Introduction
Greetings reader, welcome to the new world of social business and Social CRM For Dummies. Pat yourself on the back for picking up this book! You are about to enter a world of customer-focused technology that will revolutionize the way you support and market your business. In our very humble opinion, it's an exciting time for all.
Social CRM (that is, customer relationship management) responds to dramatic changes in the business world. Over the past 23 years, we have witnessed an extreme transformation in how customers deal with brands. Much of the change is directly related to the Internet and the development of social media. Extend a hand and welcome social consumers with social technology at their fingertips! With social media, customers can speak, share, and build opinions and thoughts around your brand.
Whether you are an executive of a global business or the owner of a small business, the idea of digital communication is extremely important to your business strategy. The last five years have seen a massive growth in marketing automation, customer service, and sales support technology. And it is forever changing … daily.
Although the rapid changes social media has brought can feel exhausting, it's absolutely imperative to have a finger on the pulse of the CRM and social CRM world. Social CRM For Dummies is your guide to entering this world. In this book, we help you understand where your business is, where you want your business to be, and how to steer your business toward that goal.
About This Book
If you deal in any aspect of customer communication — internal or external — this book is for you. Whether you're an executive or small business owner, this book will give you an in-depth look at the world of social business and social CRM.
The world of customer relationship management is absolutely massive. The changes in the industry from software development to cloud-based computing have created a scenario of constant development for everyone in the marketing industry. We wrote this book to help you gain traction in the ever-changing world of social CRM. This book deals with communication. Period. Communication is (or should be) at the center of every business entity.
There is a saying out there, “Relevance is in the eye of the beholder.” Relevance is exactly why we decided to write this book. The customer deems you relevant if and only if you speak to them as an individual instead of the mass. We are in a world where personalization is king and the rest? Just details. Welcome to the world of social CRM. Enjoy the ride.
Also, this book doesn't look good gathering dust on a bookshelf. Use it!
Foolish Assumptions
Many authors make assumptions about their readers. How are we to judge? Here are some simple assumptions we have made about you. Feel free to use a pen and put check marks next to the one(s) that apply to you:
- You are innovative and want to change the way you do business in the digital age.
- You have used at least one social networking site in your lifetime, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yammer, or Chatter.
- You have some business experience running a small business or working in an enterprise-level organization.
- You love your customers and posses an innate desire to cater to their every need.
We also assume that you have some basic web skills, such as knowing how to use Google.
Conventions Used in This Book
We have some consistent things happening throughout the book that you need to be aware of. Consistency equals success right? In this book, those consistent elements are called conventions.
- Italics are used to indentify and define new terms.
- If you have to type something, you will find the words are bolded to keep things clear and concise.
- URLs, code, Twitter handles, or e-mail addresses within a paragraph appear in a special font. A URL looks like this: http://www.dummies.com (and if you're on an electronic device, clicking or tapping the URL will take you to that website). A Twitter handle, such as Kyle's, looks like this: @kyleplacy.
How This Book Is Organized
The idea of shifting your business to focus more on the consumer can be a daunting task. We have written a wide variety of ideas from strategy to software, which is why this book is broken down in parts and sections. We organized the book in the For Dummies way because it is perfect for quick reviewing and reading. If you want to know about certain software for marketing automation, you can go directly to that section. Perfect right?
Let's take a look at how each section is organized and detailed.
Part I: Welcome to the World of Social CRM
This is your complete guide to understanding the beginning of CRM and social CRM. From humble beginnings, the world of data management has shifted dramatically over the years. This is where you learn from where we have come and where we are going.
We define the changing world of the consumer as well as the technology. If you just read Part I of the book (which we don't recommend), you'll have a full understanding of what it means to be a true social business.
Chapter 1 introduces you to the impact social media is having on businesses and how that connects to customers' personal use of social media. You also find out how to connect where CRM was to social CRM today and in the future. Chapter 2 introduces you to the fundamental elements of social CRM, such as multiway communication, collaboration with customers, and customer engagement. You also find out how social CRM supports business's core needs, such as retaining customers, finding leads, offering customer support, and more. Chapter 3 introduces the challenges social CRM poses and strategies that can help lay the groundwork for your social CRM initiatives. Chapter 4 is your guide to the social customer's habits and best practices for approaching the social customer via social media.
