given greater precedence over customer service initiatives designed to make interaction more convenient, it can come across as inconsequential and extravagant, so investment needs to be justified. What we’re urging SMEs to do with this research is ‘get the basics right’, and then create a buzz.”

The full report “The Customer Dance: When to Lead and When to Follow” can be downloaded free of charge from http://pressroom.pitneybowes.co.uk/surveys_and_research.aspand provides SMEs with more detail on when to lead interactions and when to allow customers more control.

www.pitneybowes.co.uk
ENDS

For more information, interviews or an image, please contact James Harris at Lucre Public Relations on 0208 332 9690 or pitneybowes@lucre.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

* Research was commissioned from Mind Metre Research in May 2011. 6,000 consumers were questioned in total, 1,000 in UK, France, Germany and 2,000 in the USA in May 2011. Figures in this release relate to the UK only.


About Pitney Bowes:

Delivering more than 90 years of innovation, Pitney Bowes provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels. Long known for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies grow their business through advanced customer communications management. Pitney Bowes is a $5.4 billion company and employs more than 30,000 worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity™. www.pb.com