No matter what kind of product or service your brand offers, the simple fact is that you are actually in the relationship business. And many of your customer relationships will develop on social channels.
You need to understand social CRM (customer relationship management). Why? In order to develop those relationships. It’s all about nurturing your social contacts from the very first like to the first purchase and all the way through to becoming a brand loyalist.
The challenge is that customers interact with multiple teams on multiple channels. Sales, marketing, customer service, and even tech support might all interact with the same customer. When teams operate in silos, messages get mixed. Replies are delayed, and everyone ends up frustrated.
A solid social media CRM approach connects your customer-facing teams. Everyone gets all the information they need to serve your customers best.
Key Takeaways
- Social CRM (customer relationship management) is the business practice of using social data to help teams better understand and engage with customers across various channels.
- It can improve the quality of service, and boost sales and marketing efforts by making it easier to maintain consistent and personalized communication. Ultimately, this boosts brand loyalty and improves the ROI of sales, marketing, and customer service.
- Social CRM tools (like Hootsuite, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and more) offer comprehensive social CRM features that include social media monitoring, lead generation, AI-driven insights, and cross-department collaboration to effectively manage customer relationships.
What is social CRM?
Social CRM is short for social customer relationship management. It’s a customer-centric approach that incorporates social data. The idea is to help your teams better understand customers, prospects, and leads
Expanding traditional CRM to include social data makes it easier for all customer-facing teams to do their jobs.
- Offer improved customer service on the channels your customers prefer
- Discover new potential customers and leads
- Understand how best to nurture these developing relationships
- Gain valuable insights into your target audience to focus your content
Social CRM in customer service
A social CRM software allows your care team to engage in more meaningful conversations with customers. No matter which platform they choose to make contact.
Recent research published in the journal Information shows that using social media for CRM has a significant effect on customer relationship quality. That’s not a shock, since social media CRM ensures brands focus on customer preferences.
In Hootsuite’s 2024 Social Media Consumer Report, 53 percent of respondents say that brands responding to direct questions and comments in a timely way is the most appealing aspect of their social presence when deciding to follow a brand.
Maintaining high responsiveness to customers is also important in keeping followers. 28 percent of respondents will unfollow a brand that ignores negative or challenging comments. And 32% will unfollow a brand that fails to interact with or respond to the community.
Starbucks gets a lot of love on their social channels. But they also get negative feedback. They always respond quickly and publicly. They offer a solution if they can or ask for a DM for more details if follow-up is required.
Source: @starbucks
Your customers and followers are reaching out on social channels. Social CRM ensures you keep up your end of the conversation.
Sometimes your social and customer support teams may interact with the same customer on multiple channels. Fortunately, social CRM tools tie data to people, not just profiles. You have a full picture of a customer’s entire history with your brand every time. You can always provide consistent, personalized replies. This keeps customers happy while avoiding duplicate efforts for your team.
Social CRM also improves response time and accuracy. Incoming contacts and requests can be auto-routed to the best team member for the job.
Social CRM in sales
Your first contact with someone on any social media platform is generally not the best time to go in with a hard sell. But social connections can absolutely become real, qualified leads.
Social CRM helps fill your funnel. Focusing on the customer relationship ensures you always put the customer first. Then, you can focus on social strategies that connect the audience with your brand and increase purchase intent.
For instance, after KiwiCo tested ads on Instagram Reels, their paid social marketing manager, Lisann Arndt, said:
“We’ve seen that Reels can be a significant acquisition lever if we engage audiences in an authentic way that reflects an understanding of their needs.” (Emphasis added.)
Source: Instagram
Even better, incorporating social interactions into lead profiles can help qualify leads faster and more accurately. This allows salespeople and brands to build relationships effectively. The idea is to work towards a sale over the longer term.
Plus, a full picture of how social interactions convert to sales gives you a true understanding of the real value of a social lead. This will help you plan your social media budget, especially the amount you plan to spend on social ads.
