In business, connecting with customers is like building friendships – you want to understand them, make them happy and get them to come back. Social CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, uses tools and software to help you do that better on social media. Imagine having a toolbox full of gadgets for your social media accounts! These tools – social CRM platforms and management software – let you listen to customers, talk to them in the way they like to be talked to and share things they find useful.
In our blog, we’ll show you how to use these tools well. We’ll share what to do to make your customers feel valued and what to avoid to turn them away. Whether you’re new to social CRM or looking to improve, these practices will help you to shine your online presence.
What’s Social CRM?
Imagine you have a lemonade stand. You want to sell the best lemonade ever, right? But how can you know what flavours your customers like (or dislike!)? Social CRM is like having a superpower for your lemonade stand!
Here’s the trick: social media management tools are like a fancy toolbox that helps you use social media platforms or digital channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. With these tools, you can chat with your customers, find out what flavours they like, and even ask them for tips on how to make your lemonade the tastiest ever!
The Dos of Social CRM
- Listen Up!: Just like you wouldn’t want to talk over your new friend, don’t talk over your customers on social media. Use social media management tools (like a fancy organiser for all your social media accounts) to listen to what they’re saying. Do they have questions about your product? Are they happy with your service? Pay attention and respond!
- Join the Conversation: Remember how you introduced yourself to your new friend? Do the same on social media! Respond to comments and messages quickly. Show your customers you care about their feedback and questions. This builds trust and makes your brand feel like a friend they can chat with online.
- Share Cool and Helpful Stuff: Nobody wants to hang out with a friend who only talks about themselves, right? Share interesting stuff on your social media platforms. This could be funny memes related to your product, articles about things your customers might be interested in or even behind the scenes glimpses of your company. The key is to provide something valuable and keep your audience interested.
- Show Appreciation: Remember how happy you were when your new friend said they liked your drawing? Show your customers you appreciate them too! Thank them for their feedback, acknowledge their loyalty and even run contests or giveaways to show your appreciation. A little shout-out goes a long way in building a strong positive association with your brand.
The Don’ts of Social CRM
- Don’t Brag Too Much: Nobody likes a friend who only brags about themselves. Don’t just post about how great your product is all the time. Make your customers feel valued and work on building strong relationships with them.
- Don’t Ignore Your Customers: Imagine your new friend keeps asking you questions but you just walk away. Not cool, right? Don’t ignore your customers’ comments or messages on social media. Respond quickly and show them you care about their feedback.
- Don’t Be a Bully: Remember how playgrounds have rules to make sure everyone has fun? Social media has rules too! Don’t get into arguments with your customers online. Be professional and respectful even if they’re upset.
- Don’t Be a Spammer: Nobody likes a friend who keeps sending the same boring jokes over and over again. Don’t send your customers constant sales messages. Share engaging and valuable content they’ll enjoy.
Choose Right Tools
There are tools that can help you with social CRM! Look for social CRM platforms (like a special app for managing all your customer relationships online) and social media management software (like a fancy organiser for all your social media accounts). These social CRM tools can help you schedule posts, analyse data and even track customer interactions across different platforms.
Build Customer Relationship with Social CRM
Building strong customer relationships with customers will take time and effort but social CRM can be your secret weapon. Follow these dos and don’ts and you can use social media to create a community of happy, loyal customers who love your brand just like they love their best friend! Here are some extra things to consider:
- Be Consistent: Just like a good friend, you want to be reliable online. Post regularly and respond quickly.
- Be Yourself: Let your brand personality shine through on social media. People connect with real interactions so don’t be afraid to show your company’s unique voice.
- Have Fun!: Social media should be fun for both you and your customers. Share lighthearted content, participate in fun trends and show your brand’s human side.
Building Business Community with Social CRM
Social CRM isn’t just about responding to comments and messages. It’s about building a community around your brand. Here’s how:
- Encourage User-Generated Content: encourage your loyal customers to create and share content about your brand! Run contests or giveaways that ask customers to post photos or videos using your product. User-generated content builds trust and excitement around your brand and it’s free advertising!
- Host Online Events: Who doesn’t love events! Social media allows you to host online events for your customers! This could be a live Q&A with your company founder, a virtual product launch party or even a live tutorial. These events create a sense of community and excitement around your brand.
- Reward Your Loyal Customers: Remember how happy you were when your friends included you in their secret handshake club? Reward your loyal customers with some coupons or hampers for their continued support! Offer them exclusive discounts, early access to new products or even personalised birthday messages. This makes your customers feel valued and encourages them to stay loyal to your brand.
Conclusion
Building strong relationships with your customers is important and it takes time and effort but using tools like CrmOne can help. With the best social CRM you can listen to what your customers are saying, talk to them in the way they want to be talked to and give them things they find useful. This will create fans who love your brand and tell others about it.
By using the right tools and making real online friendships you can change the way you talk to customers and grow your business! Social media is about making good connections and if you follow the above social media management tips your brand will be popular online, making new friends (customers) and keeping the ones you already have happy!