digital-media-mktg-sem-101413768 - Tumblr blog

[digital-media-mktg-sem-101413768]

Insights and Strategies for Success in the Digital Marketing Industry to the Power of Networking: Lessons from the Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series 

After meeting and interacting with various speakers for our class Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series, the following blog is inspired by those numerous events and is an extract of it. 

Part 1: What I learned 

As a student of the Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series, I have gained invaluable insights into the marketing industry, from trends to career opportunities from the various speaks that got the chance to present their career journey and about their daily tasks and responsibilities. The series brought in industry leaders who shared their experiences and knowledge, allowing us to engage with them and gain a better understanding of the various marketing industries. 

One of the speakers who inspired me was Blair Roebuck, Vice President of Marketing Science at Valtech. The digital marketing expert discussed the importance of using data-driven marketing strategies. She emphasized the significance of analyzing consumer behaviors and using the data to create targeted marketing campaigns. This had a significant impact on how I thought about my career options, as I realized the importance of developing strong analytical skills. 

Following are a few takeaways that I got from Blair’s session about working as a Marketing Scientist -  

Apart from data analysis and data wrangling, marketing scientists are also required to have a deep understanding of how a business works and over that being a good communicator is also a requirement.  

They must collaborate with various departments in the organization such as solution architects, developers, product owners, folks from UX/creative team, project managers, and account managers. It is important because it is a highly collaborative role, and you need to manage the expectations of various departments to succeed.  

They truly allow organizations to make data-driven decisions in pursuit of their marketing goals. They have a direct impact on a company's understanding of its customers, and opportunities, and then in optimizing their marketing strategies, to achieve better business results.   

These kinds of insights would have been very hard to find if it were not for the Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series. 

Another key takeaway from the seminar series was the importance of building a professional network. The speakers and alumni shared their experiences of how they developed their networks and recommended several processes and resources for building industry contacts. This was particularly helpful, as I realized that networking is critical for career growth and job opportunities. 

The most important thing I learned from the Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series was the need to be adaptable in the fast-changing marketing industry. The speakers emphasized the importance of staying up to date with current trends and technologies to remain competitive and relevant. This highlighted the need for ongoing learning and professional development, which I believe is crucial for success in any industry. 

In terms of some feedback about what I got out is, the Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series provided me with an excellent opportunity to engage with marketing professionals, gain industry insights, and develop my professional network. I highly recommend this course to any student looking to gain a better understanding of the marketing industry and build their career prospects. 

Part 2: Network and Resources 

Another thing as a student in the Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series that I've learned a lot about is the importance of networking and how it can help me find a job in the industry. Here are some tips and best practices I've picked up along the way: 

First, I've networked with several industry leaders who spoke at the seminar series, as well as with other students and alumni of the program. I've connected with them on LinkedIn and attended events and activities to build relationships and gain knowledge. 

Some of the speakers with whom I have connected on LinkedIn are -  

Ashley Walsh, Account Director at North Strategic 

Danielle Humilde, Regional Digital Manager at Marsh McLennan 

Amanda Lee, Account Director at The Aber Group 

Wendy Greenwood, my professor for Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series 

I've also joined marketing groups on LinkedIn and attended virtual networking events to make new connections. Volunteering has also helped me meet new people and expand my network. 

In terms of job finding resources, I've used job boards, company websites, and LinkedIn to search for marketing positions. LinkedIn has been the most useful as it allows me to see job postings and connect with recruiters and hiring managers directly. 

To keep in contact with my network, I've made a point to stay active on LinkedIn, commenting and sharing posts from my connections. I've also set up coffee meetings and phone calls to catch up with people and learn about their current projects. 

I secured my co-op position through networking as I reached out to someone I had previously met at an industry event who worked for the company I was interested in. They referred me to the hiring manager and I was able to secure an interview and ultimately the position. 

Some networking tips and best practices I've learned include: 

Be genuine in your conversations and build relationships based on shared interests and goals. 

Attend events and activities that align with your career aspirations. 

Don't be afraid to reach out to people on LinkedIn or through email to ask for advice or information. 

