Today’s guest post is by Richard Binhammer, a senior manager in corporate communications at Dell. Richard plans and implements Dell’s communications strategy and is a key gatekeeper of its corporate reputation and social media strategy.
We’ve all heard statements like this: “Social media is one of the most significant advances in communication since the telephone or e-mail.” Sound drastic? Maybe. However, there’s no getting around the fact that Twitter is the most rapidly adopted communications tool in history, going from 0 to 10 million users in just over two years. On Twitter, word spreads like wildfire, and companies no longer have the option of ignoring the conversation.
The paradigm shift from broadcast to direct communication via social networks has changed the way PR professionals, marketers and customer service teams work. As social media evolves, it’s becoming a vital and vibrant way for professionals to stay in touch with colleagues, suppliers and partners — and not just for communications purposes but for product development, innovation and more.
At Dell, we have always been keen on harnessing the power of the Web. You may recall that Dell was an early pioneer in e-commerce, earning a million dollars a day via our Web site by 1997. Back then, our “direct business model” relied on the Web for “frictionless” commerce, from ordering and individual customization to supply-chain efficiency.
Today, we see the power of the Web emerging from a static to interactive tool that’s as much about furthering direct connections with customers as it is about e-commerce. Our Twitter followers @DellOutlet are more than a million strong (representing more than $3 million in revenue), a robust community of people interested in refurbished units. Via platforms like IdeaStorm, more than 350 customer ideas have been implemented into product and business innovations.
We’re often asked how large our social media team is to be able to make such a significant impact. Where do you get the resources? Is there a room full of people on Facebook and Twitter responding to every customer idea, question or gripe?
Yes, and no. At one time we had a group of 40 employees dedicated to “communities and conversations.” Incubated within our public relations team, this group started out by listening and learning before engaging with customers, a model that still remains key today.
After three years of experimenting, listening and learning, however, we have concluded that social media is ultimately about connecting and communicating across all aspects of our business. This means that while a core social media team remains, the marketing, sales, service and support, and product groups all need to have their own fingers on the pulse and arms around their customers. While social media started as a way for Dell to distribute news and special offers, it has evolved into a critical relationship builder, integrated into all business units.
Here are three tips for getting started on integrating social media into your business operations:
- Listen first. Learn from what your customers are saying to establish your baseline.
- Engage employees internally through social media. Use blogs, Yammer or company-specific social tools to get people used to and excited about the platforms.
- Encourage employees to set up social media accounts. As you know, social media is addictive! Once people try it, not only will they be itching for more, they’ll be coming up with ideas for how it can benefit their team.
Image credit, Dell
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[...] SmartBlog On Social Media » How Dell took social media mainstream smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2009/10/02/how-dell-took-social-media-mainstream – view page – cached Today’s guest post is by Richard Binhammer, a senior manager in corporate communications at Dell. Richard plans and implements Dell’s communications strategy and is a key gatekeeper of its… (Read more)Today’s guest post is by Richard Binhammer, a senior manager in corporate communications at Dell. Richard plans and implements Dell’s communications strategy and is a key gatekeeper of its corporate reputation and social media strategy. (Read less) — From the page [...]
[...] SmartBlog On Social Media » How Dell took social media mainstream smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2009/10/02/how-dell-took-social-media-mainstream – view page – cached Today’s guest post is by Richard Binhammer, a senior manager in corporate communications at Dell. Richard plans and implements Dell’s communications strategy and is a key gatekeeper of its… (Read more)Today’s guest post is by Richard Binhammer, a senior manager in corporate communications at Dell. Richard plans and implements Dell’s communications strategy and is a key gatekeeper of its corporate reputation and social media strategy. (Read less) — From the page [...]
[...] a more mature “social business” have come to this same conclusion (from today’s post by Richard Binhammer of Dell): After three years of experimenting, listening and learning, [...]
The Dell team has raised the bar for all large companies — but particularly those in the high-tech space. Congratulations, to Lionel and his band of true trailblazers!
I’ve been admiring Dell’s social media strategy for some time. Just this week I posted on a personal experience with Dell providing exceptional service, all via Twitter. See http://hollingsworth.posterous.com/exceptional-customer-service-via-twitter-dell
For further reading I’d recommend following @kiwilark and reading:
http://friendfeed.com/search?q=from:tonyhollingsworth+Dell+Lark
Cheers,
Tony Hollingsworth
Very interesting article about how Dell has evolved its social media strategy into its business operations. All companies need to embrace social media and understand its full potential to promote their brand.
[...] the article, How Dell took social media mainstream, Richard describes how communication tactics among businesses have changed since community driven [...]
[...] part of every department — including sales, customer support and product development groups. SmartBlog On Social Media » How Dell took social media mainstream: “The paradigm shift from broadcast to direct communication via social networks has changed [...]
[...] fully understand and communicate appropriately with each of your company’s audiences, check out this article about Dell’s social media team, which is actually it’s entire company now. Dell has a dedicated [...]
[...] Dell takes social media companywide Dell’s strategy for social-media communications has grown from a staff of 40 workers to a companywide effort to engage customers. “While a core social-media team remains, the marketing, sales, service and support, and product groups all need to have their own fingers on the pulse and arms around their customers,” writes Richard Binhammer, Dell’s senior manager in corporate communications. <a href="Dell's strategy for social-media communications has grown from a staff of 40 workers to a companywide effort to engage customers. "While a core social-media team remains, the marketing, sales, service and support, and product groups all need to have their own fingers on the pulse and arms around their customers," writes Richard Binhammer, Dell's senior manager in corporate communications. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media [...]
[...] just read how Dell took social media mainstream and there was one thing in particular which stood out to him, namely “On Twitter, word [...]
[...] is in providing a platform for people’s passions around social media and innovation. Consider Dell’s $3m profit from social media – they weren’t just churning out tweets – they were listening to people who had [...]
[...] by using social media. Dell was featured in a guest post on Mary Ellen Slayter’s Smart Blog on Social Media recently. Matt Jurmann from Chromatics lists a number of good ones, also, in the form of case [...]
[...] just read how Dell took social media mainstream and there was one thing in particular which stood out to him, namely “On Twitter, word [...]
[...] and statistics demonstrating the power of the tools. It’s at this moment you realize you aren’t Dell, Comcast or Southwest Airlines. What can you do to get the train back on [...]
It's very good, I like it. Thanks very much.
I got so many points here, that's why i love reading your post. Thank you so much!
dell have been doing some good stuff from a social media perspective having realised its potential
Dell have been very clever in respects of social media – it can such a powerful tool to have as long as the strategy is correct and it looks like they have it right at the moment
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Hi Mary
Thanks for the tips in getting started in social media, I'm not really a social media fan and i will defiantly find it hard getting started. I hear from many people that social media is going to be huge.
Kind Regards
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