Marketing Automation, Web Video and Social Media
A Twist in Consumer Relationship Management
Social media is beginning to displace traditional consumer management strategies in the online arena. With the prevalence of social media sites like Get Satisfaction, Yelp and Blogosphere, consumers are now able to receive and share more accurate, timely and unbiased information, while drastically shifting channel power away from organizations. So what is the answer for companies seeking to embrace this new trend and regain consumer relationships? The answer is simple: Social CRM.
Social CRM gives organizations the opportunity to reconnect with consumers in a way that fosters and anticipates the success of consumer-company relationships. Though it is important for companies to continue engaging in social marketing and sales, with the unprecedented introductions of new media channels and response expectations from consumers, it is vital that companies begin to develop an organized software approach that links business initiatives with social media. According to Altimeter Group, “Vendors touting simple Facebook Connect and Twitter integration only scratch the surface in embracing social technologies.” To fix this, companies must begin engaging with customers in new social platforms in order to improve corporate reputation and network of trustworthy consumer relationships.
Social CRM is not simply about creating a social media presence to track customer satisfaction, but also integrating each social media tool to respond and build relationships through a coherent, holistic approach. Social media allow companies to understand more than just consumer preferences and likes, but also their opinions about a product or service. By more effectively listening to consumers’ opinions through these sites, companies will thus be able to develop better products and marketing strategies, while also defending its brand through organized online PR efforts. Zappos.com is a great example of a company utilizing this holistic approach in social CRM. Yes, Zappos has a dominant Facebook and Twitter presence, however it intertwines these webpages through various backlinks on each page, in addition to its YouTube and blog pages. On its main webpage, Zappos also has “Page Sharing” and “Registration” features that encourage consumer-to-consumer and consumer-to-business interaction regarding the company’s products.
Social CRM also allows companies to enhance their R&D strategies by fostering real-time innovation and feedback. Since traditional consumer response strategies are becoming outdated, companies must utilize social media channels to leverage their products and quickly respond to consumer complaints. Take this scenario with UPS for example. When a particular customer failed to receive a package from UPS on time, she immediately posted a complaint on UPS’s twitter page. Within an hour, UPS responded to this dissatisfied customers tweet and ensured that her package would be delivered within the same day. Within a few hours, the woman not only received the package, but also had it hand delivered with a “thank you for being a quality customer” card. This marks usability of social CRM at its finest.
For small businesses, implementing social CRM may seem like an expensive task, however a few websites are being created to facilitate these endeavors in a relatively inexpensive manner. Websites like Flowtown and Buzzstream provide companies with software solutions to discover who and where valuable word-of-mouth customers are on the web, manage communication with them and develop targeted marketing, engagement and retention campaigns. This software also provides companies with influencer metrics and conversation trackers, which allows for more personalized outreach between consumers and company employees.
It takes an incredible amount of work to employ such social media efforts, so it is vital that companies begin to integrate these solutions into their marketing teams and entire corporate level strategy. A key item to remember is that social CRM serves as a tool to enhance, not replace, existing consumer management strategies. Businesses should thus continue to use some of their traditional CRM strategies, but do so with a twist. This twist clearly involves social CRM.
Posted: 3/24/2010 12:00:47 PM by
Kristen Prestano | with 8 comments
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