It can be very difficult for an organization to implement a technology or strategy with which it has little experience. In such cases, it can be extremely valuable for the firm to look to find a case study or example that illustrates both the benefits of the new platform and the best means of applying it.
For organizations interested in implementing or upgrading their customer relationship management (CRM) systems, one useful example of successful utilization is Major League Baseball (MLB). As TechTarget recently highlighted, MLB uses CRM in a number of ways to engage with and learn about its fans.
Social interaction
The news source noted that every MLB team contributes to social media channels. Some of these activities are relatively basic, such as tweeting about promotions and upcoming games and events.
However, many are going much further than that with their usage. The Cleveland Indians, for example, use their Google Plus page to encourage discussion of the team among its fans and features pictures of merchandise and even recipes on its Pinterest site.
The Kansas City Royals are another team leveraging social media to engage effectively with fans. The team uses a variety of channels to post content regularly. According to the news source, the Royals use the medium to alert fans of trades, injuries, traffic and weather updates, as well as to post videos and photos from the team's games, practices and other events. And whenever possible, the Royals make an effort to bring the fans into the experience.
"What’s changed is we make the posts more interactive," Erin Sleddens, director of online and target marketing for the Royals, told TechTarget. "We still want to market, but instead of posting that it’s T-shirt night, we will have a poll for favorite T-shirt."
A two-way street
Utilizing social media in ways beyond the basic is critical for successful CRM. The more involved that an organization's clients, customers and members are, the more loyal they will be to the firm. People tend to value organizations that they feel they are a part of.
And as Dion Hinchcliffe recently asserted for ZDNet, this level of interactivity and loyalty-building is far more valuable than earlier forms of CRM. In the past, CRM was predominantly dedicated to gathering information about consumers. While that is still a part of modern CRM, it is not nearly as important as building connections.
Associations and nonprofit organizations interested in boosting their CRM performance should consider upgrading to advanced association management software. These tools can integrate with existing infrastructures, allowing organizations to utilize the technology easily and quickly.
