Completely agree that these tools and this approach could be an advancement in connecting consumers with the products and services they want. I think there's an intermediate step, though.
It's not news that consumers are increasingly comfortable with sharing their lives, emotions and experiences with others online. This is where the social Web excels, and where I think companies can best focus their energy in the near-term - using the social Web to take a relevant place in the consumer's circle of influence. Now is the time to develop trust and affinity by providing value in the social context.
Trying to take the leap too early will break that pattern of trust and can alienate a company's message. That's one of the reasons I think traditional advertising and marketing practices fall short when they are applied in the social setting. Consumers are still growing accustomed to the environment and need to feel like it's one they can trust. Seeing a marketing message out of context causes them to retreat.
I think the day will come when the tools you describe can be used, but the preliminary step is for brands to take a trusted place in the social scene, and that's difficult to do when you lead with a marketing message of offer a marketing message without having first built that trust.
adamcohen (Adam Cohen)
· 11 months ago
New blog post: CRM/analytics data mixed with social media breadcrumbs could lead to highly targeted marketing http://is.gd/eONy
ericglazer (Eric Glazer)
· 11 months ago
RT @adamcohen's new post: CRM/analytics data mixed with social media breadcrumbs could lead to highly targeted marketing http://is.gd/eONy
BradMays (Brad Mays)
· 11 months ago
RT @adamcohen: New blog post: CRM/analytics data mixed w/social media breadcrumbs could lead to highly targeted marketing http://is.gd/eONy
4CRM (4 CRM)
· 11 months ago
Untapped CRM: Social Breadcrumbs | :: a thousand cuts :: adam ...: Marketers have a lot of data. Online, they kn.. http://tinyurl.com/7j7u3e
seanbohan (Sean)
· 11 months ago
RT @adamcohen: CRM/analytics data mixed w/ social media breadcrumbs could lead to highly targeted marketing http://is.gd/eONy = good stuff
markjreuter (markjreuter)
· 11 months ago
RT @adamcohen's new post: CRM/analytics data mixed with social media breadcrumbs could lead to highly targeted marketing http://is.gd/eONy
scorpfromhell
· 11 months ago
Couldn't agree more with the myriad possibilities for the marketer on integrating Social & CRM data! Your post acts as the perfect primer on why we should do it. My posts, made a couple of months earlier as well as on earlier this week, give a primer on what to measure & how to do the integration.
@Brad thanks for the comment...I agree that few companies are prepared for the level of sophistication it would take to tie all this data together. I also think before companies can dive in to leverage this data they need to gain an appreciation for the interaction and respect the relationship; else it will be the equivalent of Facebook Beacon's launch in the violation of trust. There are a lot more ways companies should be engaging in social media, certainly starting with listening.
@scorpfromhell (great name) - My post frankly wasn't intended as a primer or supporting whether companies should or should not do it. Just exploring the possibilities. Thanks for the comment, next time I'd like to know your name too ;)
scorpfromhell
· 11 months ago
@Adam - I am called A. Prem Kumar, you can call me Prem. :) I realise you are not rooting for/against using social data for more targeted ads, you are stating just that its possible & why its to be done.
I have acted on this pretext, that it just is something that can be done as well as needs doing, as a first step of integrating social & CRM data. :)
I am now interested in finding ways of actually having Social & CRM data driven, meaningful & useful conversations. Any thoughts on that are most welcome. :)
scorpfromhell (A. Prem Kumar)
· 11 months ago
Untapped CRM: Social Breadcrumbs | :: a thousand cuts :: adam cohen's blog http://tinyurl.com/7j7u3e
Interesting perspective. There is a flip side of all of this measurement of user behavior to add rich data to our CRM and marketing analysis... It will be misused by some. Those instances will be well publicized. People may become wary of clicking on much of anything on a site because they don't want more ads sent to them or sales people to call...
Nick Huhn
· 11 months ago
I've been having very similar trains of thought lately also, Adam. It seems as though customer acquisition costs could plummet in the scenarios you mentioned, so I would hope that economic impetus would get marketers on board and soon.
Marketing in the dimensions of socially-focused CRM seems inherently less risky than marketing to the lowest common denominators of demographics, retail and pricing strategies. I'm anxious to see who - like Amazon + iPhone, for example - will prove that this model is not only viable, but significantly impacts the bottom line without sacrificing too much in terms of privacy.
As a consumer I certainly don't want more ads, but I'd certainly expect to see more value and relevance in the ads I'm forced to encounter. If I've been exhaustively searching, tweeting, and/or wishlisting a certain product, I predict (or hope, at least) that smart companies will harvest this and make my purchasing decision a bit easier.
All Comments
It's not news that consumers are increasingly comfortable with sharing their lives, emotions and experiences with others online. This is where the social Web excels, and where I think companies can best focus their energy in the near-term - using the social Web to take a relevant place in the consumer's circle of influence. Now is the time to develop trust and affinity by providing value in the social context.
Trying to take the leap too early will break that pattern of trust and can alienate a company's message. That's one of the reasons I think traditional advertising and marketing practices fall short when they are applied in the social setting. Consumers are still growing accustomed to the environment and need to feel like it's one they can trust. Seeing a marketing message out of context causes them to retreat.
I think the day will come when the tools you describe can be used, but the preliminary step is for brands to take a trusted place in the social scene, and that's difficult to do when you lead with a marketing message of offer a marketing message without having first built that trust.
Mind map for Social Media Metrics - http://scorpfromhell.blogspot.com/2008/10/mind-map-for-social-media-metrics.html
Social CRM - ETL of Social & CRM data> - http://scorpfromhell.blogspot.com/2009/01/social-crm-etl-of-social-crm-data.html
You can follow me on Twitter @scorpfromhell, I already am. :)
@scorpfromhell (great name) - My post frankly wasn't intended as a primer or supporting whether companies should or should not do it. Just exploring the possibilities. Thanks for the comment, next time I'd like to know your name too ;)
I have acted on this pretext, that it just is something that can be done as well as needs doing, as a first step of integrating social & CRM data. :)
I am now interested in finding ways of actually having Social & CRM data driven, meaningful & useful conversations. Any thoughts on that are most welcome. :)
Interesting perspective. There is a flip side of all of this measurement of user behavior to add rich data to our CRM and marketing analysis... It will be misused by some. Those instances will be well publicized. People may become wary of clicking on much of anything on a site because they don't want more ads sent to them or sales people to call...
Marketing in the dimensions of socially-focused CRM seems inherently less risky than marketing to the lowest common denominators of demographics, retail and pricing strategies. I'm anxious to see who - like Amazon + iPhone, for example - will prove that this model is not only viable, but significantly impacts the bottom line without sacrificing too much in terms of privacy.
As a consumer I certainly don't want more ads, but I'd certainly expect to see more value and relevance in the ads I'm forced to encounter. If I've been exhaustively searching, tweeting, and/or wishlisting a certain product, I predict (or hope, at least) that smart companies will harvest this and make my purchasing decision a bit easier.