Responding to messages is an underrated part of a presence on social media. A significant share of business enquiries today arrive as a direct message or a comment under a post rather than through a web form, and people expect a reply within hours, not days. Yet companies often have no one designated to monitor messages, and the inbox goes unchecked for days at a time. The solution is clear ownership of the channel, routing messages into a tool where more people can see them, prepared answers to recurring questions, and a clear rule for when communication moves to email or phone. Public comments containing a question are worth answering publicly, since others see the answer too, and only then continuing in a private message.
See also: Response speed to inquiries, Comment moderation, Live chat on the website.
