Social CRM

What is a Social CRM?

A social CRM is a customer relationship management system that integrates social media platforms and data into your customer relationship management. It allows you to monitor, engage and analyze your social media conversations with your customers and prospects, as well as track their social media activities and behavior.

When was Social CRM introduced?

Social CRM is not a new concept, but it has evolved significantly over the years. The term was first coined in 2008 by Paul Greenberg, who defined it as “the company’s response to the customer’s ownership of the conversation.”

However, the origins of social CRM can be traced back to the 1980s, when database marketing emerged as a form of direct marketing that used customer data to create personalized and targeted campaigns. Social CRM was born as a way to integrate social media data and interactions into CRM systems, enabling businesses to monitor, analyze and respond to their customers’ social media conversations, as well as to leverage their social influence and networks.

How does a Social CRM work?

Social CRM works by integrating social media platforms and data into your CRM system, allowing you to track, manage and analyze your social media interactions with your customers and prospects.

With social CRM, you can:

• Connect your social media accounts to your CRM system so that you can access all your customer data and communication history in one place.
• Monitor your social media mentions, messages, and comments, and respond to them directly from your CRM system.
• Collect and store social media data, such as profile information, preferences, interests, and behavior, and use it to create dynamic customer segments and personas.
• Create and execute social media campaigns based on your customer segments and personas, and measure their effectiveness using analytics and reports.
• Identify and nurture leads from social media, and move them along the sales funnel using automated workflows and triggers.
• Provide personalized and consistent customer service across all channels, and resolve issues faster and more efficiently.
• Leverage your customers’ social influence and networks to generate referrals, reviews, and testimonials.

What are the benefits of a Social CRM?

Social CRM can offer many benefits for your business, but it also comes with some risks that you should be aware of. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Some of the benefits of social CRM are:

• It can help you increase your brand awareness and reach new markets by being active on social media and connecting with new and potential customers.
• It can help you enhance your customer service by responding to your customer’s queries, complaints, and feedback on social media in a timely and personalized manner.
• It can help you increase your sales by identifying and nurturing leads from social media, as well as upselling and cross-selling to your existing customers.
• It can help you boost your marketing by creating and executing targeted campaigns based on your customer’s social media profiles, interests, and behavior.
• It can help you improve your decision-making by measuring and optimizing your social media performance using analytics and reports.

What are the risks of a Social CRM?

• It can expose you to negative feedback and criticism from unhappy customers or competitors, which can damage your reputation and trust.
• It can require more resources and training to manage multiple social media channels and platforms effectively and consistently.
• It can pose security and privacy challenges, as you need to protect your customer data and comply with relevant regulations and policies3
• It can create unrealistic expectations from customers, who may demand immediate responses or solutions on social media, regardless of your availability or capacity.

As you can see, social CRM is not a one-size-fits-all solution but a strategic tool that requires careful planning, implementation, and evaluation. You need to weigh the pros and cons of social CRM for your business and choose the best tools and practices that suit your needs and goals.

What are the types of Social CRM?

Social CRM can be divided into two types of tools, depending on your needs and goals.

1. Social media CRM tools

Social media CRM tools are tools that offer social media features within a CRM software. These tools allow you to manage your customer relationships across multiple channels, including social media platforms. You can use these tools to track, monitor and engage with your customers and prospects on social media, as well as to collect and analyze social media data. You can also use these tools to create and execute social media campaigns based on your customer segments and personas and to measure their effectiveness using analytics and reports. Some examples of social media CRM tools are CostaRica CRM, Zoho CRM, and Salesforce.

2. Social media CRM software 

Social media CRM software are tools that focus mainly on social media management without being full-fledged CRM systems. These tools allow you to plan, post, schedule, and manage your branding and marketing content on social media platforms, as well as to unify all your social engagement. You can use these tools to reach out to your customers and prospects on social media, listen to their feedback and opinions, respond to their queries and complaints, and build trust and loyalty with them. You can also use these tools to gather valuable data and insights into your customers’ preferences, interests, and behavior, which you can use to improve your products, services, and marketing strategies. Some examples of social media CRM software are CostaRica CRM, Sprout Social, and Zoho Social.

What is the best Social CRM platform?

The best social CRM platform depends on your business needs and goals, as well as your budget and preferences. There are many social CRM tools and software available in the market, each with its own features and benefits. However, one of the most popular and recommended ones is CostaRica CRM. This is a comprehensive CRM platform that includes social media marketing, sales, service, and analytics features. You can use CostaRica CRM to connect your social media accounts to your CRM system, monitor and engage with your social media audience, create and execute social media campaigns, and measure their effectiveness using analytics and report.

How much does a Social CRM cost?

The cost of a social CRM varies depending on the tool or software you choose, the features you need, the number of users you have, and the plan you select. Some social CRM tools offer free plans or trials, while others charge a monthly or annual fee based on different tiers or packages.

For example:

• CostaRica CRM has very lucrative plans and options available on its website. We suggest you contact them to get a custom quote. 
• Zoho CRM offers a free plan for up to three users and 5,000 contacts. The paid plans start from $12 per user per month for up to 100,000 contacts.
• Sprout Social offers a free trial for 30 days. The paid plans start from $99 per user per month for up to five social profiles.

How to use Social CRM in your business?

