What Is Social CRM?

Understanding social media CRM

In today's digital landscape, customers are increasingly vocal on social media, expressing their opinions, seeking advice, and interacting with brands directly. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses. Social CRM, or social customer relationship management, emerges as a powerful tool to navigate this dynamic environment.

Table of contents - social media CRM

What is social media CRM?

Social CRM goes beyond traditional CRM by integrating social media channels into the existing customer management system. This enables businesses to listen to customer conversations, respond to inquiries and complaints in real-time, and gain valuable insights into customer sentiment and behavior. By harnessing the power of social media, businesses can foster deeper customer relationships, build brand loyalty, and ultimately drive business growth.

What is the difference between social CRM and traditional CRM?

The primary differences between social CRM and traditional CRM are their scope and channel:

• Traditional CRM centers on internal data organization and sales-driven processes.

• Social CRM focuses on the customer's social presence, aiming for engagement, relationship building, and leveraging social listening for insights.

Traditional CRM focuses on managing customer interactions through conventional communication channels, such as phone calls, emails, and in-person interactions. It emphasizes structured, historical data and well-established communication methods.

On the other hand, social media CRM incorporates popular social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to tap into unstructured data from online interactions. It promotes customer engagement through likes, shares, comments, and direct messages, offering real-time insights into customer sentiments and preferences. Social media CRM is more interactive and enables companies to engage in two-way conversations with a wider audience.

By providing the tools to listen actively, respond promptly, and build genuine connections, our Freshworks' social CRM is the key to your search for lasting customer relationships. Ready to add your business ears back in on the social conversation? Here's how a social CRM upgrade from Freshworks can streamline your social skills.

Types of social CRM

Built-in social CRM features

CRM, by definition, is a software system designed to manage and improve customer relationships. So, every CRM inherently has built-in CRM features.

However, there are different types of CRMs that focus on various aspects of customer relationship management, each with its own set of functionalities. Here are the main types to look out for:

• Operational CRM: This type focuses on automating and streamlining everyday tasks in sales, marketing, and customer service. Features include contact management, lead scoring, opportunity management, and workflow automation.

• Analytical CRM: This type focuses on data analysis and reporting to gain insights into customer behavior and trends. Features include data mining, customer segmentation, and reporting dashboards.

• Collaborative CRM: This type focuses on improving communication and collaboration between different departments within an organization. Features include social media integration, shared calendars, and task management tools.

• Strategic CRM: This type focuses on aligning customer relationship management strategies with overall business goals. Features include customer lifetime value analysis, customer churn management, and competitor analysis.

When choosing a CRM, it's crucial to consider your specific needs and choose the type that best aligns with your teams’ goals and priorities.

Independent social CRM software

Forget bulky, all-encompassing software suites. Social CRM breaks free from the traditional CRM mold and emerges as lean, independent solutions. These social media stewards are laser-focused on one thing: turning your social media channels into customer engagement powerhouses.

Enjoy a central hub where every message, mention, and review lands, neatly organized and ready for action. That's the magic of independent social CRMs. They empower you to listen in on customer conversations, respond to inquiries in real-time, and even identify potential brand advocates. Plus, these stand-alone tools integrate seamlessly with your existing social media platforms, eliminating the need for juggling multiple interfaces. It's like having a dedicated social media concierge, keeping your finger on the pulse of your online community and ensuring you never miss a beat.

Why is social media CRM important for your business?

Better customer support

Imagine being able to concierge every customer interaction, no matter where it happens online. That's the magic of social CRM. In today's digital world, customers are more vocal than ever, voicing opinions, seeking help, and praising (or criticizing) brands on social media. This creates a golden opportunity for businesses – but only if they have the right tools to navigate it.

Social CRM steps up as the ultimate customer service champion. It allows you to monitor mentions and messages across all platforms, ensuring no inquiry goes unnoticed. Imagine instantly responding to a frustrated tweet or offering personalized assistance to someone asking a question on Facebook. This real-time engagement builds trust and loyalty, showing customers you care and are there to listen. Happy customers translate to positive online reviews and increased advocacy, further strengthening your brand image.

Increased sales

But social CRM isn't just about keeping customers happy, it's also about fueling your sales engine. By analyzing social media conversations, you can identify potential leads, understand their needs, and tailor your outreach accordingly. Imagine targeting individuals who've expressed interest in a product you offer, or engaging in conversations relevant to their pain points. This personalized approach significantly increases conversion rates, turning passive followers into active customers.