Make sure you have appropriate offers and campaigns in place to nurture leads discovered through social media. Consider an opt-in newsletter, a drip campaign, or any other valuable resource. This will help establish your credibility while maintaining the relationship as you work up to the sale.
Social CRM in marketing
Connecting CRM and social media provides a fuller picture of who your customers are and what they expect from your brand. Your marketing team can use these insights in a couple of key ways.
First, you can create highly targeted and personalized content. Speak to the direct needs and wants your audience has already expressed.
Forty percent of respondents to the Hootsuite 2024 Consumer Report said they would unfollow a brand that posts boring content that does not appeal to them. Social CRM helps you better understand what type of content will appeal. This is key to keeping those hard-earned followers.
Say you happen to sell filled doughnuts. You suspect your customers want to see what’s inside those doughnuts before they buy. You could just post photos of your doughnuts on social. Or, you could create a series where you rip them open on Instagram.
That’s exactly what doh’hut does. They’ve hit a nerve with their social audience. This recent tear-open Reel got more than 1,300 likes and 57 comments.
And think beyond the people you already engage with. You can also use social listening tools to track:
- brand mentions
- customer sentiment
- and industry trends
All of this can help guide your content strategy and build your audience base.
Social CRM tools and data also help you build highly targeted lookalike audiences for social ads. You can base them on characteristics like age, location, customer behaviors, and so on. The characteristics of existing customers are the best basis for effective lookalike audiences. After all, a lookalike audience based on people who have actually bought from you is more likely to create conversions than a lookalike audience based on fans or followers.
Finally, CRM social media data helps you understand the true impact of your social marketing efforts. In Hootsuite’s 2024 Social Trends Report, 33 percent of respondents said they were facing an unsatisfactory connection between social metrics and business metrics.
Connecting CRM and social media helps resolve this disconnect. Actions on social media are clearly tied to business outcomes like a purchase or subscription. This makes it much easier to prove (and improve) your social ROI.
Sure, you build stronger customer relationships. But you also see how the value of those relationships extends beyond your social platforms to impact real business goals.
Cross-departmental benefits of using social CRM tools
As you’ve seen, using social media for CRM allows brands to:
- capture customer data from social media profiles
- monitor conversations
- and engage with customers more effectively.
This benefits all departments that work with customers or leads. It gives everyone a fuller picture of the people they’re talking to. That includes sales teams, customer service, tech support, marketing, and even product development. Here are the benefits you should see across departments:
- Integrate effort and information among the sales, marketing, and customer service teams
- Avoid duplicate effort when a customer reaches out through multiple channels
- Improve response times and resolution rates by automatically routing queries to the right team member in the appropriate department
- Update customer data for all teams in real time, with a more complete record of customer interactions
- Understand your overall brand reputation
- Respond promptly to complaints or concerns
- Spark new ideas for product features and marketing campaigns
- Better understand your audience and target market
- Develop stronger relationships that improve brand loyalty and ROI
5 social CRM tools to get you started
The best social CRM tools provide businesses with the ability to do a lot of things all in one place, like:
- manage customer profiles
- listen to online conversations
- analyze sentiment
- drive social selling efforts
- efficiently manage multiple social media management platforms
1. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a comprehensive social CRM tool. It allows businesses to monitor social media conversations, engage with customers, and analyze data with clear, efficient reporting. Hootsuite also integrates with leading traditional CRM platforms. So, you can keep using the tools that already work for your business as you transition to social CRM.
- Track trends, hot topics, popular keywords, brand mentions, and social sentiment to understand what your customers want from you and how they feel about your brand.
- Manage all social conversations in a central inbox and share information between your social inbox and your CRM so all conversations are fully up to date and complete.
- Measure and analyze your social results across all your social accounts in one place, so you can understand social ROI.
Pricing: Hootsuite plans start at $99/month.
2. HubSpot
Source: HubSpot
HubSpot is a CRM platform designed to manage contacts at every stage of the pipeline. It integrates marketing, sales, and customer service functions to improve customer experience and maximize leads. Each functional area gets its own hub, and they are all connected to a Smart CRM.