Follow up with people after meetings or events to keep the conversation going. 

Be patient, as building a strong network takes time and effort. 

Overall, networking has been an essential part of my job search and career development in the marketing industry. I encourage other students to take advantage of networking opportunities and to be proactive in building relationships and expanding their professional network. 

[digital-media-mktg-sem-101413768]

Design Your Own Success: How Freelancing in UX Design Can Elevate Your Career

Recently we had the pleasure of Danielle Humilde, Regional Digital Manager at Marsh McLennan, as a speaker for our class Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series. The following blog is inspired by the event and is an extract of it. 

Reflection on a career in freelancing as a UX designer: 

Being a UX designer means that you are responsible for creating user-centered designs for digital products or services. It is a challenging and rewarding career that requires creativity, empathy, and problem-solving skills. 

As a UX designer, you will work with a team of developers, product managers, and other designers to research user needs, design user interfaces, and test and iterate designs to ensure they are user-friendly. 

One of the best things about being a UX designer is that you get to solve problems that impact people's lives. You are designing products or services that people will use and enjoy, and you get to see the positive impact of your work. 

However, being a UX designer also comes with its challenges. You may have to deal with tight deadlines, conflicting requirements, or difficult stakeholders. You need to be able to communicate your designs and decisions effectively to all stakeholders involved in the project. 

Another challenge of being a UX designer is that the field is constantly evolving. You need to stay up to date with the latest design trends and technologies to remain competitive in the job market. 

Being a UX designer can be a fulfilling and exciting career. It allows you to use your creativity and problem-solving skills to create designs that make a difference in people's lives. However, it requires hard work, dedication, and constant learning to stay on top of your game. 

Working as a UX designer requires a mix of skills and experience that allows you to create user-centered designs for digital products or services. 

First, you need to have a strong understanding of user research methodologies. This means being able to conduct user interviews, surveys, and usability tests to gather insights into user needs and behaviors. 

You also need to have resilient design skills, including an understanding of visual design principles, typography, color theory, and layout. You should be proficient in using design tools such as Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD. 

In addition, you need to have a good understanding of front-end development technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This allows you to communicate effectively with developers and ensure that your designs are feasible and can be implemented. 

Effective communication skills are also essential for a UX designer. You need to be able to explain your design decisions to stakeholders, collaborate with team members, and present your designs to clients. 

Finally, having experience in agile methodology and project management can be helpful. UX designers often work in fast-paced environments with tight deadlines, so being able to manage your time effectively and work collaboratively with others is crucial. 

Working as a UX designer requires a diverse set of skills and experience. By honing your design, research, communication, and project management skills, you can build a successful career in this exciting and dynamic field. 

I have considered a career as a UX designer, but it is just not for me. Here are some reasons why: 

I do not enjoy research: As a UX designer, a lot of your time is spent researching user needs and behaviors. While this is essential to creating user-centered designs, it is just not something that interests me. 

I do not have strong design skills: While I appreciate clever design, I do not have the natural talent or interest in developing robust design skills. I know that this is a key requirement for a career in UX design, so I do not think it is the right fit for me. 

I am not comfortable with technology: While I am comfortable using technology, I do not have a strong interest in learning about the latest design tools and front-end development technologies. I think this would make it difficult for me to stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies in the field. 

I prefer working independently: As a UX designer, you often work collaboratively with a team of developers, product managers, and other designers. While I can work well with others, I prefer working independently and having more control over my projects. 

I am not comfortable with ambiguity: As a UX designer, you often work on projects that are complex and ambiguous. You need to be comfortable with uncertainty and be able to iterate on your designs based on user feedback. While I appreciate the importance of iteration, I prefer working on projects that have more clear-cut objectives. 

While a career as a UX designer may be appealing to others, it is just not the right fit for me based on my skills, interests, and preferences. 

Learning from Danielle that inspired me the most: 

There is a lot I can learn from Danielle that inspired me the most. 

One of the things that inspires me the most about UX designers is their ability to solve complex problems in creative and innovative ways. They use their knowledge of user research, design principles, and front-end development to create designs that are not only visually appealing but also meet the needs of users. 

