Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is used by many companies today. Most companies use a single CRM to manage customer interactions, sales tracking, and more. However, a new element has emerged in the CRM realm: Social CRM. Below, we explore strategies for leveraging social CRM to enhance your marketing efforts. First, let's cover some fundamentals.
What is Social CRM?
Traditional CRM allows you to store a large number of customers and their information, then use that data to entice them into a purchase. Social CRM is more about targeting potential customers on social media, sharing content and other important news, and engaging with them through direct conversations on the social networks with the largest audience. This allows for more personalized interactions on the most relevant social media channels for your customers, which can help grow your business.
Effective Social CRM Strategies
1. Select the Right CRM Software
As the name suggests, social CRM usually requires a comprehensive CRM solution. Some CRM software doesn't offer any social CRM capabilities. Here are some key features that any CRM software should have:
- Integration with popular social networks
- Ability to receive feedback and monitor social networks
- Interaction tracking capabilities
- Ability to post to social media through the CRM software
2. Designate a Social Media Manager.
It's crucial to have someone overseeing your social media presence. They can have assistants and others in the company can collaborate, but it's vital to have one person owning this operation and driving the effort.
Having multiple people posting to your company's social media accounts can lead to inconsistent messaging. You might even have two different people posting the same message simultaneously. Things spiral out of control when multiple people are posting, so ensure you have a social media manager and that every post is vetted through that person.
3. Coordinate Your Customer Support Team.
Some people may dislike your product and have complaints about your product or service. This is not your fault, but it can happen. Therefore, it's important to have your customer support team involved in your CRM software.
When a negative comment is posted, the customer support team is alerted and can address the issue quickly. Negative comments and customer sentiment spread like wildfire, so ensure you have the support in place to put out this fire before it spreads.
4. Monitor Comments and Respond Promptly.
When someone mentions your brand on social media, it's crucial to respond promptly. According to statistics, 41% of social media users in the United States expect a response to their posts within 24 hours.
Ignoring a comment or question for too long damages your brand reputation and leads to dissatisfied customers. According to Forrester research, 71% of consumers say valuing their time is the most important thing that can create a positive customer experience. So aim to be a leader in responding to your customers.
5. Join Relevant Groups and Channels.
Many social networks offer the possibility of joining open and closed channels and groups, especially Facebook and LinkedIn. In these groups, people discuss a specific topic, such as sales and marketing, finance, or any other industry or subject, exchanging opinions and experiences.
Find groups focused on and discussing your product or service. Join them and participate in the conversations. Don't blindly advertise your brand. Instead, offer helpful advice and establish your presence in the group. Other group members will see you as an authoritative figure in the online space. Over time, as you build your reputation, you can start to use your brand name in these groups and gain their trust.
6. Enlist Your Executives' Help.
Whenever possible, have your executives respond to comments and complaints. This shows you value your audience and builds greater brand loyalty. If a company CEO responds to your comment, wouldn't you feel special?
7. Ensure Your Audience Knows How to Reach You.
Make sure your audience knows you and how to reach you. The main goal of social CRM marketing is to find new prospects and convert them into customers via social media. It's essential that a customer interacting with you on social media knows how to connect with the company. If they want to learn more about your product, they should know how to reach you.
Use your profile to share various contact methods they can use to reach you, providing contact information for sales, customer support, etc.
8. Find and Collaborate with Social Media Influencers.
CRM software typically allows you to track and monitor comments and mentions on social networks. Be vigilant, and when your brand is mentioned by an influencer and an opinion about your product or service is expressed, connect with that person.
If successful, you can collaborate with them and introduce your brand to their followers, expanding your brand reach as much as possible.
9. Follow Your Customers and Share Their Posts
Find your customers on social media and follow them. When they post something valuable, share it. Comment on their posts and provide positive feedback whenever possible. They will notice your behavior, which builds brand loyalty and makes your customers feel valued.
10. Measurement
To achieve success, a key strategy is to measure and analyze the results of your performance in social CRM. Analyzing results helps you understand which of your behaviors and activities yielded better results, which were unsuccessful, and how they can be improved.
Some common metrics to track on social media include:
- New followers
- Total followers
- Engagement level
- Overall traffic
- Shared posts
- Brand mentions
- Number of customers acquired from social media
Be sure to measure weekly and monthly and track your progress over time. This provides valuable insights that will be useful in evolving your social CRM strategy.
Conclusion
Social CRM is gaining popularity every day. Worldwide, 2.34 billion people are on social media, and 76% of Facebook users (the largest network) log in daily. On social media, you connect and interact with your customers. Today is the time to start implementing your social CRM strategy.