Key benefits:
- Create lead-generation forms, landing pages, and email campaigns
- Detailed contact tracking and management
- Solid analytics
- Cross-department collaboration features
- CRM social media integration though Hootsuite supports contacts and tickets from X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram
Pricing: HubSpot offers free basic tools. Individual plans start at $15/month and professional plans at $1,170/month.
3. Salesforce
Source: Salesforce
Salesforce uses artificial intelligence to guide your sales process and provide insights into your current and future deals. The system is built on Salesfrce’s proprietary “Einstein 1” platform and includes a conversational AI assistant.
Key benefits:
- Metadata framework integrates data sources to provide a unified view of the customer
- Detailed insights and analytics for marketing, sales, and customer service
- AI assistant provides recommended actions after an interaction with a customer
- Connect Salesforce to Hootsuite for CRM social media integration to identify and capture new leads on social media channels
Pricing: Basic small business plans start at $25/month, and professional plans start at $100/user/month/
4. Microsoft Dynamics 365
Source: Microsoft
Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers customizable CRM systems to unify your teams and provide a holistic view of your customers. It uses AI to make predictions about customer intent and provide recommendations about new audiences and audience segments.
Key benefits:
- Create personalized customer journeys
- Use AI-based scoring to prioritize leads and opportunities
- Track and report on selected KPIs
- Collaborate in Microsoft Teams
- Connect to Hootsuite to create leads and opportunities from social posts
Pricing: Individual CRM components start at $50 per user per month. Combine the components you need to create a full CRM that connects all teams.
5. SugarCRM
Source: SugarCRM
SugarCRM is a customizable CRM that allows you to choose the focus you need for your team.
Key benefits:
- Get a complete picture of your customers across touchpoints
- Thorough analytics to help you understand what’s working and how to improve
- Business process automation for sales
- Recommended updates after customer interactions
- Link with Hootsuite to incorporate Instagram and Facebook connections for social CRM capabilities
Pricing: Limited plans start at $19 per user per month, with the standard plan starting at $59/month.
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The post What Is Social CRM? A Guide for Marketers, Sales, and CS appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.
I really appreciate how you framed social CRM as fundamentally about relationships rather than just transactions. It’s so true that today’s customers engage with brands across a variety of platforms, and if teams aren’t aligned, it can lead to some confusing and frustrating experiences. I recently had an experience with a tech company where I started a chat about an issue on their website, then moved to Twitter for updates. Each team seemed to have a different take on my problem, which made me feel more like a number than a valued customer.
It’s always eye-opening to hear about personal experiences with social CRM, especially when they highlight the pitfalls that can arise when teams aren’t on the same page. Your story really brings to light how vital it is for companies to create a unified voice across all channels. When you’re trying to get support, it’s frustrating to have to repeat yourself over and over, especially when you’re switching platforms. It’s almost as if the company is treating you like a visitor rather than a valued member of their community.
I completely resonate with what you’re saying. The experience of having to repeatedly explain yourself when seeking support can really take a toll. It’s not just about the inconvenience; it also creates a sense that the company isn’t genuinely invested in its customers.
It’s great to hear your thoughts on social CRM and how it emphasizes relationships over mere transactions. Your experience with that tech company really highlights a significant challenge many organizations face today. When different teams operate in silos, it can create a disconnect that leaves customers feeling undervalued and frustrated, particularly when you’re already navigating multiple platforms.
It’s interesting to think about how organizations often struggle with silos, isn’t it? The disconnect between teams can be so damaging not just to customer satisfaction but also to employee morale. When departments aren’t communicating effectively, it feels like everyone is on their own island, making it hard to build a unified approach to customer relationships.
It’s a really relevant point you’re making about the importance of connection in social CRM. Your experience reflects a growing concern in the digital landscape—how to maintain a coherent and personalized interaction across various platforms. It’s disheartening when brands fail to streamline their communication, especially when customers invest their time reaching out for help.
