Latest / Customer Journey with Fexingo: Touchpoints, Mapping, and Multi-Channel Marketing / The Missed Touchpoint in Your Social Media DMs
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, I want to ask you something. When was the last time you saw a journey map that actually included the social media direct message as a touchpoint? Luna: Honestly? I can't remember one. They always have the social icons, but the DM itself is never a labeled stop on the flow. Lucas: Right, and that's the gap I want to drill into today. Because for a lot of customers, the DM isn't just a customer service channel — it's the channel where they're most vulnerable, and most willing to talk. It's the private inbox. Luna: Vulnerable in what sense? Lucas: Think about it. On a public post, a complaint is a performance. You're broadcasting to your friends, to the brand, to the algorithm. But in a DM, you're having a one-on-one conversation. The stakes feel lower, so people say things they wouldn't say publicly. And that's where brands can actually build relationships. Luna: So you're saying the DM is where the real conversation happens, not the comment section. Lucas: Exactly. And yet, most journey maps treat social as a top of funnel awareness channel. They track likes and shares, maybe comments. But the DM? It's a black box. Nobody maps it, nobody staffs it properly, and it's becoming one of the most important touchpoints for customer loyalty. Luna: I've seen that happen. A friend of mine runs a small coffee roaster, and she told me about a customer who DMed them about a bad bag of beans. She replied personally, sent a replacement, and that customer is now one of their biggest advocates. That's a journey map moment if I've ever seen one. Lucas: That's a perfect example. Because that DM was a moment of truth. If she'd ignored it, or responded with a copy-paste script, she'd have lost that customer. Instead, she turned a complaint into a loyal advocate. And that's the kind of thing that doesn't show up in your analytics unless you're specifically tracking DM interactions. Luna: But isn't the DM just another customer service channel, like email or phone? Why does it deserve its own place on the map? Lucas: Because the context is fundamentally different. Email feels formal, phone feels intrusive. But a DM is intimate. It's where people talk to their friends. When a customer DMs a brand, they're inviting the brand into that space. And the expectation is a human, conversational response — not a ticket number. Luna: So it's about the psychology of the channel, not just the logistics. Lucas: Precisely. And that's why journey maps that ignore the DM are missing the most emotionally charged touchpoint in the entire journey. A public complaint is a signal, but a DM is a conversation. And conversations are where loyalty is built. Luna: But how do you actually map it? I mean, you can't just put 'DM' on the map and call it a day. You need to know when it happens, why it happens, and what to do with it. Lucas: Right. So let's talk about the practical side. First, you need to identify the triggers. What prompts a customer to DM? It could be a problem with a product, a question about shipping, or even a compliment. In your coffee roaster friend's case, it was a quality issue. But you can't just wait for problems — you need to anticipate them. Luna: So you're saying brands should proactively look for those moments? Lucas: Absolutely. For example, if you see a customer post a question in the comments, that's a prime moment to invite them to DM. Same with an unboxing video that mentions a missing piece. The DM is a way to take the conversation private before it escalates publicly. Luna: That's smart. But what about the actual response? What does a good DM interaction look like? Lucas: The key is speed and humanity. A response time of under an hour is ideal — that's what you'd expect from a friend. And the tone should be personal, not corporate. Use the customer's name, reference the specific issue, and offer a concrete solution. Your coffee roaster friend did it by sending a replacement, but sometimes it's just an apology or a discount code. Luna: But what about the metrics? How do you know if your DM strategy is working? Lucas: You want to track a few things. Response time, resolution rate, and the sentiment of the conversation. You can also track whether a DM session leads to a repeat purchase or a follow. But the most important metric is probably the 'satisfaction score' — you can even send a follow-up message asking for a thumbs up or down. Luna: So it's not just about solving the problem, it's about measuring the impact on loyalty. Lucas: Exactly. And that's where the journey map comes in. Once you map the DM as a touchpoint, you can start to see patterns. Maybe you notice that most DMs happen after a shipping delay, or after a product launch. That tells you where to focus your resources. Luna: So, for example, if you see a spike in DMs after a new product drops, you know you need to have extra staff on hand. Lucas: Right. And that's a journey map insight you wouldn't get from a standard social media dashboard. But here's the thing — mapping the DM isn't just about reactive service. It's also about proactive engagement. You can use DMs to re-engage lapsed customers, to ask for feedback, or to offer exclusive deals to your most loyal followers. Luna: That's interesting. So the DM can be a tool for retention, not just support. Lucas: Definitely. And that's why I think it deserves a prominent place on the journey map, right between the consideration stage and the purchase stage. Because that's often when customers reach out with questions or hesitations. A well-handled DM can be the nudge that turns a browser into a buyer. Luna: That reminds me of a stat I heard recently — that something like seventy percent of customers are more likely to buy from a brand they've had a good DM experience with. I don't remember the exact source, but it stuck with me. Lucas: That sounds about right. And it makes sense — a DM is a personal connection. It's the opposite of a generic marketing email. It's a direct line to a human being. And that's powerful. Luna: So if I'm a marketer listening right now, what's the one thing I should do today to start mapping this touchpoint? Lucas: Start by setting up alerts for your DMs. Make sure someone is actually monitoring them — not just on weekdays, but on weekends and evenings too. Then, create a simple response template that your team can personalize. And finally, add a row to your journey map for 'DM interaction' and start noting when they happen, what they're about, and how they're resolved. Luna: And then review that data monthly to see what patterns emerge. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the kind of ongoing optimization that makes a journey map a living tool, not a static artifact. Luna: You know, thinking about all this, it reminds me of how many brands still see social media as a one-way broadcast. They push content out, but they don't listen. The DM is where listening actually happens. And it's free — you don't need expensive software to start. Lucas: That's a great point. And honestly, if conversations like this are useful to you in your daily work, that's exactly the kind of thing that keeps us going. If today's episode felt worth a coffee to you, there's a link at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, where you can support us if you like. No pressure, it just helps us keep these conversations going ad-free. Luna: Yeah, we really appreciate that. And now, back to the DM — one more thing I want to ask: what about the risk of DMs turning into a complaint channel that's hard to manage? Lucas: That's a real concern. But if you're listening actively, you can catch issues early and resolve them before they escalate. The worst thing you can do is ignore a DM. That's a silent journey map failure. Luna: So it's about being present. Lucas: Yes. And that presence — that sense that there's a real person on the other side — is exactly what transforms a transactional interaction into a relationship. And relationships are what drive loyalty, repeat purchases, and word of mouth. Luna: So next time a customer sends a DM, don't just treat it as a ticket to close. Treat it as an opportunity to map a touchpoint. Lucas: That's a nice way to put it. And maybe that's the takeaway today: the DM isn't just an inbox, it's a journey stop that's too often invisible. Put it on the map, and you'll start seeing the path to loyalty more clearly. Luna: Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you next time.