What is Social CRM and tips to achieve Social CRM Success

Social CRM or SCRM is the next step in better customer relationship valuation. This is a strategy which all the companies have either deployed or are contemplating the use of the same by the next few years. But the point remains the same. Social CRM is here to stay.

What is Social CRM?

Before we look into the basics of Social CRM, let us first look at what the traditional CRM had to offer.

A traditional CRM essentially comprised of the following features: sales, forecast, marketing, campaign handling, and customer data support. These functions were important to move the customer from one stage to the other stage and eventually develop the potential client in a buyer. All the data related to the customer was entered in the CRM and it would allow the company to target better and reach out to its customers better.

But what is noticed here that, the customer was never a part of the whole function and every message or communication of the company was directed towards him without his involvement.

This is where Social CRM comes into play. In Social CRM, the consumer is the focal point of the whole organization. Instead of pushing brand ideas and communication to the consumer, brands are now involving the consumer to shape their own strategies and experiences and build consumer relationships.

Social CRM makes use of all social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. to converse with the consumer and know what they feel about the company and their product and record the same in a central place.

In a study, 93% consumers want their brands to have a social media presence, 43% consumers say that a company or a brand should have an active social media presence whereby they could talk to the company if they are in problem and get their issue resolved.

Sage CRM is a new age CRM with the feasibility for not only being able to track the consumer, but also listen and respond to the consumers directly. Integrations with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn allows the brand to gain insight into the consumer, manage Twitter communication with the prospect, research and connect with the prospect.

Tips for achieving Social CRM success:

1. Talk with your customer only: Social CRM gives you the benefit of tracking down and recording what your consumers are speaking about you. Over here, the brand need not keep a track of all its followers, just the one they know will convert by active two way communication.

2. Respond in a timely manner: Being active on Social CRM means that the brand needs to also respond to a customer query in a timely manner to not only create a good brand image but also convert the customer into a loyal prospect.

3. Make sure that the conversation is on the line of the brand’s mission and vision. This helps during ORM or online reputation management. Making the customer feel that they are talking to a real person and not just some account is the start of this.

4. Don’t entertain trolls. Trolls are people or accounts who post off the topic messages or initiate controversies only to get response from other people. Troll accounts can harm a brand severely if it engages into an off – topic conversation. Brands need to never forget that while they are communicating with one person, they also have audience who sees and judges the brand based on the same.

5. Most importantly, let the consumers know when and how they can reach you. If they have already posted a query or an issue, let them know that you have heard them and are solving the issue.

6. Have a central repository for all the sales /marketing/ customer services guy to know what is happening with the consumer. If the sales guy is asked to solve a query of a customer, he needs to know what the consumer is talking about it. To avoid mismanagement and miscommunication, it is important to keep all conversations and details in a single place and this central repository can be found in a Social CRM.

7. Don’t forget the basic function of a CRM. Social CRM is just an evolution for the traditional CRM. It is not a replacement. In all the tracking of consumer behavior, the brand should not forget the basics of using the CRM. I.e., assigning leads, logging important notes and moving the pipeline.

For all important details regarding Social CRM and how can it benefit your organization and brand, SMS SAGE to 56767. You can also write to Sage Software Solutions Pvt Ltd at sales@sagesoftware.co.in