As a Social CRM hobbyist I’ve been riding the SCRM wave from mere watching from the periphery to participating in moving Microsoft CRM v.next into the SCRM future.  If you are also interested in riding the wave, here are some steps to help you get started, as well as some of my favorite resources.

Step 1 – Dip your toe in the water:

• Set up email alerts for “Social CRM”
• Read some blogs:

• PGreenblog
• estebanklosky.com
• Jeremiah Owyang and Ray Wang from Altimeter Group
• Jacob Morgan
• Michael Thomas (he’s especially adept at describing real-life SCRM scenarios)

• Watch some webcasts. There are many recordings and opportunities to join live sessions, hosted by consultants and vendors.

Step 2 – Wade in, waist deep:

• Join the social groups:

• SCRM Pioneers
• LinkedIn – Social CRM (SCRM)
• Facebook - Social CRM

Step 3 – Belly flop!

• You’ve joined the social groups – now participate!
• Engage SCRM leaders in conversation – it’s easy, because they’re all on Twitter of course.
• Sign up for a Meetup of SCRM enthusiasts in your area.
• Find other SCRM folks within your organization and engage in conversation.

Step 4 – Train for the Olympics:

• Use CRM 2011 and the xRM framework to build a Social CRM solution. Have you checked out the Connections feature? Think of all the Social CRM applications there!
• Explore the Dynamics Marketplace for Social CRM solutions to test out.

Am I missing some of your favorites?  Share your SCRM resources and communities in the comments.

Cheers, Laura