DISQUS

Shailesh Ghimire · 11 months ago

I think social media belongs with sales (every sales peson should be out there participating - if it makes sense to them), and within PR. Not sure about the marketing and IT department gettting involved.

keif · 11 months ago

This is too long to twitter...

Certain aspects of social media can be used for sales, but if your company (and social strategy) becomes more about selling and less about discussion, you look like you're just there to squeeze money from every asset - granted, that may be the end goal regardless, but by creating a conversation you also allow discussion and interaction - where PR and marketing come in to play, to help guide conversations, do damage control, and assess the situation.

Technology comes into play because tech is responsible for utilizing new ways to aggregate, manipulate, and utilize social media in new ways. You can paint a pretty picture of what you want to have happen in the social media space, but if your tech guys aren't involved in the ground level it'll always be over their heads to jump in and utilize.

Bill Rice · 11 months ago

Shailesh,

The more I work with clients on their social marketing strategy I realize the lack of ownership in sales to engage. This is why I think accountability needs to be here. Plus, like I said in the post I think sales can have the most impact if they learn and embrace this great tool.

Thanks for the comment!
Bill

Bill Rice · 11 months ago

Keif,

I totally agree--you can't be shilling all the time on Twitter, but I think (maybe poorly stated) if you are in sales you need to be fully immersed in social media. You will see opportunity, learn about your market, and inherently make more deals.

And, again you are right marketing and technology has a role, but I think ROI responsibility is on sales.

Being in technology myself--there is definitely a huge opportunity to help make social media more accessible, useful, and scalable. However, it is a careful line to be managed.

Thanks for commenting!
Bill

Mark J. Carter · 11 months ago

You're right on with the question of ROI and responsibility--it seems it's still too "new" to the corporate world to assign responsibility.

Mostly because it's tough to create a black and white ROI on relationships--they take time and most people crunching numbers and looking at traditional sales reports don't "get it"

Social media belongs in the companies that are willing to try something new, probably with a longer sales cycle and that are complaining the traditional marketing (ads, etc) and sales tactics aren't working.

At least that's my 2 cents worth...

Nicholas Kinports · 11 months ago

Social Media belongs where and how you want. The possibilities for innovation are limitless, and ROI models/metrics should reflect that fact.

A sales tool it is, but also a communications tool, advocacy tool, brand awareness tool, customer relations tool, business to business tool, sharing tool, etc...

@ADMAVEN

Bill Rice · 11 months ago

Mark and Nicholas,

Great points. It is new and evolving and relationships are, as they say--priceless.

@admaven--Thanks for leaving the twitter handle. I followed you and I am looking forward to your thoughts.

Tom Canning · 11 months ago

Bill,
You're right on the money that social media belongs with sales! The new generation of sales people need to participate in their sales ecosystem and be present with their community. It's about presence, contribution and collaboration with that community that ultimately creates a win-win for everyone involved. Nice Article.
-Tom

Michael Hafner · 11 months ago

I like the broad perspective on ROI - we need to get the discussion out of the marketing-only jungle....

Bill Rice · 11 months ago

@ Tom and @Michael,

I can't understand how marketing can be really effective at social media. It is so much about direct conversation and engagement--a sales skill. Marketing is trained to talk to and invoke actions from large audiences. I am not sure social media can effectively be deployed this way. Therein lies my theory--social media ROI belongs in sales.

Thanks for the comments!

Bill

Justin McHood · 11 months ago

I agree with @Shailesh.

I think social media belongs with anybody in sales who wants to interact with potential customers. I can't for a second imagine how someone would "build a brand" or "enhance a brand" with the normal social media tools.

However; I do see (on a regular basis) the opportunity for someone who is in sales to monitor a group of peers and "pounce" on a sales opportunity.

Or at least... that is what I use social media for.

Buenos Aires Real Estate · 10 months ago

I agree with the comment of Mark J. when he said that Social media belongs in the companies that are willing to try something new, probably with a longer sales cycle and that are complaining the traditional marketing (ads, etc) and sales tactics aren’t working.

Korye Logan · 10 months ago

The concept of ownership is counter to the inherent open nature of social media. The idea of various departments or company roles wanting to "own" social is akin to how the "white man" views land ownership compared to the views of Native Americans - that the land belongs to the Earth.

"Social" is the natural digital extension of conversations. Customers hold the most power in this domain, while customer service holds a critical role in communicating with the customer. Only in support of these two can (and should) sales, marketing, etc. participate and support the social conversations online.

In direct relation to sales, when you are keenly focused on the customer = "social" is part of the relationship.

CJ Brasiel · 10 months ago

Great discussion. Social Media must be a core part of both the sales and marketing strategy. The responsibility is shared. From a marketing point is about brand education and exposure. The ROI is there if the marketeer knows how to interpret any on-line advertising. From a sales perspective it is about relationship building which leads to company/product loyalty. The ROI can be tracked through lost leader analysis and on-line activity involving customer interaction. (Do customers see you as a resource? Do they comment on your information as valuable? etc.) Much like the decision of yesterday regarding TV verses Radio, where, how, and why to use a particular medium depends on a myriad of customer components and more importantly how that continually changes via technology.

Bill Rice · 10 months ago

@KoryeLogan,

I like the analogy. I think you are right "ownership" does put a wrong focus on the topic. However, I think it has been captured in the big marketing paradigm and good companies get their reputations dinged because of it.

To your point on conversations. I always preach that number of closed deals are directly correlated to good conversations.

Bill Rice · 10 months ago

@CJbrasiel,

What a fact. Social media is still an emerging marketing and sales medium. We are still feeling our way around. Most will tell you it is premature to tack on a ROI responsibility. But, surely it will need to be a more collaborative sales and marketing relationship.

Jesse Torres · 7 months ago

Bill,
I'm a little late to the party here but I thought I'd leave my thoughts.

I agree that the sales group is best situated to pick up and carry the conversations. From a practical perspective, Sales has the experience to address specific questions, complaints or comments that arise.

Having said that, it is Marketing that creates the conversations through its broader efforts to reach out. And as such, they need to have a seat at the table and shoulder some of the responsibility for creating the conversations that Sales nutures and converts to sales.

Also at the table, however, should be IT and legal/risk management. IT needs to create the methods for monitoring the conversations that were created by Marketing and that Sales is treating as "leads." Additionally, legal/risk management needs to be involved directly or indirectly (by referral) to monitor potential harm to the brand or compliance within tightly regulated industries (e.g., most recent Domino's episode). How well these two groups do their job will have a direct effect on the ROI, regardless of how it is measured.

As such, ROI responsibility is not a simple as saying give it to Sales. The nature of social media makes the question of ROI measurement and accountability quite complex and far from a no-brainer.

Great question.

@jstorres