Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems allow companies to establish connections with new customers and to develop long-lasting relationships with current ones. But for consumer brands, a successful CRM strategy means going far beyond collecting and tracking contact information in a database.

Today’s consumers are active on many more channels than in the past. The next frontier for brands is to optimize the power of social interactions to cultivate relationships with their most passionate customers. Without tracking social interactions, brands will not be able to paint a dynamic, complete picture of each customer and therefore will not be able to leverage these influential customers to build stronger brand loyalty.

Here are four reasons why your brand needs a Social CRM.

1. Track all brand mentions on Instagram

Before social media, identifying customers who were driving word-of-mouth for brands was difficult. With the rise of social platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, it is actually much easier to identify these brand amplifiers. A Social CRM system will not only allow you to monitor the conversation about your brand online, but it will help you to find and organize the customers who are initiating and participating in it.

2. Build 1:1 customer relationships at scale

A loyal customer can be a brand’s greatest asset to reach new audiences and to generate brand awareness. To create loyal customers, brands need to offer a more authentic and human experience. Social CRM helps marketers to keep track of all online customer conversations and to manage social interactions in a centralized platform. This also ensures that customer relationship management is streamlined and efficient.

3. Find and connect with new brand advocates

Just 4.7% of consumer brands' customers generate social referrals. This means that virtually all the earned media and conversions obtained by your brand on social media originate from a relatively small group of people. Social CRM lets marketers discover, connect, and manage the passionate fans who are already posting about your brand online.

4. End manual influencer marketing reporting

Tracking social interactions between your brand and your influencers can be tedious. Social CRM helps marketers to automatically manage influencer marketing at scale and to stop relying on manual spreadsheets.

In order to be relevant to today’s consumers, brands need to embody more than just a product offering. They need to build and leverage a community that extends far beyond their goods and services. A Social CRM system offers marketers the tools they need to discover and manage relationships with their most passionate—and influential customers.