Is your business leveraging the information contained in social media sites relevant to your current clients and future prospects? Most business have an internal data management system that records client transactions. More sophisticated databases combine transactions and client interactions such as inbound and outbound emails or associated historical document and merges them into a client profile.
SocialCRM Facebook Page
These information rich databases are the digital assets of a business. SugarCRM is just one example of a web-based or on-demand customer relationship management tool used by successful businesses.
Many businesses use these CRM databases to forecast future business growth, to obtain client comments related to service experiences, or to market new products or services. However, this information exchange is limited in scope due to natural barriers within internal communications.
Do people really say what they feel when a customer service representative calls? Would they speak freely as they would with a friend or coworker about how they were treated? For some reason, people have no problem saying exactly how they feel on their Facebook page.
Businesses are beginning to understand that their best and worst clients are speaking about their experiences everyday through digital voices. Relying on postage paid comment cards isn’t going to get the job done anymore. Whether it is a status update on Facebook, a tweet on Twitter, or through a comment on a blog post, people like to talk about their experience. SocialCRM and customer service are two sides of the same coin. Try a Google search with the name of your company and add the word sucks or great. You might be surprised at the results. Proactive business may use Google Alerts to stay informed in regards to positive or negative digital feedback indexed on Google.
SocialCRM Twitter Account
In addition to Google Alerts, some progressive companies are listening to comments made on Twitter. Whether by using the Twitter search tool or by using Tweetdeck, companies are tracking keywords directly or indirectly about their business.
All of the tracking in the world doesn’t make any difference unless you do something about it. Some companies simply try to have negative comments or posts removed from sites, which is almost impossible if it goes viral.
Within minutes, one post or video can spread through hundreds of websites. Many company policy and procedure manuals are being rewritten as a result of these new channels of communication. Not only is it comments from clients, but it is also comments from employees surfacing on the web.
Evidently, a lot of people are really bored out of their minds at work. People are being fired over tweets and status updates.
It is evident that companies are afraid of what they can’t control. The reaction of many companies is to block social media sites altogether, but at what expense?
What if there was a way to encourage the use of social media in the work place?
What if the channels were built in to the way business did business day to day?
Yes, it would require additional training and responsibility. The way society interacts is changing. Why wouldn’t our business communication models change too?
Who is the catalyst for change in your organization?
Is the Marketing Manger the one to initiate the change?
Is it the Customer Service Manager?
Is it the Chief Executive Officer?
Whoever is the person to bring about fundamental change in your organization, they need to have access to the information and tools in order to make change happen.
If you need help convincing senior management that SocialCRM is essential, here is a great video.
Imagine combining the information from Facebook profiles and Twitter updates and merging that data into your CRM tool.
How might that information be helpful in maintaining the best relationship with your clients? How might that information be used to provide relevant product or service recommendations to your future clients? How might your customer service agents benefit from knowing in advance the concerns of your less than satisfied customers?
LinkedIn Profile for SocialCRM
The information contained in a LinkedIn profile reads like an online resume. Current and previous employer, level of education, hobbies, plus business contacts are included. Think about the possibilities of leveraging that information to make personalized portfolio suggestions to your clients.
Imagine the possibilities of developing marketing plans that deliver custom content based on social media profiles. The effectiveness of a campaign built around a client’s preferences, this is the goal of every marketing manager.
Few campaigns are successful because they lack the raw data to really understand how the client feels about your products. Those feelings are now being expressed in 140 characters and can be indexed to better understand the true client to business relationship.
It’s time to set aside the fear of the unknown and put away all the excuses. It’s time to fully engage your clients. It’s time to empower your staff to listen, communicate, and energize your client relationships.
Creating your own SocialCRM Development Team:
- Begin by making a list of people you trust to speak on behalf of your organization.
- Select a small group of employees with great communication skills.
- Be ready to identify your biggest fans and find ways to build equity in their personal branding.
- Develop a process or workflow based on company name, products, or services mentioned in social media sites.
- Create your company branded Twitter account
- Create your company branded Facebook Page (Difference between Fan Pages and Group Pages)
- Set up Listening Dashboard – Tweetmeme , TweetGrid , Twitscoop
- Set up SocialCRM plugin – GetSocial
- Select other Social Media tools (35 Social Media Tools)
Research shows that companies who have a company branded social media site have greater client interaction than those who do not. This requires a shift in marketing philosophy altogether. The shift is from talking to people about your company to people talking about your company to others.
Building a 3D client view with SocialCRM is not limited to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn profiles. Imagine what happens when you turn the SocialCRM cube 90 degrees. I’ll save that for another post. I hope this article has sparked your thoughts about the future of CRM and Social Media. I would love to hear your comments or feedback on what’s working for you or where the SocialCRM processes are breaking down. Is it technology? Is it policy? Is it people?
SocialCRM for Small Business
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