Hi. I’m sorry to break it to you, but social media marketing is now social customer care. Don’t shoot the messenger.
You don’t need more content, you need more connection.
At B Squared Media, we’ve spent years proving that the brands winning in today’s attention economy aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones that respond fastest, listen hardest, and make people feel seen.
Welcome to the C.A.R.E. Method™ — our proven framework for social customer care that turns real-time conversations into real business results.
Let’s break it down …
What Is the C.A.R.E. Method™?
Let me take you back to where it started.
I was deep in the weeds of social customer care; B Squared Media was managing thousands of conversations a day across clients’ social channels. My team was tagging. Triaging. Turning furious tweets into five-star reviews.
We weren’t just answering comments, we were connecting. Turning strangers into superfans. Saving accounts. Earning trust.
Admittedly, those are all great things. However, something was bugging me.
We had the outcomes, the data, and the client love. But not the framework. Not the “what we actually do” in a way that felt teachable, scalable, and ours.
Then one day, while reviewing conversation threads from a client in crisis, I wrote a note in the margin: “These convos don’t just reply, they C.A.R.E.”
That was the lightbulb. And I couldn’t unsee it.
I went back. Re-read dozens of transcripts. Studied what we’d actually been doing across years of social care delivery. And a pattern emerged. We weren’t just offering replies. We were delivering so much more.
That’s when the C.A.R.E. Method™ was born …
Official C.A.R.E. Definition:
The C.A.R.E. Method™ is a strategic framework for social customer care that transforms real-time conversations into business outcomes.
It prioritizes connection over content, labels interactions by intent (acquisition vs. retention), builds loyalty through meaningful engagement, and leads with empathy (not automation).
Built from over eight years of hands-on execution, C.A.R.E. is both a methodology and a mindset. One that proves conversations can scale, social care can convert, and human-first brands always win.
Think of it like this: Most brands are stuck shouting into the void. The ones using C.A.R.E.? They’re building trust, in real-time, with real people. It’s not your run-of-the-mill social media strategy. If you’re doing right, it’s your brand’s new frontline.
And it’s time to start giving a damn (out loud)!
How the C.A.R.E. Method™ Works
(Yes, Steal This Framework! Kind Of …)
Let’s get one thing straight: The C.A.R.E. Method™ is B Squared Media’s intellectual property. We built it. We own it. We’ve battle-tested it across millions of social interactions and baked it into training programs, dashboards, even job descriptions.
So no, you can’t take the acronym and slap your logo on it. But, if you’re looking to build an in-house social customer care program that actually works?
Steal our rollout approach.
Here’s how we implement C.A.R.E. with our clients — from first audit to full activation — and how you can borrow the bones to build something powerful inside your own brand.
[Source: My LinkedIn Learning Course]
Conversations (That Create Connection)
Every comment, tag, or DM is a window. Don’t slam it shut with a canned response. If your content isn’t built to spark conversation, your social strategy is broken before it even begins.
Because, here’s the truth: connection doesn’t start in the DMs! It starts in the feed. We see this all the time … brands pumping out perfectly polished posts, then wondering why no one’s commenting. The problem? You’re shouting, not inviting.
Conversation-ready content is designed to make people feel something: curious, seen, challenged, inspired. It opens a loop. It creates an entry point. And once that door is open, your replies are where the relationship gets built.
[This is all part of my undergraduate thesis study on the Social Penetration Theory, btw!]
Not sure how to start? I’ve got you.
First, check out my free course: Creating Talk-Worthy Content (formally, “Creating Conversational Content that Connects”).
This bite-sized course will help you ditch the fluff and post with purpose, so your content sparks the convos your team can then turn into trust, loyalty, and revenue.
Acquisition & Retention Labeling
Every social conversation has a job. Your job? Know what it is.
At B Squared Media, we tag every single social interaction as either:
👋 Acquisition – a new lead, a product question, a potential buyer entering the chat.
🙋 Retention – a current customer looking for help, clarity, or a reason to stay.
