How to use Social CRM Strategy to Improve Product Marketing: Part I

With the power of social CRM (customer relationship management) in the market today, you can’t ignore this powerful approach to improving your product marketing. You can easily leverage a strategy like Facebook to create advocates for your products among the customer base. Facebook has a number of competitors in the social CRM strategy space, yet it continues to dominate in terms of market share. The success of this individual platform can have a direct impact on your marketing success if you rely on this social CRM strategy as a key business driver.

Is Facebook the Only Truly Powerful Social CRM Strategy?

Facebook has been the leading social networking platform almost since its inception, but can it work for your business? Facebook can help promote your efforts, the giant recently launched Facebook for Business to educate companies on how to leverage this platform to their advantage. Too many organizations believe this platform is pointless as a business tool. The reality is that Facebook does provide powerful features that can promote a brand, regardless of the size of the company. One important tool is the Social Graph API which allows you to capture valuable information from your customers on Facebook, including birthdays, likes and dislikes, location and groups to which they belong. You can also leverage this tool to communicate directly with your customers based on this information.

Is There a Downside to Facebook as a Social CRM Strategy?

Facebook is a powerful social CRM strategy as long as you understand why people interact with your brand on Facebook and use that knowledge to define your method for interaction to increase brand engagement among your customer base. Facebook is only as effective as you make it, and it can be easy to overdo it. Companies have been known to broadcast messages to the entire audience, hoping it will fall on the right ears. Others have been known to share only boring or predictable information. Failing to learn how Facebook works and how it can promote your brand can be fatal. If you can’t manage your campaign, provide relevant content that engages the audience, respond to members in real-time and monitor interactions, your social CRM strategy can actually damage your brand.

Demonstrated Success with Facebook as a Social CRM Strategy

All of the promise in Facebook is not simply a promotional piece by the social networking giant, but a demonstration of real business success where Facebook has proven to be a valuable social CRM strategy. Tax preparation company H&R Block has used the Facebook social CRM strategy to provide its customers with immediate access to a Q&A social media campaign. With 1,500,000 unique visitors answering 1,000,000 questions, the company experienced a 15 percent increase in business they were able to directly attribute to their Facebook campaign.

Your approach to an effective social CRM strategy will depend greatly upon the audience you are trying to reach. If your target market is of a generation that does not rely on advanced communications, your marketing efforts are best left to traditional methods. For all others, Facebook is a powerful tool that only continues to improve.