One of the fundamental challenges that many digital marketers face is reaching the right customers, in the right way. We all recognise the outstanding benefits of successful social media marketing plans, however given the sheer amount of content and the growing number of channels, managing social media effectively across multiple clients can be a daunting task for any marketing professional.
All too often, social media marketing is treated in the same way as email or SMS. This can take the form of posting updates related only to the company, effectively using the chosen platform as a noticeboard, as opposed to a forum for discussion and engagement. Twitter, for example, can be particularly effective in generating sales leads and engaging with customers, but given the danger that exists of treating social media as a one-way communication channel, how can organisations make use of these methods in the proper way?
In the current climate, with the emerging trend of social Customer Rlationship Management (CRM), forward thinking marketers can now identify and develop leads on social channels and send them straight into the CRM system, so they can be incorporated into any relevant campaigns and subsequently converted into sales opportunities. A social media strategy targeted at identifying and nurturing sales leads needs to focus on listening to conversations, adding value and building relationships; an approach underlined by social CRM.
Every social interaction is a prospective sales opportunity and social CRM tools not only allow businesses to better engage with their customers, it will also enable users to identify and understand prospects through social media channels.
Traditional versus social CRM
The major difference with social CRM generally, is that the customer becomes the focal point. Rather than marketeers pushing messages, companies actually interact and collaborate with customers, building relationships with the aim of turning them into advocates. The benefits of using social media CRM software means that businesses can now track and manage data at unprecedented levels of both volume and detail, giving companies the opportunity to engage with their customers in ways they would never have been able to with traditional methods.
The functions and features of social CRM platforms vary according to the provider. However, common capabilities include everything from in depth searches of social media platforms, to providing automatic responses, to pre-agreed cues or even specific social analytics software that gives users more detailed analytics on profiles in terms of location, influencers, content shared, interests and followers. This will allow marketing teams to segment and target prospects based on these important variables. If businesses are looking to translate fans and followers into contactable leads, then social CRM can also be integrated with other contact management tools, combining the functionality of both.
This approach can often be more successful than traditional sales and marketing campaigns. Consider, for example, a cold call marketing initiative. While databases generally contain information such as biographical or geographical data, it is often hit and miss. However, with social CRM there is the opportunity to really know and understand the target audience and as a result, deliver content that is engaging and, more importantly, relevant and interesting to the prospect.
The Future – Social means Sales
The growth in social media users is not likely to slow down in the foreseeable future. The opportunities this presents as an avenue to attract, track and collaborate with customers is immense, and this can be done using the latest social CRM software solutions. At its most effective, using social CRM to its full potential, can actually present the ultimate selling tool for every marketing executive.
By Gavin Hammar, CEO and founder of Sendible.
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