You could call it gain vs. retain. Or sales support vs. customer support. Whatever the language, the insight is the same; if you’re not labeling your conversations, you’re not tracking their value.
[Source: Social Care Consulting]
Most brands treat all replies the same. A response is a response, right? Wrong.
- A new lead asking about your pricing on Instagram? That’s sales.
- An existing customer tagging you about a shipping issue? That’s retention.
- One of your fans shouting out your product in a Story? That’s a brand advocate in the making.
And when you label by intent, you unlock a goldmine:
- Real attribution for your social channels
- Cleaner, smarter CX and marketing reporting
- Data you can actually act on
Imagine being able to say:
“Last quarter, we handled 1,300 social care conversations — 27% were acquisition-related, and 11 of those converted to closed-won deals.”
Or:
“We retained a six-figure client by responding to a complaint within 6 minutes.”
That’s the power of labeling. That’s the C.A.R.E. Method™ difference.
Engagement (That Drives Loyalty)
Let’s make one thing clear: this is not about having conversations just to have conversations. This is about turning engagement into insight and insight into action.
“Nice post” is surface-level. “This helped me solve a problem” is the start of a relationship.
However, when a customer says, “I wish you offered X…” or “This post made me feel Y”? That’s data. It’s direction. It should be your gold!
In the C.A.R.E. Method™, we don’t just respond, we listen deeply. And we log what we hear. Ultimately, that’s where the magic lives:
- Voice of Customer (VOC) data — straight from the source
- Real-time psychographics — what your audience thinks, feels, and fears
- Messaging cues — the exact words your customers use so your copy can actually resonate
- Sharper ICPs — when you know who’s engaging, and why, your targeting gets tighter
- Better content ideas — not based on guesswork, but built on actual conversations
Finally, this is your flywheel:
→ You engage meaningfully
→ Convos uncover emotional drivers and unmet needs
→ You create smarter, more personal experiences
→ Those experiences earn trust
→ And that trust leads to deeper engagement (and yes—revenue)
Conversation for the sake of connection is good. But conversation that powers your entire marketing strategy? That’s next-level.
How to Get Started With C.A.R.E.
You don’t need a full rebuild. You need a smarter foundation. Here’s where to begin:
- Audit your social CX: Are you actually listening? Check replies. Are they happening fast enough? Are you tracking what matters or just checking the box?
- Train your team on empathy (not just scripts): Response templates are helpful. However, connection comes from humans who know how to read the room and reply like they mean it.
- Align marketing + service goals: If your social team is flying solo, you’re missing half the picture. Shared dashboards = shared wins.
- Use the right tools (and the right metrics): You can’t improve what you’re not measuring. Get serious about tagging, response time, sentiment, and resolution rates.
Start small. Start smart. Just start!
C.A.R.E. isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress you can prove.
Want Help? We’ve Got Resources.
LinkedIn Learning Course (by me! Brooke Sellas)
Mastering Social Media CX (our paid course … also by me!)
Mystery Shop Your Social CX
Conclusion: It’s Time to C.A.R.E.
Customers don’t care how clever your content is if their question goes unanswered. Social customer care is the heartbeat of modern CX.
And the brands that respond with empathy and speed? Those are the brands people trust. The ones that win.
FAQs
Q: What’s the difference between social media marketing and social customer care?
A: Marketing broadcasts. Social care responds. One is about reach. The other? Relationships.
Q: What’s the ideal social response time?
A: <15 minutes is gold. <1 hour is the baseline. Anything slower risks trust.
Q: Can small teams use the C.A.R.E. Method™?
A: Absolutely. Start with labeling convos and tracking outcomes. It scales with you.
Q: What tools should we use?
A: Sprout, Salesforce, Khoros, Zendesk—pick based on your size and workflow.
Q: Can AI help?
A: Yes, as your assistant. But humans still lead the empathy game.
Latest posts by Brooke B. Sellas (see all)
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- I Went Viral on LinkedIn. Here’s the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. - August 20, 2025
