Using social data to develop social intelligence: Case study of Cisco

Abstract

Working with customers to identify their needs and provide solutions that support their success is central to the creation of long-lasting customer partnerships. Social media channels help develop and maintain these customer relationships. This paper describes the example of Cisco, which has over 515,000 Facebook fans and more than 288,000 Twitter followers on its corporate channel. Cisco also drives community engagement via other social channels including, but not limited to, YouTube, SlideShare and LinkedIn. In addition, it supports social media interaction with its customers, partners and prospects through the Cisco Blogs (blogs.cisco.com) and Cisco Communities (communities.cisco.com) platforms. Engaging with one’s audience through such social channels is an important key to developing strong relationships. Furthermore, the power of social media increases exponentially when one integrates social media into core business processes, leading to customer loyalty, deeper relationships and a true partnership between the company and its customers. This is the promise of social customer relationship management.