I also admire the collaborative nature of their work. UX designers work with a team of developers, product managers, and other designers to bring their designs to life. This requires effective communication skills, collaboration, and the ability to take feedback and iterate on designs. 

Another inspiring aspect of UX design is its focus on empathy and user-centered design. UX designers are constantly thinking about the needs and goals of their users and how they can design products or services that make their lives easier and more enjoyable. 

Finally, I think that the fast-paced and constantly evolving nature of UX design is inspiring. UX designers are always learning and staying up to date with the latest design trends and technologies, which can be exciting and challenging. 

Reflection on the case study activity and the feedback from Danielle: 

I learned several things from the case study. Firstly, I learned how to hone my data analysis skills by analyzing substantial amounts of data and drawing conclusions from it. This helped me to identify trends and patterns in the website's performance, and in making informed decisions based on the data. 

Secondly, I learned the importance of future planning by using the data to make decisions. This helped me to identify areas of improvement for the website and to focus on those areas in the future. 

This case study helped me to improve my analytical, communication, and decision-making skills, which are important for any professional in the marketing industry. 

The feedback I received on my work from Danielle was helpful. 

It suggested that when starting a new position, it can be overwhelming to have access to lots of new information. It is important to work on communication skills, especially when presenting data to a wider group of people who may not understand all the terminology used. 

The feedback also emphasizes the importance of data analytics and being able to digest copious amounts of information to draw conclusions. It was great to hear that the period over period and year-to-date comparisons were the right way of analyzing our progress. 

I learned that it is important to work collaboratively with other departments, such as sales, to ensure that we are using the right metrics to convert people. When presenting data, it is important to provide suggestions for moving forward and evaluating progress. 

I do feel grateful for her feedback and will keep these skills in mind for my future projects. I will further work on my communication and presentation skills. 

Reflection on the questions I asked Danielle and on her responses: 

I asked Danielle two questions, and they are -  

Which teams does a UX designer normally collaborate with? 

What KPIs are used to judge the performance of a UX designer? 

Danielle’s answer the second question first and her response was -  

As a UX designer, some of the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are commonly used to assess her performance include: 

User satisfaction: This KPI measures how satisfied users are with the product or website she has designed. This can be measured through user surveys or feedback forms. 

Usability: This KPI measures how easy and intuitive it is for users to navigate and use the product or website she has designed. Usability testing can be used to gather data on this metric. 

Conversion rates: This KPI measures how successful the product or website is at converting visitors into customers or achieving specific goals. This metric is often tracked using analytics tools. 

Time-to-market: This KPI measures how quickly she can design and deliver a product or website. The faster she can work without sacrificing quality, the better this metric will be. 

Innovation: This KPI measures how creative and innovative my designs are. This metric can be more subjective and harder to measure than the others, but it is important to show that she is not just creating designs that are functional, but also unique and interesting. 

These KPIs help her understand how well I am meeting the needs of users and the business goals of the organization. By tracking and improving on these metrics, I can continually improve my performance as a UX designer. 

Danielle’s response to the first question was -  

As a UX designer, she typically collaborates with various teams to ensure that the product or website she designs meets the needs of users and achieves business goals. Some of the teams she commonly works with include: 

Product management: She works with product managers to understand the product vision, user needs, and business goals. This helps her design a product that meets these requirements. 

Development: She collaborates with developers to ensure that the design can be implemented as intended and that the user experience is maintained throughout development. 

Marketing: She works with marketing teams to ensure that the product or website is effectively positioned in the market and that the design supports marketing efforts. 

Customer support: She collaborates with customer support teams to understand user feedback and pain points. This helps her improve the design to better meet user needs. 

Visual design: She collaborates with visual designers to ensure that the design is visually appealing and consistent with the brand. 

Working with these teams allows her to create a well-rounded, user-centered design that meets both the needs of users and the goals of the business. 

Learnings from Danielle that could help with networking/job search: 

From Danielle's advice, I learned that it is important to keep applying for jobs to stay aware of the application process and to confirm that I am up to standard. Interviewing at least once a year can help me maintain my storytelling skills and give me a better understanding of what it is like to apply for jobs. This is particularly important because people do not have background knowledge of me, so I need to be able to articulate my skills and experiences clearly. 

