Social CRM's Reese's Cup Question

Let's say you're ready to get serious about responding to customer needs expressed in social media. You're answering questions and responding to complaints, and you want to move that capability into full production. Here's a question for you: what software platform do you want to build the operation on, one built for social media or one built for managing customer interactions?

When building a customer service capability for social media, you can start with a social media analysis platform or a customer relationships management platform. Some of the SMA platforms have CRM-like workflow features, and some CRM platforms are getting social media features.

This is the Reese's Cup Question. As social media become more important as a customer service touchpoint, how much social media do you want in your CRM, and how much CRM do you want in your social media?

From the vendor side, it's easy. You start where you are. For the buyer, it's trickier. Overlapping capabilities raise questions of purchasing rationalization and integration of both systems and processes. I don't think we've reached the major decision at most companies, but it's coming.

As companies scale up their commitment to provide customer service through social media, what do you expect? More chocolate in the peanut butter, or more peanut butter on the chocolate?

Related: Social Media for CRM or Workflow for SMA?

I'll take Outdated Cultural References for 400, please, Alex.


About Nathan Gilliatt

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  • Voracious learner and explorer. Analyst tracking technologies and markets in intelligence, analytics and social media. Advisor to buyers, sellers and investors. Writing my next book.
  • Principal, Social Target
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