Social CRM can be used in your business to improve your customer relationships, marketing, sales, and service across multiple channels, including social media platforms. Here are some steps to use social CRM in your business:

• Choose a social CRM tool or software that suits your needs and goals. There are many options available in the market, each with its own features and benefits. 
• Connect your social media accounts to your CRM system so that you can access all your customer data and communication history in one place. This will help you to track, monitor and engage with your customers and prospects on social media, as well as to collect and analyze social media data.
• Create and execute social media campaigns based on your customer segments and personas, and measure their effectiveness using analytics and reports. You can use social CRM to create targeted and personalized content for your social media audience and to track their responses and conversions.
• Identify and nurture leads from social media, and move them along the sales funnel using automated workflows and triggers. You can use social CRM to find potential customers who are interested in your products or services and to follow up with them using relevant messages and offers.
• Provide personalized and consistent customer service across all channels, and resolve issues faster and more efficiently. You can use social CRM to respond to your customer’s queries, complaints, and feedback on social media in a timely and friendly manner and to leverage their social influence and networks.

What are the best practices for a Social CRM?

Here are some best practices for a social CRM:

• Define your goals and KPIs (key performance indicators) for using social CRM, and align them with your overall business objectives. This will help you to measure the success of your social CRM efforts and to optimize them accordingly.
• Choose the right social media platforms for your business based on where your customers and prospects are, what they are talking about, and how they prefer to communicate. You don’t need to be on every platform, but you need to be on the ones that matter most for your business.
• Listen to your customers and prospects on social media, and understand their needs, wants, and expectations. You can use social listening tools to monitor your brand mentions, keywords, competitors, and industry trends on social media and to gather valuable insights into your audience’s sentiment, behavior, and preferences.
• Engage with your customers and prospects on social media, and build trust and loyalty with them. You can use social engagement tools to respond to their comments, messages, and mentions on social media, as well as to initiate conversations with them using questions, polls, or contests.
• Analyze your social media data, and use it to improve your products, services, and marketing strategies. You can use social analytics tools to measure the performance of your social media campaigns, such as reach, engagement, conversions, and ROI (return on investment). You can also use social data to create dynamic customer segments and personas, which can help you to tailor your content and offers to their needs.

What are the social CRM strategies?

Social CRM strategies are the ways you use social CRM tools or software to achieve your business goals. Some of the common social CRM strategies are:

• Social media marketing: This is the strategy of using social media platforms to promote your brand, products, or services, generate leads, increase awareness and loyalty, and drive traffic to your website or landing pages. You can use social CRM tools or software to plan, post, schedule, and manage your branding and marketing content on social media platforms, as well as to track their effectiveness using analytics and reports.
• Social selling: This is the strategy of using social media platforms to find potential customers who are interested in your products or services, establish rapport with them, provide value-added information or advice, and guide them toward a purchase decision. You can use social CRM tools or software to identify and nurture leads from social media using automated workflows and triggers.
• Social customer service: This is the strategy of using social media platforms to provide fast, personalized, and consistent customer service across all channels and resolve issues more efficiently. You can use social CRM tools or software to respond to your customer’s queries, complaints, and feedback on social media in a timely and friendly manner.

What is the importance of a CRM for Social?

A CRM for social is important for your business because it can help you to improve your customer relationships, marketing, sales, and service across multiple channels, including social media platforms. Here are five reasons why you need a CRM for social:

1. It can help you deliver customer support in the online platforms customers use. Customers expect to be able to contact you on their preferred channels, whether by phone, text, chat, email, or social media.
2. It can help you interact and engage with customers in real-time. Social media is a dynamic and interactive channel where customers can share their opinions, experiences, and emotions with you and others.
3. It can help you get greater exposure in the places where audiences spend their time. Social media platforms have millions of active users who spend hours browsing, liking, commenting, and sharing content every day.
4. It can help you increase engagement and deepen relationships with customers. Social media is not a one-way channel but a two-way dialogue that allows you to communicate with your customers on a more personal and social level.
5. It can help you find and reward brand advocates and customers who help others. Customers who are loyal and satisfied with your brand can become your best advocates, spreading positive word-of-mouth and influencing others to buy from you.

What is the difference between traditional CRM and Social CRM?

The main difference between traditional CRM and social CRM is the way they communicate and interact with customers and prospects. Traditional CRM uses direct advertising to boost sales, collects customer data to target campaigns at specific consumers, and aims to retain current customers. In addition, customer service is often automated, and customers share their experiences through word of mouth.

Social CRM, on the other hand, is more of a strategy for customer engagement. It involves connecting social media platforms and data with your CRM system, allowing you to monitor, engage and analyze your social media conversations with your customers and prospects, as well as track their social media activities and behavior. Social CRM also enables you to create and execute social media campaigns based on your customer segments and personas and measure their effectiveness using analytics and reports. Moreover, customer service is more personalized and responsive, and customers can share their experiences with a broader audience on social media.

Is Facebook a Social CRM?

Facebook is not a social CRM in and of itself, but it can be used as a part of a social CRM strategy. Using its social CRM strategy, you can get access to a vast pool of 2.9 billion people. Facebook may be a valuable tool for marketing and communication, but it is not a complete CRM platform since it does not offer features like contact management, pipeline management, email marketing automation, reporting, and analytics. Facebook can be seen as a complementary tool to a CRM system rather than a replacement. 

Is Twitter a Social CRM?

Similar to Facebook, Twitter cannot be a social CRM platform but can be considered depending on how you define social CRM. Twitter can be a huge source of customers with its active 330 million users. It is a social networking site that allows businesses to grow, post content, run ads, message prospects, and generate leads. 

Is LinkedIn a Social CRM? 

LinkedIn is another important channel for social CRM. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network, with over 740 million members across 200 countries and territories. LinkedIn helps professionals to connect, learn, and grow in their careers. Businesses can use LinkedIn to generate and nurture leads, but they still need a CRM system to store and manage their customer data and interactions.

However, to make the most of these social media platforms, you need to integrate them with your CRM system. This way, you can centralize all your customer data and communication history in one place, streamline your social media management, automate your workflows and triggers, and track and measure your social media performance. You also need to use social CRM tools that can help you monitor, analyze and optimize your social media interactions with your customers and prospects.