When I am in a hiring position, the advice was to use the experience of applying for jobs to understand the candidate process better. It can help me to empathize with candidates and to make the process smoother and more efficient. 

Overall, the message was to stay engaged in the job search process, even if I am currently employed. Applying for jobs and interviewing periodically can help me to maintain my skills and stay aware of job opportunities. 

[digital-media-mktg-sem-101413768]

From Awareness to Action: The Art of Influencer Marketing

Recently we had the pleasure of Ashley Walsh, Account Director at North Strategic, as a speaker for our class Digital Media Marketing Seminar Series. The following blog is inspired by the event and is an extract of it.

Things to consider while considering influencers from the brand: 

According to the speaker, there are a lot of ways of selecting influencers for a brand. First, the influencer’s level of engagement with their audience will impact how effectively they can reach and engage potential customers. It is also important to consider the influencer’s industry expertise, their knowledge of the brand and the products they are promoting. We will also want to consider their reach, how large or targeted their following is and how interested they will be in the brand’s message. Finally, a marketer should consider whether the influencer's values align with those of the brand. 

Latest trends in influencer marketing: 

Influencer marketing has been steadily growing and is now one of the top strategies companies are using to reach their target audiences. Companies have begun leveraging the power of influencers to build relationships with their customers, spread brand awareness, and drive sales. The rise of social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok has given brands the ability to reach a wider range of potential customers and build relationships with them. 

Influencer marketing is constantly evolving and adapting to changes in the marketing landscape, and these are some of the latest trends that are shaping the industry: 

Rise of Creator-Led Short Form Video Content: Influencer marketing has long been dominated by Instagram, but there is a growing demand for creator-led short form video content on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. TikTok has emerged as one of the most popular social media platforms, attracting Gen Z and millennial audience. Brands are leveraging partnerships with TikTok creators to reach this demographic and engage with them in new and creative ways. 

AI (Artificial Intelligence) / Virtual Influencers: The rise of AI influencers has opened a new realm of possibilities for influencer marketing. Brands are turning to AI influencers to promote their products and services, capitalizing on their ability to reach a large and engaged audience. While still relatively new, AI influencers are expected to become increasingly prominent in the influencer marketing space. 

De-influencing: The trend of de-influencing has gained traction on TikTok, where creators are sharing the products and services that they were encouraged to buy through influencer partnerships. This has sparked a conversation about overconsumption and the impact of influencer marketing and has led many to question the authenticity of such partnerships. The hashtag #deinfluencing has recently racked up millions of views on various social media platforms. 

Why does a career in Influencer Marketing appeal to me: 

Exciting and dynamic industry: Influencer marketing is a rapidly evolving industry and is often seen as one of the most dynamic and exciting areas of marketing. This makes it an appealing option for those who are looking for a career that offers opportunities for growth and innovation. 

Opportunities to work with diverse brands: Influencer marketing provides opportunities to work with a wide range of brands across different industries. This can be appealing for those who enjoy working with a variety of clients and are looking for a career that offers a diverse range of experiences. 

Potential for creative problem-solving: Influencer marketing requires creative thinking and problem-solving skills, as brands look to develop unique and effective campaigns to reach their target audience. For individuals who enjoy working on creative projects and finding solutions to challenges, a career in influencer marketing can be very appealing. 

High demand for skilled professionals: As influencer marketing continues to grow and evolve, there is a high demand for skilled professionals who understand how to navigate the industry and develop effective campaigns. This provides opportunities for individuals to build a rewarding and successful career in influencer marketing. 

My reflection on the case study activity: 

One thing that genuinely surprised me and was a learning experience while working on the case study activity with my group was – the complexity of selecting a partner to engage with and deciding your creative approach. Selecting a partner to influence marketing and deciding your creative approach both require careful consideration and a strategic approach, as they can impact the success of your campaign. 