You’re spot on about the need for connection in social CRM. It’s wild how much the digital landscape has changed, yet so many brands still juggle their communication like it’s all separate islands. Every time I try to chat with a brand about an issue, I find myself hopping between different channels—social media, emails, and sometimes even phone calls—and I can’t help but wonder if anyone is in the loop.
You’ve touched on a really important aspect of customer engagement that doesn’t get enough attention. In a world where technology connects us in unprecedented ways, it’s surprising how often that connection feels fragmented. I’ve experienced the frustration of reaching out to a brand, only to find that they don’t have a consistent voice or even knowledge of previous interactions. It makes a customer feel undervalued, doesn’t it?
You’ve really captured the essence of what so many people feel in their interactions with brands these days. The promise of technology was supposed to bring us closer together, yet it often seems to do the opposite. When you reach out, expecting a seamless conversation and instead find yourself in a shuffle of disconnected responses, it’s deflating. It’s almost as if the brand doesn’t realize that every interaction represents a building block in their relationship with you.
You’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s really interesting to think about how, despite all the technological advancements we have, the customer experience can still feel so disjointed at times. I’ve been in similar situations where I reach out to a brand expecting them to know who I am or what I’ve previously discussed, only to find that they seem to have no record of our past interactions. It definitely leaves you feeling undervalued.
You’ve brought up such a crucial point that really resonates with me. It’s frustrating when we’ve taken the time to engage with a brand and yet, when we reach out again, it feels like we’re starting from scratch. It goes beyond just a minor inconvenience; it can make us feel like our loyalty doesn’t matter. I think about how much data is out there nowadays, and I can’t help but wonder why it isn’t being utilized to enhance our experiences and build a more meaningful relationship.
I totally relate to that feeling; it’s frustrating when technology doesn’t translate to a seamless customer experience. This recent report dives into insights from marketers around the globe, highlighting how many are striving to bridge that gap.
‘The 2024 State of Marketing & Trends Report: Data from 1400+ Global Marketers’
https://localseoresources.com/the-2024-state-of-marketing-trends-report-data-from-1400-global-marketers/.
You’ve really hit on something that resonates with me. It’s frustrating when brands seem disconnected, especially when technology has made it easier than ever to streamline communication. I’ve had similar experiences where I’ve reached out only to feel like I’m starting from scratch every time. It creates a sense of disconnection that can undermine customer loyalty.
You’ve really captured the essence of what so many customers are feeling right now. The digital landscape has definitely transformed the way we interact, but it seems like a lot of brands are still figuring out how to create a seamless experience. It’s frustrating when you reach out for support and get a different message or tone depending on the platform.
It’s interesting how the nature of customer interactions has evolved, isn’t it? Your experience illustrates a common issue many face today. Brands often treat customer service as a series of isolated transactions rather than as a continuous relationship.
It really is interesting how the nature of customer interactions has evolved. I think it’s a reflection of how we, as consumers, have changed too. With so many brands investing in technology—like chatbots and social media platforms—there’s this initiative to make service more accessible and immediate. Yet, it often feels like the personal touch can go missing in the rush to automate everything.
You raise a really important point about the balance between efficiency and that human connection we used to take for granted in customer service. It’s striking how we’ve collectively come to expect instant responses through chatbots or social media, but at what cost? Sure, those tools can help brands respond quickly, but they often lack the nuance that comes with real human interaction.
It really is interesting how the nature of customer interactions has changed so much over the years. I remember when customer service meant a friendly voice on the other end of a phone call, and now it often feels like we’re just navigating a sea of automated messages and online chatbots. The shift towards viewing customer service as a series of transactions does seem to overlook the importance of building a genuine connection. It can be frustrating when you feel like just another number.
It really is fascinating how customer interactions have transformed over the years. I’ve noticed that the rise of social media and instant messaging has changed the way brands communicate with their customers. It’s almost like there’s this expectation for immediacy now, which can sometimes create a disconnect. It’s easy for customer service to feel transactional when responses are quick but lack genuine engagement.
That’s a great observation—customer interactions really have shifted. If you’re interested in understanding how brands can build stronger, ongoing relationships, I recently came across some insights on media planning that might resonate with your thoughts.