Part II: Building Your Social CRM Strategy
Simply put, Part II moves from the 20,000-foot view in Part I to the ground level. Chapter 5 helps you formulate your overall social business strategy, from internal matters (such as finding the right person to lead your social CRM initiative and adjusting business processes) to external strategies (like initiating co-creation with your customers). After you have a better understanding of your big-picture strategy, you're ready to start working within your organization to implement your social CRM plan. Chapter 6 focuses specifically on how to adjust your marketing strategy, Chapter 7 digs into the nitty-gritty of social technology, and Chapter 8 explains how to help your sales team adjust to a social CRM business model. In Chapters 9, 10, and 11, you discover ways to reach out to customers, including creating customer loyalty and advocacy programs, delivering customer service via social media, and effectively reaching out to customers on mobile technologies.
Part III: Developing a Social and Collaborative Business
Employees are customers too! This section details the different ways your employees are affected by social CRM. How do you truly create a social business that thrives under the new technology? (We in the biz call it the Zappos effect. More on that later.) Discover strategies for turning your business into a social organization in Chapter 12. Then, in Chapter 13, you discover different methods and technologies for implementing that strategy.
Part IV: Measuring the Impact of Social CRM
We highly recommend this section for those of you who love analytics and Excel spreadsheets. Success is not only grounded in strategy, but also in measuring the success of a project or campaign. It is imperative to understand the world of analytics and measurement. It will define your campaigns, technology, and business moving forward. Chapter 14 introduces ways you can deal with the massive influx of data that social CRM can bring. You also find help deciding what social media metrics are important to your overall social CRM strategy. Chapter 15 looks ahead to emerging technologies that are likely to become more mainstream in social CRM, including emerging consumer technologies as well as the future of mobile and embedded technology.
Part V: The Part of Tens
This is almost like the tradition of Thanksgiving or watching the IU Hoosiers' basketball games before March Madness. Simply tradition. Every For Dummies book has a Part of Tens, which in this case sums up the different types of software and/or technology you should use on your social CRM journey. For example, we detail the different tools to use for sales support, customer service, and marketing automation. When you're ready to start researching software that can support your social CRM strategy, this Part of Tens is for you.
Icons Used in This Book
We love icons as long as they are not on a PowerPoint slide deck at a conference. We use icons in the book to highlight important points. Here's a break-down of what the icons mean.
The Tip icon gives you suggestions, shortcuts, and tricks to better enable your business to be more social and engaged.
Yes, it is a bomb. No, it doesn't mean you are dead. The warning icon is simply a warning. It highlights points where your business needs to stay alert and cautious in order to keep your social CRM initiatives on track.
The Remember icon is used for the awesome factoids that will basically change your life. Go back to these over and over to keep your social CRM project focused on sound planning and results.
The majority of this book is geeky. When we are over-the-top geeky, you see the Technical Stuff icon. You can ignore these tidbits, but we think you'll find them useful when you're ready go beyond the basics of social CRM.
Where to Go from Here
Go forth into the world of customer communication, increased collaboration, and support scenarios. Sounds fun already right? So, where do you start?
If you already understand how and why the world is changing due to technology, feel free to skip Part I and jump directly to Part II. However, it is extremely imperative that you truly understand where the business world is truly moving in regards to customer communication and technology.
If you have a specific topic in mind that you want to know more about, check the Index or the Table of Contents. Then flip to that chapter, section, or page. That, friends, is the beauty of the For Dummies guide.
If you have any questions regarding social CRM or customer communication, feel free to check out Kyle's blog at www.kylelacy.com or Jon's website at Nimble www.nimble.com. If we have important updates to this book, you can find them online at www.dummies.com/go/socialcrmupdates.
You're ready. Enjoy the ride.