The business world is undergoing an unprecedented shift. A revolution that’s forcing every organization, from every industry, across every market to rewire how it operates.

Contrary to what you might be thinking, disruption is not being driven by the internet, mobile, or digital – it’s being driven by the customer.

Connected and empowered like never before, customers expect to be served on-demand and on their terms.

Two billion people are connected and empowered like never before. They expect to be served on-demand and on their terms. They advocate and criticize with equal and forceful power. And how they choose to apply that force is a direct result of one thing: their experience. A feeling that’s shaped by each interaction with your brand.

Everything a brand does – the way it does advertising, marketing, commerce, and care – all play a role in shaping the customer experience. Advertising? It’s about seeing a real person with a real need and making them aware that you exist. Marketing? It’s about creating advocates who want to evangelize on your behalf. Commerce and sales? It’s about delivering value from the very start. Care? It’s about sustaining that value so they’ll go on to tell others.

To adapt to this change, businesses need to put customer experience first. They have to map their strategies to customers’ interests and behaviors, and deliver personalized experiences across every touchpoint.

This may seem like a challenge, but according to a new research report from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, select companies are already well on their way.

Leading Companies Integrate Social Media and Customer Experience Management

In the new report, Sprinklr and HBR surveyed 600+ managers and executives from some of the biggest companies in the world. The study found that leading companies have one crucial tactic in common: They integrate social media and customer experience management.

The report’s interesting results:

• 86% of business leaders agree that customer experience is vital for success
• 75% say social media will be extremely important over the next three years
• Only 34% of companies have the tools and skills to deliver superior customer experiences
• Leading-edge companies are breaking that pattern by spending heavily on customer experience and social media
• Leaders in customer experience have more dominant market positions and post stronger revenue growth (compared to Follower and Laggard counterparts)

As the results show, businesses that deliver comprehensive customer experiences will enjoy stronger growth and more dominant positions in their markets.

It can’t be overstated: Integrating social media with customer experience is the single most strategic investment your enterprise can make. This isn’t just a trend. It’s a global mandate for modern enterprises that want to drive value for their customers and revenue for their businesses. It will pay off in revenue, reduced costs, and improved risk management. Most importantly, it will help you reach customers across all touchpoints, setting your company ahead of competitors in an ever-changing marketplace.

Also Read: 3 Brainstorming Exercises to Fuel Your Next Social Media Campaign