This article is comprised of the highlights of an interview that we conducted with Chuck Hester, Comunications Director for iContact, on the role that Social Media is playing in sales…
Hughey:
First, before we jump into Social Media and the impact that social media has had on sales, would love for you to tell us what it is that you do as Communications Director for iContact .
Hester:
Sure, as Communications Director, I’m in charge of external communications, that’s basically public relations, media relations for the company; as well as internal communications, that’s employee relations, events, and projects that we do, and community relations such as Habitat for the Humanity builds and several other things that we do within the community of both Durham and Wake Counties.
Hughey:
Today, I would like to talk about social media. And for listeners out there that aren’t quite as fluent in interactive or online marketing, how would you define social media marketing for them?
Hester:
Social Media is … similar to what it would be as far as business networking in person, but it’s online. So it’s being involved with communities, it’s being involved with interest groups that fall within your businesses and your range. A chance to actually meet folks from around the country and around the world because of the internet and its reach. Just like you would do at a local chamber mixer, you can do internationally.
Hughey:
Can you share some high level tips for companies that are possibly in a discovery mode when it comes to deciding what type of social platforms or applications they should be using for themselves?
Hester:
One of the best tips that I can possibly give is you really need to choose the social media platform that you want to be involved in. There are approximately 4, what are known as winners out there already, and that is LinkedIn , FaceBook , YouTube and MySpace . Those are really the active, and Twitter ’s becoming one of the, probably the fifth one that is out there now.
But [...] social media can take a lot of time. You can go down a different maze every single time you get involved with it. So it’s a lot, it’s very easy to get lost. So the best thing you need to do is stick a line in the sand and say, “This is where I’m going to be.”
The other aspect of it is you need to be part of the community. ‘Cause that’s really what social media is all about – it’s a community. And that means you need to be part of conversations, you need to answer questions. If folks are talking about your company, you need to respond back.
The third thing that is very important is you need to be transparent. And that means that if there’s a problem, you need to talk about that problem and be able to address that problem as opposed to trying to do what is known as “corporate speak”, where it’s being spun and oh, “we’re not going to worry about this”, or “we’re going to ignore this” or “we’re going to try and put a better face on it.”
Folks really out in the Social Media world really appreciate straightforward honestly, transparency. That really does make a difference.
Hughey:
The number one opposition to Social Media or opposition that I come across when I talk to people about Social Media is that it’s a waste of time. What would you tell somebody that thinks it might be a waste of time for their company?
Hester:
Specifically for iContact , I would point to the national media coverage that we’ve gotten as a result of our work in Social Media. We’ve been involved with FastCompany.com , Inc.com , The Wall Street Journal , New York Times , all have covered through our efforts in Social Media and being actively involved in it.
I don’t think Social Media is going be one of those things that comes in, it’s a fad and it goes away. It’s here to stay. It’s the way folks are communicating these days.
So whether or not you believe it’s a waste of time because you don’t feel like you have time to put into being involved with this tool. It is a communications tool and it’s not going anywhere.
Hughey:
What do you see as the biggest opportunity in Social Media over the next 12 months, if you had to say?
Hester:
Connecting for business. We are in what we term here at iContact as a “down economy”. I don’t like to use the “R” [recession] word, I don’t think it’s accurate, neither does my management. But I believe that Social Media is one of the least expensive ways to connect to folks and start new businesses, continue to grow the business that you’ve got, connect with folks that you can’t necessarily afford right now to do advertising to.
It’s a really easy way to connect if you do it correctly.
~
Deidre Hughey , partner at Dancing Elephants Achievement Group of the Carolinas, is a speaker, writer and sales trainer. Her mission is to teach business owners and salespeople how to be successful without compromising their ethical standards. For more information, please visit www.saleselephant.com or send an email to Deidre@deagsales.com .
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