When selecting a partner, it is important to consider factors such as the size and engagement rate of their audience, their relevance to your target audience and industry, and their personal brand and values. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that the influencer aligns with your brand and is a good fit for your brand image. This will help to ensure that the partnership feels authentic and credible to the influencer's audience, which is key to the success of the campaign. 

Deciding on your creative approach also requires careful thought. It is important to consider the goals of the campaign and what message you want to communicate to your target audience. It is also crucial to consider the influencer's personal brand and what type of content their audience is most engaged with. You want to ensure that the content you create is aligned with both your brand and the influencer's brand, and that it resonates with the influencer's audience. Additionally, it is important to make sure that the content is visually appealing and is delivered in a format that is engaging and easy to consume. 

Both the selection of a partner and the creative approach require a thorough understanding of your target audience, the influencer's audience, and the goals of the campaign. By taking the time to carefully consider these factors, you can increase the chances of success and maximize the impact of your influence marketing efforts. 

Additional teaching by the speaker regarding networking:

One thing I learned from Ashley Walsh that could help with networking is communication. You need excellent communication skills to navigate between the brands and the influencers, like how you need them to succeed in networking. 

Effective communication skills are key to successful networking in any field. When you communicate effectively, you can build relationships, negotiate deals, and resolve conflicts. This is especially important in the realm of influencer marketing, where clear and concise communication is necessary to ensure that both brands and influencers are on the same page and that their goals and expectations are aligned. 

By honing one’s communication skills, stronger relationships can be built, and more success can be achieved from networking efforts. 

In conclusion, influencer marketing is a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry that offers exciting opportunities for growth and creativity. When considering influencer marketing, it is important to carefully select a partner and develop a creative approach that aligns with your brand, resonates with your target audience, and is in line with the influencer's personal brand and values. By doing so, you can increase the chances of success and maximize the impact of your influencer marketing campaign. Overall, a career in influencer marketing can be appealing to those who enjoy working in a dynamic industry, solving creative problems, and working with a diverse range of brands and clients.

[digital-media-mktg-sem-101413768]

E-Journal #1 (101413768) 

According to Blair Roebuck, VP of Marketing Science at Valtech, marketing scientists are expected to understand the client’s needs and then they are required to develop approaches that will fulfil those said needs. They need to have a strong background in statistics, data analysis, and marketing research. They should be skilled in using data analysis tools such as R or Python, as well as be familiar with marketing analytics software such as SAS or SQL. They use scientific methods predominantly, unlike in the arts or in the humanities where tools and techniques are commonly used in research. They need to have a good understanding of business. Using important strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills, they can interpret and make recommendations based on the data. Additionally, to stand out, effective communication and presentation skills are necessary for presenting findings and insights to their clients. Having knowledge about machine learning techniques is also becoming one of the most important factor of being a marketing scientist.  

Key takeaways -   

Apart from data analysis and data wrangling, marketing scientists are also required to have a deep understanding of how a business works and over that being a good communicator is also a requirement. 

They have to collaborate with various departments in the organization such as solution architects, developers, product owners, folks from UX/creative team, project managers, and account managers. It is important because it is a highly collaborative role, and you need to manage the expectations of various departments to succeed. 

They truly allow organizations to make data-driven decisions in pursuit of their marketing goals. They have a direct impact on a company's understanding of its customers, and opportunities, and then in optimizing their marketing strategies, to achieve better business results.  

One thing that truly surprised me and was a learning experience while working on the case study activity with my group was - in order to test a hypothesis and then to make an informed decision, we need to find insights and understanding about a particular problem or topic by identifying patterns and trends in data. Taking into account Rotman School of Management’s example, we can often reveal unexpected results which can lead to new questions or areas of further investigation.  

The question that I asked Blair is the following -   “How did you find out that a quant people were not interested in the blogs? How did you come up with that hypothesis?” 

As for the answer to the question – does marketing scientist as a career choice appeal to me or not – Yes, it does. It is a rewarding and fulfilling field where you use a lot of skills and help your organization make data-driven decisions. It requires a strong foundation in mathematics and statistics, upon which I might need to work. It requires us to stay up to date with the latest tools and technologies and it encourages the approach of continuously learning and newer skills development. Overall, I know that a career as a marketing scientist can be challenging but it can also be very rewarding.  