Marketing

Social CRM also takes your marketing to the next level. By understanding customer sentiment and preferences through social listening, you can tailor your marketing messages to resonate with your audience. Social CRM allows you to identify brand advocates and influencers, turning them into powerful allies who can spread the word about your brand authentically. This targeted approach not only saves you resources but also ensures your marketing efforts hit the mark, driving brand awareness and sales like never before. At a glance, social CRM empowers you to connect with your audience on a deeper level, fostering loyalty, driving sales, and ultimately, propelling your business forward.

Key benefits of social CRM

Increased accessibility to customers

Increased customer accessibility is a cornerstone benefit of social CRM, offering several advantages like reduced barriers in communication, real-time engagement and an easy-to-navigate omnichannel experience. Social media platforms are where customers already spend their time, making them readily accessible for businesses. Two-way communication in real-time invites your team to respond to customer inquiries, address concerns, and offer support promptly, fostering a sense of immediacy and responsiveness that traditional methods might struggle to achieve.

Social media is organically about customers voicing their opinions, asking questions, and providing feedback, right? Social CRM joins in on the conversation and enables you to actively listen to these interactions, gaining valuable insights into customer needs and improving your overall customer service strategy. Social media breaks down traditional hierarchies, allowing you to engage with all customers directly, regardless of their position or location. This accessibility fosters a sense of inclusivity and strengthens relationships with your audience. Your team will enjoy how a social CRM integrates with other communication channels, like email and phone, providing customers with a seamless and consistent experience no matter how they choose to interact with your brand.

Reach customers where they are

Forget chasing down customers across different channels. Social CRM helps businesses meet their customers on their own turf. Imagine a scenario where a potential customer expresses interest in your product on Twitter, while a loyal customer asks a question on Facebook. Social CRM acts as a central hub, allowing you to listen, engage, and respond to all these conversations in real-time, regardless of the platform. This omnichannel approach ensures that no customer query gets lost in the shuffle, and you can address their needs promptly, building stronger connections and fostering a sense of accessibility.

Increase efficiency

Social CRM, by design, acts as a centralized hub for all customer interactions—making it a solid collaboration tool for your team. By consolidating information from various social media platforms in one place, teams can access customer data, track interactions, and collaborate seamlessly which eliminates the need for juggling multiple platforms. It automates tasks like lead scoring, prioritizes customer inquiries based on urgency, and assigns them to the relevant team members, eliminating silos and ensuring a smoother workflow. Other automations like sentiment analysis and lead generation put in the effort of reducing manual work, allowing employees to focus on more strategic tasks and build deeper customer relationships. Ultimately, social CRM empowers businesses to do more with less, fostering a more efficient and productive work environment.

Improve brand awareness

In the competitive world of social media, standing out amidst the noise can be a challenge. But imagine turning everyday conversations into brand-building opportunities. Social CRM acts like a brand ambassador, analyzing social media trends and identifying influential voices who resonate with your target audience. By engaging with them authentically and sharing valuable content, you leverage their reach to spread the word about your brand organically. Additionally, social CRM empowers you to monitor brand mentions, respond to positive reviews, and address negative sentiment promptly, building trust and establishing your brand as a responsive and customer-centric force. With social CRM by your side, turning everyday interactions into brand awareness victories becomes a reality.

Increase engagement

A social CRM is a powerful tool that goes beyond broadcasting messages; it empowers you to actively listen and engage with your audience (and that engagement flows both ways). Social CRM helps you spark conversations by responding to comments and questions promptly, promoting a sense of community, and making your customers feel valued. You can run interactive polls and contests, encouraging participation and creating a fun, engaging environment. By understanding customer sentiment and preferences through social listening, you can tailor content that resonates with them, ensuring your brand stays relevant with the added ability to turn passive followers into engaged brand advocates (ultimately, a strong customer base ready to buy from you).

Integration with multiple social media platforms

When adopted correctly, a social CRM acts as a unified command center, seamlessly integrating with all your major social media platforms–Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and beyond. What if you could respond to customer comments on Facebook, schedule engaging posts on Twitter, and analyze brand mentions across all platforms, all from a single, centralized location? Social CRM eliminates the need to switch between different apps and logins, streamlining your workflow and saving you precious time. No more information silos, just a holistic view of your social media presence, allowing you to tailor strategies, track progress, and engage with your audience effectively across every channel—making it the ultimate tool for managing your online presence with ease and maximizing your impact.

Freshworks’ social CRM has an extensive marketplace for social media integrations. This comprehensive integration ecosystem enables businesses to leverage social media data within their workflows, driving smarter decision-making and fostering deeper customer relationships.

What is social listening?

Social listening is a pathway to step beyond the one-way communication of traditional marketing and engage in real conversations with your audience. By actively listening to what your customers and the market are saying, you can uncover valuable insights, make informed decisions, and build stronger relationships, paving the way for sustainable business growth.

