Get executive buy-in for social marketing with evidence, not promises
Eric Schwartzman, a social media consultant, has an interesting way of explaining the difference between traditional marketing and social marketing. He likens traditional marketing to a cash transaction. It involves two parties and once the deal is done, well, it's done. Social marketing, on the...
IBM, Microsoft share tips on social selling
If sales people want to use social media tools to increase sales, then they need to respect the nuances of the social world and not club people over the head with their social presence. I take liberties with the phrasing, but it is essentially the advice from Bill Patterson, product planning and...
CRM buyers likely to benefit from market upswing
If you are in the market for CRM software, you are in a good spot. Two analysts firms are predicting plenty of growth and lots of healthy competition – good news if you can go shopping. Recent market projections from both Gartner Inc. and International Data Corp (IDC) indicate it is all up...
Social CRM, Versace-style
This week, Versace, a world-renowned fashion company, was dubbed “dumb’’ and “just plain stupid,’’ by social CRM analysts when it was reported that it scrubbed its Facebook page of negative customer comments concerning a production...