Social CRM in a business world
When I started work many years ago, my free time was my own business and generally, I only responded rather vaguely to questions from colleagues about what I got up to outside the office. I certainly didn’t bring in the pictures or the minute by minute transcript of my weekend.
I also had (and still have) an unwillingness to complete surveys or answer any unnecessary questions from marketers and businesses. I won’t tell you which paper I read or how many holidays I have taken in the last two years.
Vast public data
Moving quickly to today and I am sure peoples’ attitudes to sharing and answering direct questions from acquaintances and strangers haven’t changed. However we now live in an age where many of us present our life as a running broadcast via social media. Through the likes of Twitter and Facebook we upload countless images, statements, videos etc.
Why do we do this? Is it the intention of the person to just share the experience with friends, create an external web presence for themselves, update work colleagues or provide data for corporations to sell more? I doubt it is the latter.
However the data is there for all to see. Businesses, through social CRM, have opportunities to better engage and be aligned with their customers and potential customers. The key is to be clever and use the data wisely or the reaction will be one of snooping.
At a basic level, an organisation can embellish its’ own CRM data with social content. For B2B organisations, it is likely that a customer’s LinkedIn profile will be more up to date than your static CRM system. Add additional information taken from Facebook and Twitter etc, and your staff could be recommending more relevant goods and services or just be better equipped to manage the customer, based on the extra data collected.
Social CRM in the workplace
For internal communications, intranets are notoriously difficult to keep updated and lively. Again by blending social media, a more community feel and vibrant experience can be presented. People can be encouraged to understand the people they work with and have greater awareness of colleagues in the organisation that they may not interact with as part of their role.
In an age where some businesses reaction to social media is to ban it, opening individual comment up to “internal publication” might help end the lack of trust. Promoting a channel combining all staff tweets/blogs etc is not only interesting but creates a window on the personality and vitality of the business; something to be shared and nurtured. Good integration of social media can give the message that the organisation wants to hear what you are saying, even whilst at work. It’s good management as if banned, the usage just moves to mobiles.
The future for social CRM
Using social media as a ‘SCRM’ tool has huge potential. It’s about observing, joining, interacting and influencing individuals and communities in the social space through defined tools and processes. Businesses making decisions based on online communication and inviting two-way dialogue to encourage greater insight. It’s using the analysis of socially derived data to serve customers better, increase brand loyalty and deliver trust.
So I might not complete a survey or answer direct questions but every day I am leaving an online trail of valuable information about myself open to the world. Organisations currently have my trust and ignorance in what they’re viewing, collecting and making of my ramblings!
