Hello again guys and welcome!! As mentioned in my last post, today, I’m doing to introduce you guys E-CRM. The key learning objectives for this post will be the importance of and how to implement an e-CRM Strategy.

Firstly, as Payne and Frow (2006) highlights the purpose of CRM is to ‘efficiently and effectively increase the acquisition and retention of profitable customers by selectively initiating, building and maintaining appropriate relationships with them’.  While, in addition, Kelley et al. (2003) refers to eCRM as ‘the marketing activities, tools and techniques delivered via the Internet which includes email, world-wide web, chat rooms, e-forums, etc., with a specific aim to locate, build and improve long-term customer relationships to enhance their individual potential’. From my in-depth research I have found e-CRM is exceptionally important and can greatly help ye in the following ways:

• A key benefit is to enhanced customer interactions and relationships
• Improved customer data intelligence facilitating product/service development based on customers’ requirements
• Single customer view of the customer across the organisation to improve efficiencies in sales, marketing and customer support thus enhancing the customer experience.

It has been suggested that in order to effectively implement an eCRM strategy there needs to be a collaboration between marketing, sales, finance, IT and change management functions within the organisation (Payne et al, 2006).

 So a crucial question ye may asking is how can companies improve success rates from implementing strategies?  Well, Payne and Frow (2006) suggest the below CRM Strategy and Implementation model is the answer.

• Strategy development: Customer strategy must be aligned with overall business strategy
• The value creation process:  Develop value propositions to meet customer needs throughout the customer lifecycle
• Multi-channel integration:  Decide the best combination of channels which ensures a positive interaction between the customer and the organisation
• Information Management: Single customer view of customer data to ensure a positive experience by the customer at different touch points with the organisation
• Performance assessment:  Metrics for measuring performance against CRM objectives
• Implementation:  Effective change and project management supported by top management  to ensure employee engagement.

I hope ye found this post interesting and have learned how to effectively engage with customers from it. Next time, we will be discussing how ye can effectively collaborate an e-CRM strategy with ye’re Integrated Marketing Communications.

References:

• Chen, Qimei and Chen, Mei-Hong (2003), “Exploring the success factors of eCRM strategies in practice”, Database Marketing and Customer Strategy Management, Vol. 11, 4, 333-343
• Payne, Adrian and Frow, Pennie (2006), “Customer Relationship Management: from Strategy to Implementation”, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol.22, pp. 135-168
• Saini, Amit, Grewal, Rejdeep, Johnson, Jean L. (2010), “Putting market facing technology to work: Organisational drivers of CRM performance”,  Vol. 21, 365-385.

 

Hello guys and welcome back!!! Are ye all ready to learn about the exciting concept of branding your business through social media?? Well of we go….

 

To begin with, branding is a term that means to create an identifiable entity that makes a promise of value to customers. A company’s brand is its cornerstone as it creates an image and awareness for the company in the minds of customers. In recent years, the internet has up-ended how consumers engage with brands. It is transforming the economics of marketing and making obsolete many of the function’s traditional strategies and structures. For marketers, the old way of doing business is unsustainable (Hbr.org, 2013).

Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are daily destinations for millions of consumers around the world making them a low-cost medium foe you to effectively target customers. This medium is predicted to explode in the next number of years therefore it is imperative for ye’re to get your brands recognized on it immediately.

More than ever before, a company’s brand is influenced by what consumers are saying about it online. Many companies such as giant Walmart uses social media to understand what types of productscustomers are most interested in purchasing through netnography. One study they carried out was to find out if there was a demand for selling cake pops; therefore they began a listening campaign on twitter. They discovered customers were buzzing about them. In recent years while listening to customers on social media has become imperative with the invention of Web 2.0, brands also need to engage with customers directly to solicit feedback. This is an exceptionally tactic which moves from listening to customers to “How can we enhance this product and make it more appealing to you?”.  This is something you really need to consider to make your business profitable. The use of social media and invention of Web 2.0 has allowed company to puts their customers at the centre of its product development, e.g. Frito-Lay, instead of running expensive focus groups.

Two key benefits of companies to use social media are:

1. Brand Recognition:

One of the most powerful ways for you to use social media is as a brand-building tool. With social media, you get to decide how to position your company and what you want people to know. With consistent effort and interesting content, you can build a reputation for your brand around your company’s values, beliefs and benefits as a well a credible source for other relevant information which may be of interest to them.

2.  Brand exposure:

Social media also allows for repeated brand exposure constantly keeping your product in the minds of customers which leads to high brand recall rates.

3. Measurable

As many companies and marketers are coming under severe pressure and scrutiny for not effectively justifying their spend measurability has never been more important. Luckily, for you guys social media sites have become keys sites for companies to measure successful of brand exposure, awareness and engagement. These key aspects can be measured through “likes” but more credible “comments and shares”.

