What is MySpace?

MySpace is one of a set of social networking sites which have sprung up in recent years and although not as big as Facebook, it still attracts thousands of visitors and as such represents a useful opportunity to develop online CRM, not least because it is free to use. It is one of the better known sites for people to share interests and develop relationships, both business and personal.  Just as individuals can set up a page and promote themselves, so too can businesses. From this point of view MySpace is a great way to deepen positive relationships with customers all over the world, or locally, depending on the profiles of your target audience. There are features which include sharing photos and images, setting up videos, posting messages, promoting blogs and membership of forums, and allowing discussions which can all help promote online CRM.  Online CRM provides a chance for businesses to vary the traditional methods of connecting with customers, and for many modern customers, social networking is the only way they want to communicate these days anyway.  For many email is too slow and ponderous, whereas MySpace and the like give instant feedback.  This can be to the benefit of any company which truly understands the needs of its customers and wants to communicate with them on their terms.

Why MySpace works for business

MySpace is a valuable opportunity to collect data about customer preferences, lifestyles and aspirations and provides lots of ideas for developing a CRM system which works in favor of the customer rather than all too often being a source of frustration for those consumers trying in vain to get their point of view across.  Getting honest feedback from new and existing customers is one of the most powerful reasons for getting online CRM connected to social networking sites such as MySpace. Developing customer profiles can be an elusive challenge but by using social networking such as MySpace it is possible to more easily define customer characteristics, by joining in discussions and forums, groups and conversations related to your trading ethos. This is a free way to acquire important market research which can help develop your products and services in the future.  The requirements of your customers aren’t always obvious until they leave you and go elsewhere, so use MySpace to find out what exactly they are looking for before it’s too late.

How to get more viewers

Customers are going to be drawn to you on MySpace if you can show you have a distinct and attractive style to your online CRM system, and that you aren’t simply on the site to sell.  Your portal should be appealing to people who are interested in the bigger picture, not just what can be found in your latest catalog.  Continuous self-promotion is rarely going to attract more viewers, so think of more creative ways to develop your online CRM. The best way to win over your customers is to engage them in topics they want to talk about rather than making assumptions about what you think they should be interested in, or worse still posting the equivalent of spam.

For a couple of years I managed to work with numerous hosted CRM systems. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions. Cheers, George Jackson