Here's why you should keep your ears to the digital ground:

• Customers are vocal online: Social listening allows you to tap into this real-time conversation, gaining valuable insights into customer sentiment, brand perception, and emerging trends.

• Competition is fierce: Know what your competitors are up to with social listening. Uncover their strategies, identify their weaknesses, and leverage these insights to differentiate your brand.

• Building trust is paramount: Social listening enables you to identify and address customer concerns promptly, demonstrate responsiveness, and build stronger relationships through meaningful interactions.

• Data-driven decision-making is essential: In a world of information overload, get valuable data and insights to tailor your marketing strategies, refine your product offerings, and improve your customer service, ensuring your decisions are backed by real-world information.

Common mistakes of social CRM

Even with its benefits, businesses can fall into some unintentional pitfalls when using a social CRM. By using social CRM best practices, businesses can leverage their full potential to enhance customer relationships, build brand loyalty, and drive business growth forward, not into the ground. Let your team in on these common social CRM missteps to avoid:

1. Ignoring customer sentiment: Social CRM isn't just about broadcasting messages; it's about listening and responding. Failing to acknowledge negative feedback or neglecting praise can damage customer relationships and brand perception.

2. Inconsistent brand voice: Maintaining a consistent brand voice across all social media platforms is crucial - without it, you can confuse and alienate your audience.

3. Neglecting data security: Social CRMs store sensitive customer information. Businesses must ensure they have robust security measures in place to prevent data breaches and protect customer privacy.

4. Lack of employee training: Implementing a social CRM without proper training is not effective. Employees need to understand the tool's functionalities and best practices for social media engagement.

5. Focusing solely on sales: While social CRM can boost sales, it shouldn't be solely focused on converting leads. Authentic relationships and providing value to your audience should be the core strategy.

6. Failing to measure results: Regularly analyzing the data collected through your social CRM allows you to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and optimize your social media strategy. Neglecting to measure results can lead to wasted effort and missed opportunities.

7. Not integrating with other systems: A siloed social CRM limits its potential. Integrating it with other business systems like marketing automation or customer service software can streamline workflows and provide a more comprehensive view of customer interactions.

Social CRM challenges

Some challenges with a social CRM can range from determining the return on investment (ROI) of a social CRM due to the intangible nature of some benefits to the difficulty in identifying the most relevant and actionable insights to act on from a data-overloaded social world. By acknowledging and addressing these challenges, businesses can maximize the potential of social CRM and unlock its full benefits for building stronger customer relationships and driving positive business growth.

Businesses implementing social CRM must also contend with maintaining data privacy and security compliance. Ensuring sensitive information is adequately protected is paramount with social CRM because it involves a vast amount of customer data. By implementing robust security measures, transparent data handling practices, and compliance with industry regulations, businesses can instill trust among customers while reaping the rewards of a comprehensive social CRM strategy.

Incorporating social media into sales strategy

Today's savvy customers crave authentic connections and personalized experiences. This is where social media steps in, transforming from a casual hangout into a powerful sales engine. Social listening through your CRM helps you spot these goldmines on platforms like Twitter or Reddit, where they're actively discussing related topics. By engaging in genuine conversations instead of pushy pitches, you build trust and establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. This nurturing approach allows you to become a trusted resource, making the eventual sale a natural next step in your relationship with the customer.

But social media isn't just about one-on-one interactions. You can also leverage it to showcase customer testimonials, product demonstrations, and engaging content that resonates with your target audience. By creating valuable content, you position yourself as an expert, build brand awareness, and ultimately, convert followers into loyal customers. So, ditch the outdated sales tactics and embrace the power of social media. Learn how a CRM can help your business’ sales strategy by building relationships, cultivating trust, and turning those hard earned "likes" into leads.

Top 3 Social CRM Tools

Sprout Social 

Sprout Social is a leading social CRM platform offering robust features for monitoring, engagement, analytics, and collaboration. It allows businesses to streamline their social media efforts and build stronger customer relationships. Its intuitive interface and comprehensive suite of tools enable businesses to leverage social media data to drive meaningful engagement, enhance customer satisfaction, and achieve their marketing objectives. Key features:

• Real-time monitoring of social media mentions, comments, and messages across multiple platforms

• Comprehensive engagement tools for managing social media interactions by scheduling posts, assigning tasks to team members, and collaborating on responses

• Robust analytics and reporting tools that offer insights into engagement rates, audience demographics, and post performance

Pros:

• Role-based permissions allow businesses to control data access

• Customizable reports allow businesses to tailor the CRM to their needs

• Seamless integration with third-party tools that enable businesses to streamline marketing efforts

Cons:

• No AI-driven content suggestions

• No automated response workflows

• Advanced features may require additional training, potentially delaying CRM deployment

Price:

• Standard: $199/seat/month

• Professional: $299/seat/month

• Advanced: $399/seat/month

• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

Salesforce

Salesforce is a CRM that allows users to monitor social media interactions, manage customer relationships, and analyze social data to drive informed decision-making. It integrates social media insights with traditional CRM functionalities to empower businesses to optimize their marketing efforts.

