You can’t talk about social business without first talking about social customers. Because we, as consumers, find ourselves with the global equivalent of a megaphone in our hands. Or, more precisely, a mouse click or touchscreen away.

But what is a social customer?

A social customer can be characterized as a person who spends some percentage of the sales cycle online.

The social customer might be researching product or service options, asking friends for recommendations, or talking online about your product or their experience with your brand. It could be a tweet, a like, a review, or even a rant.

Your customers are talking. Are you paying attention?

Photo by floeschie.