Ten years ago email was the only form of social media. Handheld mobile devices were primarily owned by businesspeople, with email access as their main function.
Today’s society is much different. Nearly everyone owns a smartphone. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have changed the way we use the Internet.
Facebook is no longer a network designed for college students. It is a platform where members of all demographics interact. Businesses have taken notice and incorporate social media into their marketing strategy.
The Social Connection
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is all about conversation. The dashboard in your CRM software is a hub to monitor the success of your email campaigns.It allows you to keep track of conversations with customers.
Social media enhances these conversations. It is not meant to replace email marketing, but rather serve as a complement.
Email marketing is often used primarily as a oneway conversation. The reader’s response is measured by opens and click-through rates instead of a written response.
Social media offers a channel for direct communication with your prospects. This type of conversation offers an avenue to let your personality shine and put a human face to your business.
How to Use Social Media to Your Advantage
A big goal of using CRM software is to gain insight on who your prospects are. Social media is a great source for this information. Here are some ways to use social media to your advantage.
• Include a subscribe widget on your Facebook page. Your Facebook page is a great source of generating leads. Many of your fans on Facebook may not even know about your email program. Be sure to encourage your prospects to sign up to be placed in an email campaign.
• Take advantage of “hashtags”.Both Facebook and Twitter use the hashtag system for searches. All you have to do is put “#” in front of a word or phrase and users can then click on the tag to join the conversation.
The benefit of hashtags is you can use them to gain new fans and followers. You can also use hashtags to monitor the conversation and respond promptly. Social media users love when a business responds to them.
• Encourage social sharing in your emails.Not all of your email subscribers follow you on social media. Encourage them to follow you and spread content they find useful.
Your CRM software is a valuable tool to track which subscribers also follow your social media accounts. You can keep track of social media conversations.
Target those who have high engagement as social influencers. All of their followers are potential new leads for your business. Maintain a high level of engagement with influencers and encourage them to share your posts or retweet your tweets.
In the world of customer relationships, social media serves as a great tool for lead generation, customer engagement, and brand awareness. Your CRM software serves as the central hub to integrate your social media activity into your overall marketing effort.