1. More SaaS (Software as a Service, Storage as a Service)
SaaS will continue to dominate CRM through 2016 and by the end of this year (2015) it’s likely that over half of all CRM deployment will be cloud-based SaaS. At least 50 percent.
2.Digital Disruption (the change that occurs when new digital technologies and business models affect the value proposition of existing goods and services)
Digital disruption was a critical trend for 2014 but thankfully there is little doubt this will continue this year and in to 2016. Companies will need to be prepared to embrace new situations and use old methods in new ways. Already 89 percent of executives see digital disruption heading for their companies, but only 32 percent say they are ready for this trend. By getting out in front of this cure will mean having a leg up on the CRM competition through 2016.
3. Social Monitoring (monitor what is being said on the internet)
Another CRM trend to watch for is evolution of social media monitoring tools. (SMM) Most companies have Facebook and Twitter accounts but now they need ways to accurately measure the reach and impact of their posts, blogs and tweets. Next, how can you leverage this data? Response times are critical, as is the content of these responses. Social media cuts both ways; if consumers don’t feel their needs are being properly addressed, they’ll leverage social influences to encourage service.
4.Brand Journalism
Companies should also expect to see a rise in “brand journalism.” Most companies still have managers and marketers writing the majority of their digital marketing. The problem? While most aren’t professional writers and don’t have the time or resources necessary to create content that is compelling. This is important because consumers have high standards for company blog posts and articles. As a result, it is critical for companies to start thinking about their content. One option is managing a set of in-house or outsourced talent through a SaaS – based CRM module.
5. Five Paid Placements
This is particularly interesting because over the next two years there will be a decline of “free” social reach. I’m sure most people have already noticed as it’s happening right now. Facebook, for example,has altered their structure to favor paid-for ads as opposed to non-sponsored content. Users actually prefer this kind of content as well surprisingly since it tends to be of a higher quality than unpaid ads. This will result in the progression of CRM software in to a social market plat form with the capability to analyze – in real time – the impact of current advertisements and the potential success of paid content.
6. Hosted PBX ( virtual phone systems, “in the cloud”)
As businesses already know, consumers expect near – instant communication from you – whether it be on the phone, via web-based messaging or over social media. This only means the direction we are moving is the acceptable time-to-response will only decrease over the next couple of years. Which in turn leads to relying on traditional CRM tools to manage customer relations costs’. What’s the difference between a hosted PBX solution and a traditional PBX? A hosted version offers all the benefits of a traditional PBX but without the need to store data locally, think of it as a cloud based call center at a fraction of the cost. We live in a world now where small businesses can compete at a global level, therefore, this kind of corporate-quality communication will very quickly become a necessity.
KARRIE AMANN | Sales Executive
Karrie graduated from Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD, with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Business Administration and years later a Master of Business (MBA), in Business Management from Mount St. Mary’s University. She primarily comes from a long career doing sales and marketing in the medical field. She has professional experience working in Pharmaceuticals and has heavily marketed Neurosurgeons. Her most recent career was in digital marketing making her well versed in websites, SEO, SEM and mobile optimization. She brings her experience and skills to KTL Solutions in order to help businesses find the solutions they need in order to operate more efficiently and effectively.
