Social Media for CSMs - Building your Personal Brand and Network Influence

A customer success manager (CSM) brings value to an organization through building long-term relationships with customers, rather than focusing on the up-front sale or immediate acquisition of new customers. By establishing trust and credibility over time, CSMs help customers succeed, which in turn helps their business succeed as well. One effective way to establish your role as a CSM and build your reputation in the marketplace is by leveraging social media, which can help you develop your personal brand, increase your network influence, and drive business results for both you and your company.

What Is Personal Branding?

Before we get into how to build your personal brand, let’s first discuss what personal branding is. In a nutshell, it’s about building a meaningful relationship with your target audience by showcasing who you are as a person.

Why Do I Need A Personal Brand?

It is no longer enough to say I’m a great salesperson or I have a lot of technical skills. Customers expect more than just someone who can sell them something—they want you to bring value. The best way to do that in today’s social media-enabled, crowdsourced world is through personal branding.

What social channels should I use?

There are many different social media channels you can use to build your personal brand. But which ones should you choose? If a new customer is interested in speaking with someone about their customer journey, where will they turn first? The most important thing is to create a presence on all of them, but consider using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube (for sharing videos), Instagram and even Snapchat as most of today’s clients/customers spend much more time on these platforms than they do watching television or reading newspapers.

How often should I update my accounts?

The best advice is to update at least once a day.

What tone should I take on social media?

Understand that what you post on social media is a reflection of who you are as a person. Be careful to always reflect yourself in a positive manner, since it may have an effect on how customers view you.

How can I grow my followers/following effectively?

Consistency is key, especially early on. Make sure you post at least once a day, even if it’s a video that you’ve already posted on another platform. Also make sure that what you are posting isn’t just about yourself – lots of selfies or personal life updates aren’t going to grow your following effectively; think about what information other people might find interesting or useful.