[digital-media-mktg-sem-101413768]

6 Ways Marketing Automation Can Help Reduce the Effects of Inflation

[digital-media-mktg-sem-101413768]

4 signs your business needs a CRM

[digital-media-mktg-sem-101413768]

The State of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 2022

A customer relationship management (CRM) system could have two sides: it may be a priceless instrument that promotes positive company results or a time-consuming tool that complicates user workdays and customer journeys. 

The difference lies in the data. 

Too many CRM users naively believe their data is uncontaminated and prepared for important use. And too many times, they are incorrect. 

While many industries are still feeling the effects of COVID-19, which made it challenging to supply robust and reliable performance, along with low-quality data it can be a quiet killer for enterprises. 

Additionally, poor data quality can thwart new initiatives like AI (Artificial Intelligence) projects or hyper-personalization campaigns before they even get off the ground since firms are under pressure to innovate ahead of rivals. 

A global study of 1,200+ CRM users and stakeholders from the US, UK, and Australia is done and is called The State of CRM Data Health in 2022. 

This study discovered that CRM users place unwarranted trust on the accuracy of their data, and it details the devastating effects this has on their bottom lines. 

 Signup for a full-featured trial. Click here >

The following are some major findings -  

The widespread deployment of CRM systems is essential for corporate resilience. 

The lack of accessibility and integration of their CRM systems is cited by fifty-seven percent of executives as a challenge in maintaining excellent customer experience (CX) with the move to remote work. 

Companies without integrated and extensively used CRM technologies will not be able to withstand future uncertainties and keep up a positive customer experience. 

All teams benefit from higher data quality and accessibility, increased employee productivity, and enhanced customer experience (CX) when shared CRM solutions are implemented. 

An organization's teams are 14% more likely to deliver greater CX to customers when they all utilize the same CRM. 62% of all employees said it helps them add more value to their firms.  

Teams have achieved success by integrating CRM systems into all departments and procedures. 

Executives and staff enjoy having a sole source of the truth about their customers, but they do not currently have one. 

Although just 32% of executives and 27% of staff members think their CRM system offers a complete, single picture of customer information, 90% of executives and a staggering 94% of staff members find value in having this one source of truth. 

The most popular CRM system use case anticipated for the following two years is AI-powered automation. 

CRM solutions must support a more productive, proactive staff and be more than merely archives for customer account data. 

By 2023, 79% of firms will use automation powered by AI to enable customer/prospect automation, and 78% will use automation powered by AI to free up people from routine tasks. 

Signup for a full-featured trial. Click here > 

CRM systems are the cornerstone of a company's ability to adapt in this ever-changing environment. Employees are better able to manage a remote or flexible workplace while continuing to provide excellent CX for customers when a well-integrated, accessible CRM system is the main tool in their toolkit. 

Executives can more quickly modify go-to-market plans to pivot during periods of change or uncertainty if employee resilience is improved. However, the truth is that many businesses today are having difficulties in this area. 

Future employment will involve more channels and increased client demands. 

During the transition to remote work, more than half of the executives found it difficult to maintain high CX. 

The shift to remote work has complicated and created communication, access, and productivity challenges. 

 Signup for a full-featured trial. Click here >

Compared to two years ago, the use of CRM system has barely changed: 

In 2019, the top two use cases for a CRM system are: 

marketing and interacting directly with their customers, and  

collecting basic account and contact information - the cake and butter of the CRM system. 

In 2021, the top two use cases are collecting basic account information and taking a digital-first approach to sales, service, and marketing. The needle has not moved significantly since 2019. 

Most organizations still use a CRM system for their foundational processes, rather than integrating their CRM system throughout the customer lifecycle to make it an essential component of all business processes.  

When shared CRM systems are used across all teams in an organization, they are a little more likely to deliver exceptional CX than organizations where only certain groups use the CRM system. 

CRM system utilization is still highly dispersed nowadays. 

