In his new book Engage!, social media marketing expert and author Brian Solis also discusses Social CRM, or sCRM.

Social CRM is often seen as the possibility of CRM platforms to integrate social presences and marketing elements. But sCRM is actually about a different look at customer relationship management, in which the CRM-processes involve the customer even more, also in the CRM processes themselves.

In his book, Solis introduces the term SRM, or social relationship management. With the use of this term, he wants to shift the focus away from the ‘social customer’, and instead wants to pay more attention to Social CRM as an approach that takes place throughout the entire organization, without merely watching at customer service.

Naturally, CRM and Social CRM is a lot more than just customer service, but it’s definitely interesting to emphasize the cultural changes as well as the changes in mentality that are so crucial in this customer-centric era.

Adapting a customer-centric philosophy is always something that has to take place throughout the company. A lot of companies struggle while trying to do so, for instance because of departments within the company that act like independent silos from one and another. Customer-centric thinking asks for support from the management, uniform data, integration of platforms and processes, but especially cross-divisional cooperation.

According to Solis, 'the ability to identify active communities of relevance', tracing influential people and channels, and the dissection of all phases of the process of decision making, all in real-time, are crucial aspects of social media marketing.

Involving these ‘influencers’ and communities, and the linking of CRM to interactive marketing actions are some of the core elements of an integrated, social CRM.

Here's what I think. Interactive marketing, customer interactions based on real-time data, and customer actions should be linked with one and another. That’s the technical and tactical aspect: you communicate with the customer in a way that he wants to, based on the digital signals and ‘triggers’ he gives you.

The ‘customer journey’ is of an extreme importance in this.

However, Solis validly points out that this whole process is transformational as well. An intervention of this kind asks for breaking down the walls between various traditional departments. This always turns out to be a complex practice. Of course, the management plays a crucial role here. Probably, the existing walls can never be taken down entirely.

But in a customer-centric company, everybody thinks in the same direction, based on the same philosophy.
The platforms serve to make this possible throughout the company.

The author is an interactive marketing consultant and experienced blogger. You can connect with him via Twitter or visit his blog.