Sage CRM Gets Wise to Social Media

A year or so after it rolled out v.7.0, Sage CRM has updated its application with social media functionality, more interactivity, and tighter integration with email marketing, including a subscription-based service for managing email marketing campaigns.

The latter, in particular, is of high value to customers, many of whom are small businesses that primarily market in-house, SVP and General Manager Dan Wilzoc told CRM Buyer. For SageCRM, it means “we have now completed our CRM portfolio with this connected service.”

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90 Templates

The email marketing feature includes 90 templates prepopulated with as much data as possible for users, Wilzoch said. “This allows users to develop a campaign with a simple wizard.”

The new functionality also comes with the ability to capture feedback from emails “so users can develop an ROI.”

It also allows them to tweak marketing campaigns based on ongoing feedback, he said. “Essentially, they have the tools to create professionally done email pieces that can be changed on the fly.”

The feedback is a good source of sales prospects, he added. “Based on the reception, one can determine where it is best to put a sales effort.”

Bolstered Interactivity

The upgraded version includes an enhanced interactive dashboard, with the option of adding several gadgets, Wilzoch explained.

“These would be any trics a company might identify as important,” he said. “The gadgets let you click on certain items, drill down, pull out certain information. They also allow you to prioritize tasks in a single screen.”

Social Media

This is the first release in which Sage CRM added social media functionality to the mix — integration with LinkedIn and Twitter.

The functionality is admittedly basic, at least compared to other applications on the market. Essentially, the features let a user incorporate information that can be found in Twitter or LinkedIn into a larger corporate sales profile, Wilzoch explained.

“It gives you additional information about prospective customers, helping you possibly fill in details that will help in the selling cycle,” he said.

Ditto for Twitter, but in a different format.

“Twitter is, of course, about shorter bursts of information,” said Wilzoch, “but it still gives you a window into what a particular contact thinks about.”

SageCRM has also developed browser-based support for a mobile app, rolling out a version for the iPhone. It is planning to release one for the iPad next, and one for Android later.