The traditional business to customer model has been altered dramatically over the last 18 months due to emerging social technologies (Video). One-way communicating and shotgun media blasts are being ignored and blocked by audiences in every market segment. From XM Radio, iTunes, Hulu, TiVo, RSS Readers and On-Demand Programming, the consumer has taken over the channels and the remote control. Businesses are faced with the challenge of how to reach their target audience. It is the “reach” perspective that is blinding their ability to adapt to the evolution of the new customer demands.
Corporate brainstorming sessions centered on the question, how we “reach” new customers is a complete waste of time, energy and resources. The new question is: How can we “meet” our consumers in their environment to learn how they think, feel and use our products or services? The new business strategy of “social customer engagement” is the core of SocialCRM.
Over the last couple of decades, focus groups were the cutting edge method of learning how customers think and feel about a company’s products or services. The setup of focus groups was wrong from the start. With two-way mirrors and a third party facilitator, organizations sat on the other side in a dimly lit room hiding from their customers. Under the guise of wanting honest comments, were they simply afraid to face the good, the bad and the ugly about how people felt about their product? Corporate culture had handicapped companies abilities to have an honest conversation with people.
Regardless of the corporate culture impairment, the public is talking about their experiences with a company or their products. They talk through text messages, 140 character status updates and tweets. Companies like BestBuy, Comcast and JetBlue are just a few companies who are braving the Social Media waters and finding a sea of information. Not only are they listening to what is being said by using social technology, but they are responding and acting on those status updates and tweets. These progressive organizations are learning the new rules of SocialCRM.
Rcently there was a SocialCRM conference in Boston attended by several hundred people while an even larger group attended the event through streaming video and instant chat. Representatives from large companies and social technologies formed a panel to discuss the impacts of Social Media and social customer engagement strategies. CLICK HERE to view a thread of the comments from that event.
So how does your business get started with SocialCRM through customer engagement strategies?
Search – Do a Google search on your company or product name. Look for forums, groups or blogs where community participation is already being used by your customers.
Listen – Don’t jump into the conversation and try to defend your product. Don’t try to explain why you are right and they are wrong.
Respond – Ask questions to gain further clarity of comments or complaints.
Act – Make contact with those who are positive influencers of your brand and find out how to empower them to continue their advocacy of your brand.
Repeat – Search, Listen, Respond, Act
The Rules have changed, the new SocialCRM
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