Key features:

• Social listening and monitoring capabilities allow businesses to track and analyze conversations about their brand, products, or industry across social media platforms

• Enables businesses to engage directly with customers through social publishing and engagement tools

• Powerful social analytics and reporting tools to measure campaign effectiveness and ROI

Pros:

• Integrates traditional CRM capabilities with social CRM capabilities for comprehensive customer profiles

• Advanced social media interaction automation capabilities to ensure consistency and efficiency

• Flexible, cloud-based infrastructure that is highly scalable to accommodate dynamic business needs

Cons:

• Implementation and maintenance can be resource-intensive due to advanced features

• Customization may require technical expertise due to complexity

• Complex UI

Pricing:

• Marketing Cloud Engagement: $1,250/month

• Marketing Cloud Account Engagement: $1,250/month

• Marketing Cloud Growth Edition: $1,500/month

• Data Cloud for Marketing: $108,000/year

• Marketing Cloud Personalization: $108,000/year

• Marketing Cloud Intelligence: $3,000/month

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a robust social CRM that seamlessly integrates with its suite of business applications. It offers powerful social listening, engagement, and analytics capabilities to help businesses track their online presence and drive meaningful interactions. Key features:

• Social publishing, scheduling, and monitoring features that facilitate active engagement

• Customizable reports and dashboards to visualize social media engagement, audience demographics, and campaign effectiveness

• AI-driven analytics for uncovering trends, sentiment analysis, and predictive modeling

Pros:

• All-in-one solution for social media management

• Customizable workflows and forms that allow businesses to tailor the CRM to their needs

• Facilitates collaboration and cultivates a cohesive customer experience

Cons:

• Implementation and configuration may require dedicated IT personnel or external consultants

• Limited third-party integrations, hindering expansion of capabilities

• Complexity of customizations may pose challenges for future updates or enhancements

Price:

• Marketing Customer Insights: $1,700/tenant/month

Freshsales & social CRM for your business

Freshworks, Freshsales in particular, can be a valuable tool in your social CRM software tool shed. See how you can sharpen your customer service with an optimized social CRM:

1. Integrated Social Media Management: Freshsales offers built-in social media management functionalities, allowing you to schedule posts, monitor mentions, and engage with customers directly within the CRM platform (no more switching between different apps).

2. Social Listening and Insights: Freshsales provides robust social listening features, enabling you to track conversations about your brand, industry trends, and competitor activity across various platforms. This wealth of data gives you a clear sounding board of customer sentiment, brand perception, and emerging opportunities.

3. Improved Lead Generation and Management: By monitoring social media conversations, Freshsales is proactive about identifying potential leads who are expressing interest in your products or services, so you can better qualify and convert them down your sales funnel. 

4. Enhanced Customer Service: Freshsales easily integrates with social media platforms, allowing you to timely respond to customer inquiries and complaints directly through the CRM. 

5. Reporting and Analytics: Freshsales offers comprehensive reporting and analytics tools that allow you to track the performance of your social media campaigns and measure the impact of social CRM efforts on various metrics like lead generation, customer engagement, and sales conversion. 

Good customer service begins with exceeding customer expectations, but what if better customer service starts with exceeding your social CRM expectations? — that’s where Freshworks comes in. If you’re wanting to leverage social media for deeper customer engagement and business growth, it may time for a software update.

Create lasting customer relationships with social crm

In today's hyper-connected world, fostering lasting customer relationships is the key to sustainable success. Businesses can cultivate trust and loyalty over time by actively listening to customers' needs, delivering personalized experiences, and consistently providing value. Investing in social CRM allows you to meet customers where they are, ultimately driving conversions, customer retention, loyalty, and advocacy. With a strategic approach and a commitment to customer-centricity, businesses can harness the power of social CRM to nurture enduring connections that drive long-term success. 

Freshworks’ social CRM empowers businesses to proactively engage with customers on their preferred social media platforms, smartly supporting genuine connections and building trust for your brand’s goods and services. By analyzing social media conversations and identifying potential leads, businesses can nurture relationships early on, providing valuable content and addressing concerns before they pop up or get out of hand. This proactive approach nurtures loyalty and establishes your brand as a trusted partner, not just a product or service provider.