Social CRM:11 tips for companies

Today, social media offers companies huge potential in the area of customer relationship management. With Facebook, Twitter & Co., busy customers are increasingly becoming data providers and partners in the (further) development of products and business areas. We have compiled 11 tips for successful social customer relationship management (sCRM) so that you can get to know your customers better, customise offers and enhance your company's reputation.

As successful sCRM is inextricably linked to skilful community management and a sophisticated inbound marketing strategy, the majority of our tips relate to these areas:

• Target group identification: cavort in the social networks and communities where your target group is active. Only there will you have the chance to identify influencers and then activate them in dialogue with a great deal of tact and patience.

• Target group language: Learn the language of your target group in order to conduct an authentic dialogue. The exchange with the target group alone allows empathy for them to mature and strengthens your communication to such an extent that you can recognise crises, steer dialogues in your favour or introduce advertising content.

• Style guide: Keep both the tone, industry-specific terms, hashtags and general communication guidelines to ensure a consistent customer approach.

• Courage: Of course you can take inspiration from other companies' successful strategies - but ultimately you need to find your own way, gain experience and test it extensively. Try out procedures stringently and consistently within defined cycles. Only when these have been completed should they be tested for success.

• Monitoring: You should know what and where people are talking about your company and your products, as this information is more valuable than often unsuccessful attempts at participation. Use monitoring tools and services to keep up to date with industry trends and needs. Even if your systemic detection is configured for trouble spots, any reactions should definitely be checked by a human mind for the sentiments behind them.

• Disaster plan: Be prepared not only for negative feedback in dialogue, but also for its escalation. Train your employees in how to deal with it and jointly define a step-by-step plan for the flow of information and accessibility of decision-makers.

• Quick response time: Respond quickly to increase the quality of your communication online and within your own communities. Responding promptly - whether to positive or negative content, messages or comments - increases the social signal rate, which is valuable for sCRM.

• Social content: Avoid any promotional undertone in the preparation and publication of your messages or information. The higher the proportion of content that is liked and shared by the target group, the more valuable the data collected from it will be. Find out what connects the target groups with each other, what triggers enthusiasm or what influences the mood of the community in order to classify social content. The higher the proportion of social content and information in relation to advertising messages, the more valuable the data collected from it.

• Activating and helpful content: Create added value for potential customers with your content and encourage participation.

• Dialogue instead of monologue: Benefit from the experience of your customers, prospects and partners and exchange questions and ideas with them.

• Data matching: Synchronise your CRM system with relevant information from the social web and use the enriched data for future customer-oriented measures.

By bundling interactions, comparing them with user groups and the database, you obtain a more comprehensive picture of your target groups. Thanks to the increased quality of your database, you can place your marketing messages more accurately and generate higher sales by inspiring more qualified leads for your offer. At the same time, excellent content and service will add value to the shared digital experience of users and the brand and will be rewarded by your customers with positive testimonials.

You can read more about the successful and data protection-compliant use of information in social media marketing in the current BVDW Social Media Compass.