Article Review
Article Review
The article “Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM): How Connecting Social Analytics to Business Analytics Enhances Customer Care and Loyalty?” seeks to identify how the social media influences customer care by exploring how interacting with customers through the social media impacts customer loyalty. The findings from studies conducted by researchers such as Goldman (2011) and Evans (2011) indicate that a good number of company marketers are placing much emphasis on social networking sites. This is done in an effort to increase the company’s involvement in social media programs and consequently strengthen and improve the quality of customer care and loyalty. The article starts by discussing how companies are gaining substantial returns from their investments by incorporating the social media as part of their marketing strategies. A good number of companies are increasing their involvement with Facebook because it is the most popular social networking site. Considering the fact that many company marketers are exposed to very challenging times, companies are dedicating a lot of time and resources in trying to establish the relationship that exist between the social media, customer loyalty, and customer care. The significance of this is to establish how social media can be used by a given organization not only in the area of customer loyalty and care, but also in improving the general company reputation. The Cold Stone Creamery and the American Express are good examples of companies or firms that have incorporated the social media in their operations to enhance improved service delivery. Using the social media, Cold Stone Creamery provides the followers with an opportunity of sending tangible gifts to their friends and families. The company has made a significant effort of increasing its reliability by opening up more than one thousands locations in different countries. American Express also uses the social media to develop appropriate programs that assist small business clients when the shopping season is at its peak.
Largely, this article has provided a clear explanation on how Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) can deliver a superior customer value. From the article, it is observed that customers who prefer to use the social media to communicate with their companies are able to receive the required assistance within a short time. This is explained by the fact that a company can use the social media to offer collective information to many customers at the same time. In addition, customers are not forced to make long queues as they seek to get clarifications from the company regarding different issues. This is an indication that this article clearly defines the relationship needed to realize superior customer value.
In my view, I believe that this article has provided good arguments that explain why companies should make use of the social media as a marketing strategy. After reading this article, one can quickly realize the enormous potential within the social media especially in helping companies to link with customers. As a result, many companies are establishing social media initiatives to keep up with the ever-increasing competition in their respective field of operation. Considering the high number of individuals connected to the internet, and those who use the social media platform, there is a great need for companies to make maximum use of these sites to increase awareness of their products to potential customers. However, I feel that the author of this article gave much concentration on the use of social media while ignoring other marketing strategies that play a very great role in yielding customer loyalty. It is important for companies to understand that all people who form part of the demand have interest in using the social media. There are some sections of consumers who prefer to rely on other avenues to gain a solid understanding a specific commodity. In this regard, companies should not rely only on the social media as a means of marketing their products and services as argued by the author in article. Some other people prefer to use the media only in times when they want to ruin the image of a company especially when that specific company is blamed for poor customer relations and ineffective loyalty programs. To address some of the challenges faced by companies that rely more on the social media, there is a dire need for such companies to establish clear objectives that show the relevance of using the social media within various steps across the consumer corridor.
The article provides good reasons why managers should not generalize consumer preferences when marketing their products or services through the social media. This is because some groups of consumers (such as mature customers) are less amenable to specific marketing efforts that require them to try using new social media channels. To address such challenges, companies should place much emphasis on applying techniques or strategies that can improve the overall customer care. This ensures that even the mature customers are able to maintain loyalty to the company. Managers can also experience negative management implications if they are able to understand the various steps that companies should follow or undertake to enjoy deeper customer understanding and enhance trust between the company and its customers.
Conclusively, this article has provided an exhaustive discussion on how connecting social analytics to business analytics enhances customer care and loyalty. Although the social media is not the most effective marketing strategies, it is extremely important for companies to incorporate the social media especially when they are marketing new products that are demanded mostly by the young people. As discussed in this article, a good number of young people are connected to the internet, and often use the social media platform.
References
Nadeem, M. (2012). Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM): How Connecting Social Analytics to Business Analytics Enhances Customer Care and Loyalty? International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3 (21) 88-102.
