Zimana Blog

Can social media enhance customer relationship management?
A recent Business To Business article believes so. A 900-respondent survey (“Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses”) mentioned in the article suggests that social media usage benefits in intangible way that can lead in tangible results. The article cites the following as an example:

Of respondents already using social media, 81% say its (social media’s) No. 1 benefit is generating exposure; following that were, respectively, increasing traffic and building new business relationships.

The article expands the intangible-to-tangible SM concept to CRM, that business social media usage can dovetail into CRM processes and practices. Successful customer engagements by companies such as Comcast and Dell (as well as Ford — check out this link from Autoblog on the second Ford Fiesta Movement) confirm that the value of social media is intangible on the surface and yet definitely impacts the bottom line when an analytic review of processes based on social media feedback is applied. Businesses must find unique ways of creating value for customers by re-imagining activities that some businesses have traditionally considered as cost centers. Using social media can help identify what customer value or needs exist. Companies can then seek solutions that address the discovered value or need.

Small businesses can apply the same concept on a smaller scale by:
1. Using SM tools that allow quick announcement of services or events, and
2. Employ online services that integrate business activities — from invoicing to accounting — to reduced business activity time and increase the available time to service customers and their needs.

Do you believe customer relationship management be enhances, and if so, is social media the best way?