CRM: Using Social Media to Improve Brand Loyalty

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a delicate and integral part in any business’ success, and when done well, drives a return in the long run due to customer retention and satisfaction.  Social networks are the new frontier, and the inevitable one, for providing this customer engagement, so it is crucial to a company’s staying power in those networks to implement a CRM strategy across the company’s online face.  Initially establishing rapport online with potential customers, then displaying thought leadership across relevant online community hubs and educating information-seekers found there is a system that has great potential to convert these prospectives from leads into acquired customers. 

Hubspot describes this powerful approach in this way: “Social CRM enables that type of relationship and leverages the power of social media by integrating it with existing marketing processes and systems, such as CRM platforms and marketing automation platforms.”  Even a step further, combining SCRM with lead generation strategies can provide a way to track marketing effectiveness.  Company-wide CRM practices streamline the customer’s engagement and reduce costs by integration of the processes that convert an online researcher into a lead, a lead into a customer, a past customer back into an active one and a current customer into a loyal advocate.  Social sites allow companies to engage in the dialogue rather than just reap the benefits or suffer the consequences of what people are saying.  Companies can crowd-source these sites to gain insight or solutions from their clients and potential customers, and they can micro-target audiences to find high quality leads and direct specific products and services toward those who are seeking them.

Many companies, both in B2C and B2B industries, see lead generation and customer acquisition as the front lines of their successful CRM, but beginning instead with a coherent digital marketing strategy can help both of those activities. In this online climate of constant conversation, there is an endless amount of free information and knowledge sharing, which has the potential to be a great asset or a danger to companies.  In order to market effectively and generate leads, The Inside View comments that consistent assessments of that environment to remain well-informed and well-connected are a necessary function of SCRM and potential client engagement.  The “front line” of thought leadership and knowledge establishes a company as one that can be trusted and sought after for answers to important questions and issues in their field of specialty. 

Ultimately, the analytics and metrics monitored by implementing a social CRM strategy and the action of relevant consumers after engaging with a company online is what indicates successful engagement.  The importance of acting with urgency in establishing an online marketing strategy is evident in the rapidly rising numbers of individuals and businesses engaging each day, but the potential measurable implications and opportunity to improve on that digital marketing strategy is in the CRM: initial action, analysis and revision.

Filed under: