Hootsuite Rolls Out Integrations with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Yammer, SharePoint to Fuel Social Media Strategies

Hootsuite, a platform for managing social media, has released new integrations for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, SharePoint, and Yammer.

With Dynamics CRM Online for Hootsuite, users can create leads, opportunities, or cases based on social media conversations, as well as add notes and log all social activities to document their engagements with customers, according to officials of the companies. From the Hootsuite dashboard, users can identify and create leads, opportunities, or cases and input them directly into Dynamics CRM Online. By adding social data to the customer record within Dynamics CRM, companies get more detailed overviews of each of their customers, officials said.

Hootsuite’s integration approach has some similarities to Microsoft’s own approach to social CRM via Social Engagement (MSE), but there are also clear differences.

“HootSuite stepping up to offer Dynamics CRM support is an interesting development,” says Jukka Niiranen, a Microsoft MVP and Dynamics CRM consultant for Digital Illustrated. “In a way I think it will validate the use case for MSE with CRM customers and also provide a welcome benchmark for Microsoft’s product team to keep an eye on. Rather than directly competing with HootSuite in terms of social channel specific features, I would expect Microsoft to invest in delivering more context specific social insights and analytics to the sales& service users already managing their daily processes in Dynamics CRM.”

The latest update to Microsoft Social Engagement, in conjunction with Dynamics CRM 2016, updates the user interface and adds new social analytics and action tools. Social Engagement also includes new capabilities aimed at the customer service manager who may want to monitor and take action on social channel communications by tracking and responding in the right format on the right social platform.

Hootsuite for SharePoint, Yammer

SharePoint for Hootsuite allows users to collaborate with their SharePoint teams from within the Hootsuite dashboard. They can share relevant social insights, reach out to subject matter experts, as well as share social content with colleagues in just a couple of minutes, officials said.

With the integration of SharePoint in Hootsuite, enterprises can use social media content across teams to better collaborate to resolve a customer issue or share important information, for example. Additionally, enterprises can use social media content across teams to better collaborate to resolve customer issues or share important information, for example.

Yammer for Hootsuite makes it easier for teams to collaborate over customer interactions that happen on social. Users can take social conversations into Yammer and discuss internally-before deciding on the best approach to take with their customers, according to officials.

“Integrating Microsoft software enables Hootsuite customers to get the most out of social, from external customer interactions to internal collaboration. We’re pleased to expand our relationship with Microsoft to offer solutions that will empower our customers’ success with social,” said Steve Johnson, Chief Revenue Officer at Hootsuite, in the statement.