I hope this post highlighted how important it is to consider using social media as a tool for branding. I believe the greatest benefits are its low-cost and high customer exposure rates. Again, if anything was unclear or you have questions just write me a quick comment!!

References:

• Business Insider (2013),  Why Social Media Advertising Is Set to Explode, [online], Available at:http://www.businessinsider.com/social-media-advertising-set-to-explode-2013-55(accessed 23/03/2014).
• Chandler, S. 2013. The Hidden Benefits of Social Media Marketing: Why Your Strategy May Be Working Better Than You Think ,[online] Availableat: http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2013/03/12/the-hidden-benefits-of-social-media-marketing-why-your-strategy-may-be-working-better-than-you-think/, (accessed 23/03/2014).
• Hayes. D (2014), 3 Social Media Questions Every Brand Should Ask Itself, [online], Avilable at:http://www.fastcompany.com/3014913/leadership-now/3-social-media-questions-every-brand-should-ask-itself (accessed 23/03/2014).
• Hbr.org (2013) Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending Your Money in All the Wrong Places. [online] Available at: http://hbr.org/2010/12/branding-in-the-digital-age-youre-spending-your-money-in-all-the-wrong-places/ (accessed 23/03/2014).
• INTA (2013) Branding in the Digital Age. [online] Available at:http://www.inta.org/INTABulletin/Pages/BrandingintheDigitalAgeAnIn-HouseCounselPerspective.aspx(accessed 23/03/2014).

 

Remaining Steps for Managing a Social Media Crisis?

As promised in my last post, here are the last five steps for managing an online crisis:

6. Always ensure your team feels empowered and involved by giving them the tools and resources to help.

7. Create a crisis FAQ were you can put all the information about the crisis in one place. This allows you to respond to questions, saves time and prevents misinterpretation of your responses. This crisis FAQ should include aspects from acknowledging of the crisis to steps taken to prevent future occurrence.

8. Developing a Pressure Relief Valve which will allow people to express their feelings on the crisis but in an environment which you can control. An example when this step was successful utilized was during the hype of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.  Penn State University used their own Facebook page as a median were students could communicate their anger. Hence, as it was their page they could see, find, moderate, and answer back.

9. It’s exceptionally important for companies to acknowledge when to take it offline. Managing a social media crisis is about reducing the damage control; therefore it is important to not get into any form of an argument with customers online. Hence, it may often be best to simply offer your phone number or email address, and encourage customers to contact you if they are unhappy with the overall outcome.

10.  After the crisis subsides and the company has regained control and resolved the issue; ensure you militate against any such similar crisis occurring in the future showing you learned you lesson. It may also be an idea to amend and improve your crisis plan for future reference.

Tune in next time for my final post which will incorporate some inspiring companies of how some outstanding companies handled their past social media crisis. It will be a great learning experience, trust me!!

References:
Baer, J(2012) Don’t Be Scared Be Prepared – How to Manage a Social Media Crisis, [online], Available at:http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-crisis-2/dont-be-scared-be-prepared-how-to-manage-a-social-media-crisis/, (accessed 01/12/2013).

Dietrich, G (2013), Ten Steps of Managing an Online Crisis, [online], Available at: http://socialmediatoday.com/ginidietrich/1426981/ten-steps-managing-online-crisis, (5/12/2013).

 

Steps for Managing a Social Media Crisis?

Luckily for ye over my next two blog posts, I am going to discussing ten important steps to effectively handle an online social media crisis.

The first five steps for managing an online crisis:

1. To begin with it’s detrimentally important for the company to act swiftly. Not in a week, not in a month, not in three months. In the same day.

2. The company must address the problem by saying “yes, we realize something has happened”.  No company enjoys revealing to the public that they were wrong but it’s the only way to prevent a crisis for further escalating.  It also ensures the company keeps its credibility in the mind of the customers and its amazing how uttering two little words “I’m sorry”, can make such a difference.

3. It’s imperative to effectively communicate the story. Ensure customers fully understand what’s happened and how it happened from your point of view. If you fail to complete this step people will begin to speculate, therefore generating a poor image of the company.

4. It’s exceptionally important for the company to communicate where the crisis occurred, E.g. If the crisis initiated on Facebook, respond on Facebook first and then circulate the message on other platforms. An example of when this step was poorly executed was in 2012, when Kellogg’s during a Facebook-fueled crisis about the soy ingredients of their Kashi brand, responded with a YouTube video, which got no traction whatsoever.

5. The company should consider hiring a communications expert, who has a deep knowledge and experience in managing such issues or crisis’. This may include people work in public relations firms who specialize in crisis communication or reputation management.

Turn in next time to find out the remaining five steps to appropriately handle a social media crisis.

Reference:
Baer, J(2012) Don’t Be Scared Be Prepared – How to Manage a Social Media Crisis, [online], Available at:http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-crisis-2/dont-be-scared-be-prepared-how-to-manage-a-social-media-crisis/, (accessed 01/12/2013).