30 Jun

Customer Referrals Act as CRM Catalysts across Social Media

Nurture existing customers in CRM with social media to get repeat and referral business

One happy customer is worth a hundred (or more) in your CRM system. Sounds like a cliché? Well, maybe; but it’s one of those eternal truths which, if you believe in and remember, will take you a long way down the road of successful customer relationship management. It’s easy to pour enthusiasm, effort, ideas (and money!) into B2B lead generation because there is that gleaming pot of gold to aim for – revenue and profits. But the repeat and referral business you can get from existing customers is worth much more. Tap into the power of customer referrals via social media and you have an armoury of silver bullets, not snake oil.

To nurture your existing customers, consider using social media and online marketing tools like:

• Customer case studies on a blog
• Video testimonials
• Social media recommendations from customers, associates, partners and suppliers
• An online product demonstration via YouTube – for new and potential customers
• A Q&A forum where queries are answered by your company and your long standing customers
• “Listen” to what existing customers are saying about your company and your competition on social networks so you can make enhancements and leverage strengths

From more formalized social media techniques like a LinkedIn recommendation from a B2B customer to casual Tweets about your product or service, social media conversations can have a huge impact on the market buzz around your company. While your sales force jumps on to the next hot lead post a sale, make a conscious effort to step up post-sale customer service activity. Your customer has now taken your product into their life. As they explore, discover and hopefully, delight in all the wonderful things it can do for their business, you can share their stories with prospects that are close to making a buying decision. In fact, customer success stories have often proven to generate leads of potential buyers who didn’t know they needed your services until they heard how their counterparts’ businesses have been simplified.

One of the biggest reinforcements you can provide your company’s trust and credibility factor is by showcasing your customer nurturing efforts. How you look after your customers’ needs today will impact how many more will come through the door. Quick word of caution: new customers also come with greater expectations, so you’ll need to consistently strive to do better and raise the bar!                      

Does your organization have a story about B2B lead generation that has benefited from customer nurturing using social media? Feel free to share it with the community by commenting below.