Dive Brief:
- Electric utilities are tuning in greater numbers to the use Facebook, Twitter and other social media to stay connected to their customers.
- No longer just a marketing tool, utilities have found that in the aftermath of disasters such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012, social media may be the only way to reach and respond to customers.
- A recent survey of 53 utilities in the US and Canada found that 92% use Twitter and 86% use Facebook, up from 64% and 2%, respectively just three years earlier.
Dive Insight:
Companies that employ social media and operate in states where customers have a choice of power providers have seen a reduction customer turnover.