What is social CRM?

Social media marketing is such a fascinating field to work in. Finding just the right combination of content, sales service, and customer relations for maximum return is exhilarating, and a passionate social media marketer can really grow a brand’s social media presence. Customers want to be engaged, and one way a brand can optimise engagement with customers is through social CRM activities. This article takes a look at what exactly social CRM is, and why businesses should adopt social CRM activities to improve their customer relations:

Social CRM defined

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software began as databases of customer contact information and customer behavior data which were merged. In the 30 years which have transpired since then, CRMs have become companies’ central nervous systems.

CRM platforms supply organisations with multi-dimensional customer profiles which assist with predicting, controlling and automating sales practices while, at the same time, continuing with the process of collecting information.

Through the introduction of social media, organisations are better able to collect customer data as well as track online behavioyr through open social channels. Social CRM software combines social information with a company’s existing CRM software in order to give a thorough overview of an individual’s online behaviour.

Did you know that 65% of customer service teams use social media? Customer relations management and social media were bound to intertwine sooner or later, and many prolific CRM tools now seamlessly integrate social media channels alongside traditional CRM activities. This makes it possible for companies to communicate directly with customers through their preferred mediums of interaction.

Like any CRM system, a social media CRM allows managers, statisticians, and other interested parties to engage and interact with clients in a range of ways. These include through telephonic conversation, text message, instant message, email, or social media. Social CRMs also track key metrics to offer informed, actionable insights for improvement.

How is social CRM used?

The most common way inm which social CRM platform is being used is for data analysis. Strategic, customer-based decision-making is now driven by means of real time reporting, monitoring in addition to analytics.

Through the process of tracking variables such as customer behaviour, keywords and click throughs, organisations can determine factors such as the best time to post and what products are popular. Tit is then possible from them to use this data in order to drive revenue.

Although tiresome at times, this modern part of marketing is significantly more cost effective in comparison to the traditional model. The social CMR programme evaluates customer’s engagement, perceptions as well as interaction in the community as a whole. This date is then utilised to drive product, marketing as well as sales strategies.

Why do you need it?

The biggest benefit of incorporating social CRM is the convenience of it all. A holistic CRM system centralises all of a brand’s customer relations management avenues in one place, saving time and ensuring that companies can remain connected to their customers across multiple touchpoints.

Further benefits of using a social CRM system is that they allow businesses to:

1. Deliver customer support through multiple channels
   2. Interact as well as engage with customers in real time
   3. Resolve issues quickly by monitoring social media for negative comments
   4. Find and reward brand advocates
   5. Get greater exposure in online places where audiences spend their time
   6. Increase engagement and improve general customer relations.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Thinking of breaking into the exciting world of social media marketing? We can think of a million reasons why you should! Check out our accredited Social Media Marketing course, and if you’re interested in branching out – see our digital marketing qualifications page.