In 2006 I wrote an article for Multichannel Merchant magazine entitled "Marketing from the Back-End." The primary point was that marketing and operations were equal and complimentary partners. They have a symbiotic relationship that helps a business reach its full potential if they work together. That is one big IF because marketing and service rarely meet on common ground.
A lot has changed since I wrote the article. Technology is moving faster than the speed of light, changing how we connect with people. Social media has grown into a world-wide phenomenon. People are more mobile, yet remain as accessible as when prime time consisted of three channels. Unfortunately, accessible doesn't equal easy access. Reaching customers and prospects is much harder today because they have more choices.
Welcome to the world of micro-marketing.
If you thought multichannel marketing was hard, hold on to your hat. Those channels that began as an alternate to traditional venues are now fragmented into mini-channels. Your customers and prospects are scattered all over the place and it is your job to find them.
Social media is the best example of how one channel can have thousands of customer access points. New platforms and networks are appearing daily. Some won't gain traction, but all have the potential of effecting how and where you reach your customers and prospects.
Your ecommerce access is splintering, too. While people can always connect with you on your website, their attention is split by alternative shopping venues. It's a virtual town with shopping centers all over the place. Multiple locations for your business increase your access to people. It also increases your costs and workload.
The bottom line is that it takes more resources to access fewer people.
Marketing has to be efficient and effective to maintain the status quo. Maximizing the return on investment almost needs a miracle. The good news is that miracles happen when marketing and customer care work together.
The purpose of marketing is to attract people who need your products and/or services. Marketers are great at identifying opportunities, creating strategies, and measuring results. The purpose of customer service is to deliver on the promise. Care representatives are great at matching products or services to needs, resolving issues, and making customers feel like they are the most important people in the world. Occasionally you'll find an individual who is good at marketing and care, but it is the exception, not the rule.
Social media is more about care than it is about marketing.
Connecting with people is the foundation of social networking. Shouldn't the people who are most qualified be the ones who do it? Your customer care team has already been trained. They know the intimate details of products and services. They know the policies. They know what can be done to resolve issues. They know how to diffuse tense conversations. And, they don't have to say, "I'll get back to you on that," because they already know how to fix the problem.
Great customer care teams are also good at conversions and upsells. If you want to see them in action, listen in on a few calls or read some email exchanges. It quickly becomes obvious how well they understand their customers. Why not use that skill on the social networks?
When Amy Africa tweeted that she wished that people would just put social media in customer service and get it over with, I mentioned that marketers resist this idea because they won't receive credit for sales. She asked me why they needed it. She has a valid point. If the company's revenue increases, everyone should win. I know that isn't always the case, but to survive in a micro-marketing world, working together is required.
If your marketing team focused on marketing and the customer service team managed the care across channels, how would it affect your business? I'm betting there would be more time for the marketers to develop and test winning strategies and customers would be better served.