What is a 360 customer view?
Definition: A 360 customer view is a complete, detailed, and interconnected representation of all customer data taken from various sources such as CRM, social media, website analytics, or third-party sources.
A 360 customer view includes demographic information, history of communication, social media interactions, purchasing history, and website behavior.
How to create a 360 customer view
- Data collection
The first step to creating a 360 customer view is gathering all data that provides a comprehensive understanding of the customer in terms of who they are and their preferences and needs. The exact data depends on the industry and the company, but it usually includes demographic information and patterns found in communication with the customer. Main sources for getting data are:
- Website/CRM
- Social media interactions
- Purchase history
- Customer support interactions
- Surveys/Feedback forms
- Data analysis
Once the data is collected and organized, it is analyzed to identify patterns, trends, new insights, or missed opportunities. This process can be done by using data analytics techniques such as data mining, statistical analysis, and machine learning or manual data entry and analysis.
- Profile creation
The creation of the customer profile should summarize the key characteristics, preferences, and behaviors based on the collection and analysis of the data. The data is divided into demographics, interactions, behavior, and preferences for a clear view.
The profile is shared with the marketing, customer service, development, and other departments that benefit from understanding the customers better.
- Strategy creation
Once the customer profile is finished, companies identify their goals, segment the audience, determine the messaging, choose the channels, and develop a timeline for executing their strategy. To develop relevant strategies, the teams need to consider the data and how to use it best to convert.
Strategies depend on the company and the insights from the profile creation step, but popular strategies are:
- Targeted emails (discounts, tutorials, training)
- Offering personalized support
- Including insight into future product development
Examples of 360 customer view
- A customer interested in a customer service automation software
Demographics — A 30-year-old business owner that has a team of 10 employees and a degree in Computer Science
Interactions —The customer visited the website and downloaded the software trial after watching the demo video. The customer also contacted customer support via chatbot with technical questions.
Behavior — Communicates via mail or through the chatbot and expects prompt responses.
Preferences —The customer is interested in software that streamlines her company’s customer service operations, increases efficiency, and prefers cloud-based software. The analytics feature is key for her customer support software.
After collecting this data through multiple touchpoints and doing analyses, the company sends this customer targeted emails emphasizing the benefits of cloud computing, such as accessibility from anywhere and automatic backups.
- A customer interested in a CRM software
Demographics — A 40-year-old marketing manager that lives in a metropolitan area.
Interactions — Attended a webinar hosted by the company and contacted them via social media for a pricing plan.
Behavior — The customer spends a lot of time researching CRM software that is user-friendly and easy to set up.
Preferences — Customers want software that will automate routine tasks and give them valuable data.
After gathering data and analyzing this customer, the software company sends personalized demos and training to ensure the software setup is quick and easy.