Many people have trouble making sense of the data they do have because of the fragmented usage of CRM systems. 

The biggest CX problem firms face right now is engaging customers quickly and relevantly. 

Employees share these same views, which makes it difficult for them to provide excellent CX. 

 Signup for a full-featured trial. Click here >

CRM frameworks are as imperative as ever for the end of the victory in businesses — in fact, majority of administrators anticipate that their CRM framework utilization will soon expand beyond deals and service/support over in another three to five a long time. They also noted that their CRM framework is instrumental in their organization’s ability to provide consistent client experience. 

CRM frameworks are the key to great client experience and, in turn, business’s growth. 

The most important CX priorities are supported by CRM systems. 

CRM systems also support top employee experience (EX) initiatives. 

CRM platforms enable staff to become more data driven. 

Both employees and executives agree that better CRM systems enable them to add more value to the company. 

Employees are asking for better training, automation, and adoption to make CRM systems more efficient. 

The three most critical criteria for CRM systems today are security, adaptability, and automation, according to executives. 

According to executives, the top CRM system use case for the upcoming 24 months (about 2 years) is AI-powered automation. 

 Signup for a full-featured trial. Click here >

Following are some important suggestions -   

To increase sustainability and resiliency, cultivate consumer trust. 

Putting the client at the core of engagement is the best competitive approach for businesses. In order to accomplish this, businesses must use contemporary CRM to enable clients' end-to-end engagement experiences across channels and touchpoints. No matter where they work, front-office staff must be given access to a uniform view of client data by companies to ensure that customers receive consistent and tailored engagement. When faced with disruptions to routine business operations, having easy access to this customer view guarantees that firms can continue operations, protect their brand, and act ethically toward their consumers. Building trust and loyalty through regular, intensely personal interactions results in higher customer retention and earnings. 

To assist customers on their journey, use an integrated CRM system. 

Customers demand highly personalized experiences. Any employee they engage with should be fully aware of who they are, what they contribute to the organization, and where they are in their career trajectory. CRM software that is fragmented or only handles a portion of the customer lifecycle makes it impossible for front-line CRM users to service current consumers. Consolidate CRM apps provide role-based views to guarantee that customers have the interactions they anticipate. Create more complete portraits of each customer by adding information from second- and third-party sources to customer profiles. Additionally, consider adding marketplace applications to CRM to serve the entire client lifecycle. The ecosystem of point solutions found in marketplaces, including, to name a few, dialers, schedulers, automated data capture, and e-signature capture, extends and strengthens the power of core CRM. 

To effectively support and advance all staff who deal with customers, use modern CRM. 

Outstanding staff experiences are the foundation for great customer experiences. Using CRM's integration capabilities with innovative technologies can improve employee experiences. These include automation to eliminate repetitive tasks and direct staff to the most important customer interactions and conversations; AI to direct CRM users through the most effective actions and conversations; journey analytics and customer intelligence to enhance customer understanding to drive the best actions; visual technologies and mixed reality to enable more effective customer engagement; collaboration tools to facilitate group work; and cloud platforms to provide extremely high levels of flexibility. 

To maximize CRM acceptance and continuing innovation, invest in a strong change management program. 

CRM implementations frequently fall short of expectations because staff members do not use the system. They are unaware of the benefits CRM can bring to their work. Due to poor training, they frequently do not know how to use a CRM’s capabilities. Invest in a communications effort at the outset of your CRM initiative to educate every employee who will be impacted by the change on the benefits of CRM. Recruit users to provide feedback on your project's features and usability at various points. Create effective onboarding and training programs for your users. Keep in mind that the success of CRM does not end with launch. To better support all users and continuously innovate, collect user feedback, and incorporate it into new releases. 

 Signup for a full-featured trial. Click here >

Data is an organization's lifeblood, and a well-managed CRM is a conduit that carries it to all appropriate users. If its health is jeopardized, the entire business may suffer, which would be bad for the bottom line. 

CRM users should carefully analyze the flaws outlined in this study rather than blindly accepting their data. Their data is probably not as high quality as they believe it to be if they have encountered any of these unfavorable effects.