HootSuite is the future of CRM

HootSuite is today known as a social media management system. HootSuite is not quite new and is in existence since 2008. HootSuite has been long used for brand management across the social media by individuals and organizations. None of this has changed. What has changed is the customer play in the customers’ playground. What has also changed is the way of looking at managing the entire customer experience within the organization, and not just making it yet another record in the database.

Equally true is the fact that HootSuite is not a full fledged CRM tool today. But how does the future look? Let’s look at what HootSuite can do today:

• Manage customer relationship in a platform that the customer is using today. Keep track through the customer chosen media rather than shifting action to the organization website
• Be proactive in finding issues, and mentions in the social media. Resolve customer issues, promote friendlies
• Manage brand name and brand value
• Possibly, roll out offers for your fans and friends
• Maintain meaningful conversations that shows the human face of the organization
• Report out meaningful analytics that shows the bigger picture

Last I checked these are also real expectations from a CRM system. Of course today’s CRM does many more things. Today HootSuite integrates with traditional CRM systems to provide value in social media management. It is only a matter of time before HootSuite catches up in the direction of what CRM systems do today, or gets acquired and powers the engine of one the CRM systems out there.