‘Media Planning: The Ultimate Guide’
https://localseoresources.com/media-planning-the-ultimate-guide/.
It’s great to hear your thoughts on the topic of social CRM. Your experience highlights a crucial challenge companies face today: keeping their messaging consistent across various platforms. When customer service teams aren’t aligned, it can easily make customers feel more like case numbers than individuals with unique needs.
It sounds like you went through a frustrating experience, and it’s a situation that many people can relate to. The disconnect between teams can really diminish the personal touch we expect from companies today.
I completely agree; it’s frustrating when it feels like people are just a series of checkbox interactions instead of actual individuals. I think a lot of this disconnect can stem from the rapid growth in technology and the way companies scale their operations. While it can streamline processes, it often makes it harder to maintain that personal touch.
You hit on a key issue that really resonates with many of us. It’s true—while technology has made things easier in many ways, it often feels like we lose that human connection in the process. When companies scale up and rely heavily on automated systems, interactions can feel quite mechanical.
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It really is a frustrating experience, isn’t it? I think the disconnect between teams often stems from how organizations scale. As companies grow, they sometimes lose sight of the individual interactions that originally set them apart. I remember a time when I felt like a number instead of a person during a support issue I was having with a service I loved. It made me realize how crucial personal touches are in our increasingly digital world.
Ah, the joys of customer relationship management in the social age! It’s wild how we’re all basically juggling flaming torches while riding unicycles—one wrong move and the customer experience could turn into a circus act, complete with clowns.
You’ve captured the essence of customer relationship management in the social age perfectly. It really does feel like a balancing act sometimes, doesn’t it? With the rapid pace of social media, one misstep can spiral out of control surprisingly fast. It’s almost as if we’re all tightrope walkers, trying to maintain our balance while engaging with customers who have their own expectations and experiences—to say nothing of how public mistakes can become part of the viral conversation.
The idea of viewing business as a relationship endeavor really resonates with me. In today’s hyper-connected world, social channels serve as the lifeblood of customer interactions. I’ve noticed firsthand how crucial it is for all teams—sales, marketing, customer service—to be on the same page when engaging with customers. For instance, a few months ago, I reached out to a favorite brand for tech support via Twitter. While their social response was prompt, the follow-up from customer service through email left me feeling disconnected and frustrated because they didn’t seem to have access to my earlier queries.
I completely relate to your experience. It’s interesting how a brand’s online presence can create such a nuanced relationship with customers. Today’s social channels do indeed serve as the lifeblood of these interactions. It sounds so simple, yet many businesses still struggle to see customer service as a cohesive effort across teams.
I completely understand where you’re coming from. The disconnect you experienced with your favorite brand really highlights a key issue in how businesses manage customer relationships today. It’s fascinating how social media has become such a critical touchpoint, yet too often, companies operate in silos instead of fostering seamless communication between their teams.
You raise a critical point about the importance of interconnectedness in customer relationships, especially within the framework of social CRM. I’ve experienced firsthand how siloed teams can lead to mixed messages and frustrations. For instance, in my previous role, we struggled with alignment between marketing and customer service, resulting in inconsistent messaging that confused our customers.
Your insights into the importance of social CRM in nurturing customer relationships resonate deeply with my own experiences in the digital landscape. In today’s fast-paced environment, where consumers have a plethora of choices at their fingertips, the need for brands to foster genuine connections is more critical than ever. The notion that we are ultimately in the “relationship business” rings true; it’s not just about selling a product or service but about cultivating a community around our brands.
You’re already hitting on a key theme that so many brands seem to overlook: the importance of building genuine relationships. In the current digital landscape, it often feels like there’s a race to sell rather than a focus on connecting with customers. I agree that we’re not just in the business of transactions; we’re part of a broader community where engagement and trust are essential.
I completely resonate with the idea that we’re really in the relationship business, especially these days when social channels are so integral to our interactions. It’s fascinating to think about how a simple like or comment can kick off a whole journey toward brand loyalty.