A decade ago, the CRM sector was hitting its stride. The commericialization of the web made it possible for businesses to keep better track of their customers, marketing initiatives and the revenue associated with each, with the evolution of software as a service (SaaS) making it even more accessible and powerful. The next iteration in the maturity of CRM is social media. Beyond the nebulous benefits of connecting with existing and new clients via this increasingly popular channel, there are steps you can take to use tools like Twitter and LinkedIn to extend your CRM capabilities.

The stakes are high, of course. Forrester Research estimates that around 75 percent of adults online in the United States use social media platforms, so there’s a decent chance that a meaningful portion of your target market can be found in this environment. The challenge then becomes … what do you do with this access?

Like Forrester, I agree that you need to dodge the hype and get right down to business. There are plenty of specific ways you can extend your CRM capabilities into the social media space, from monitoring client satisfaction trends to identifying pain points that can be used in pursuing new business. The potential is easy enough to identify — execution tends to be the tough part.

So, here are five suggestions from Forrester on how to get started … with an enter:marketing twist:

1. Begin your experiment immediately: Even if you aren’t sure how you want to use social media to support your CRM capabilities, get your feet wet now. Set up accounts and watch what’s happening around you. Start to interact on a limited basis, and use what you see and do to inform your both your CRM and your social media strategies.

2. Get a sense of who in your market is ready to engage: Ask your clients about what they are doing in the social media space – and what they hope to get out of it. Not only will their responses help you with profiling, but you’ll also get a sense of how they want to use social media, which will help you identify the best ways to interact with them.

3. Set clear objectives: Once you’ve gotten a feel for the social media space and have a sense of how to interact with your target market, set your objectives. Determine what you want to get out of your investment in social media-based client interaction and management.

4. Take an honest look at your capabilities: Endless potential doesn’t mean you have the resources on hand to realize it. Every company has to prioritize. Instead of trying to take the social media space by storm, choose platforms and activities – and develop content – based on your key objectives. Then, as you demonstrate the benefits of your social CRM initiatives, you’ll be able to secure commitment for broader and more intensive efforts.

5. Develop a social CRM roadmap and build a plan: You may not need a plan to start experimenting with social media and social CRM practices, but as your use matures and your objectives crystallize, the time will come when a formal approach will be necessary. Fortunately, your plan should flow from your objectives and capabilities. Determine the most effective way to implement social CRM capabilities, and define your success metrics. As always, measure your results regularly, and always look for opportunities to improve.

[Via Forrester Research]

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