Today, the marketing process can be faster, more accessible and more relevant to the needs of consumers. Due to various digital data such as Cookies or Big Data, etc., as well as various Marketing Automation tools , including POS systems, CDP systems, and CRM systems that have become essential elements that marketers can't live without in this era.
Connect X would like to delve into the history of the CRM system, one of the most important tools of digital marketing.
Marketing Era Before CRM
If talking about the CRM system or Customer Relationship Management, it must go back to the early days. of marketing, or during the "Product Era" of the 1860s - 1920s, where business Emphasis is placed on mass production at low cost and relying solely on the quality and efficiency of the product. Including the idea that "if it can be produced, someone has to buy it", which may not be effective today.
Later in the 1920s-1940s it was the "Sales Era" era where everyone focused on "selling" through heavy promotions. This makes products that are rarely sought after, such as life insurance, are sold. Many people may be familiar with the salesman who sells from home, also known as Hard Sell.
Since hard selling is not a very sustainable approach to marketing, the "Marketing Era" in the 1950s - 1990s was a turning point. That has been advertised more There is a more systematic marketing, for example, the concept of Marketing Mix like 4P (Product, Promotion, Price, Place) has also emerged in this era. It will focus on producing products and services that meet the needs of customers more.
The beginning of the CRM system
The concept of CRM was born in the 1990s or "Relationship Marketing Era" where marketing focuses on building and maintaining long-term relationships. between brands and customers The goal is to create Brand Loyalty for customers to come back to buy products or services again and not change their mind to competing brands, thus resulting in Customer Relationship Management or customer relationship service.
From then until now With the development of technology, CRM systems have emerged to help manage relationships and interactions between brands with their customers or potential customers. To make it easier and more organized than before.
Benefits of a CRM system
The CRM system is the solution to various problems. both in terms of selling products and problems that customers often encounter Because it can help store customer information from Point of Sales in an orderly fashion. easy to be analyzed Help improve sales through the Sales Funnel. Track sales so that problems can be solved immediately.
In addition, marketers can also use the information they have studied. change marketing tactics Improve campaigns and promotions Help brands reach their target audience more effectively in the future. It also helps in deciding how much to invest in retaining existing customers. or build a new customer base
Things to consider when doing Customer Relationship Management
It is undeniable that today's CRM systems have many features to facilitate businesses. But there are still problems. that may follow for example
Data management is "silo," or team-based, sector-based, and scattered across channels. As a result, marketers, salespeople and business owners lack understanding or misunderstanding about Customer Journey.
Brands need to connect data from their CRM, both online and offline, in order to truly understand the customer's touch point, otherwise known as a single view.
This is to avoid and reduce the likelihood of problems occurring during the Customer Journey which will make the trading experience not as expected.
Tips for developing an effective CRM
Developing a better CRM can be done in many ways. Connect X would like to introduce 3 important factors that will help develop a better CRM.
1. Improve every touch point, giving you a good experience from start to finish.
The above-mentioned Silo issues can be resolved by analyzing the Customer Journey and identifying key touchpoints. starting from entering data At each step a customer has an interaction with a brand, the following questions are answered:
What are customers expecting?
What are your thoughts or questions about the product/service?
How did the customer feel at that moment?
Through what channels are customers interacting with brands?
2. Listen to feedback from customers and bring it to continuous improvement.
Customer voice and feedback are very important to the future development of the brand. which brands can use feedback from customers to analyze create experiences that satisfy the target audience Whether it is a response
Direct Feedback - From Survey/Poll, Feedback or Market Research
Indirect Feedback - Social media comments, customer emails to brands, conversations from the Call Center team.
Inferred Feedback - Website, Storefront or Contact Center
Brands should analyze all responses from all channels together. and make real-time updates and assign the relevant parties to solve problems faster than before
3. Create Personalized Experiences for Individuals
Having a good CRM system can deliver a good experience that is tailored to individual customers. It depends on the quality of data collection. In order to analyze and understand the needs of each customer, the current CRM system often works with CDP (Customer Data Platform) for more effective marketing. Businesses do not need to integrate multiple systems together to be complex.
For example, Connect X is a CDP with Marketing Automation and a CRM system covering all aspects of online marketing. Able to collect and analyze Customer Insight in 360?. Easily change from Unknown Customer to Known Customer. There is a Cross Channel Customer Journey system. The system will automatically pass to other channels, creating Brand Awareness, Conversions and maintaining long-term relationships for sure.