January 7, 2010

Dell is a shining example of a brand that has managed to turn their Twitter presence into both a customer service and sales outlet. Dell may be a big corporation, but the story behind the $6.5 million they've raised from their Twitter presence is one that shines a light on a road to success that any company, regardless of size, can learn from and emulate.

I asked Dell's Senior Manager for Corporate Affairs, Richard Binhammer - otherwise known as RichardatDell - to elaborate on Dell's Twitter success. The following are principles extracted from that email interview.

1. The Right Motivation is Key

If you're simply motivated to make money from Twitter, your heart is in the wrong place. Dell's strategy is to turn Twitter into an opportunity to build better relationships with customers, which ultimately leads to stronger sales.

According to Binhammer, Dell didn't initially approach Twitter with dollar signs in their minds, but instead as a listening outpost. "Dell first heard about Twitter at SXSW a few years back and got excited about the listening aspect of Twitter," he said.

The businesses side of listening was an unintended but welcome bonus to their effective presence on Twitter.

"Dell's goal has always been to be an online leader and connect with customers wherever they are. It starts with listening and connecting with customers across the Web. This has proven to be invaluable to our business through the years. We see social media connections as a means to further strengthen those direct customer relationships. The added revenue has been a welcome addition to being where our customers are and connecting with them."

2. Approach Twitter With a Multifaceted Strategy

Dell's Twitter presence isn't limited to a single account or purpose. Instead Dell takes a multifaceted approach to Twitter and attempts to serve niche customer communities and interests all over the world. 

If you're just looking for deals, they've got an account for that (@DellOutlet), if you just want breaking news there's an account for that too (@Direct2Dell), and the list goes on.

In Binhammer's own words, this is how Dell approaches Twitter:

·     Direct connections between Dell and customers – listen, learn and engage in direct connections with customers (There are ~ 100 Dell employees using Twitter to connect with customers).

If anything, Dell's all-hands-on-deck approach to Twitter, demonstrates that you need to serve your customers how they want to be served. 

For small businesses in particular, Binhammer recommends that you "Make it easy for your customer to talk to you. Do simple things to thank your customers for their business. Ask them for suggestions. Go where your customers congregate, whether it be Facebook or Twitter or elsewhere, and participate in those conversations. Also, listen to your customers in the blogosphere. What they have to say is vitally important to your business."

3. Don't Be a Spammer

This may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised by how many small and big businesses alike use Twitter as a one-way marketing channel with overly promotional tweets. 

Spamming your customers on Twitter is a surefire way to get unfollowed and immediately ignored. Of course promoting sales and products is encouraged, but do so in a way that your customers can be receptive to. If you need help defining what that looks like, just ask your followers on Twitter for input.

Dell's approach, as iterated above, is to serve customers' interests. The dedicated Twitter account for deals means that they can promote Dell deals to only those customers who have opted in to the purely promotional tweets.

Binhammer advises, "Be yourself and avoid spamming. Making genuine, direct connections with your customers in meaningful ways can only help you deliver what customers want at the end of the day."

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Raalves  

Join the conversation ( 4 )

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• Stephen Garner 2 years 0 months and 27 days ago

  

  Its so refreshing to see companies like Dell and BestBuy take the lead with Twitter. Most sales people I have talked to dont really get Twitter, (what do they care what restaurant someone they dont even know is at?) they dont get the true power in Twitter is to provide a better, stronger customer experience. Apps like TweetBeep will allow companies like Dell to manage their brand reputation like never before, allowing faster turnaround time to address any challenges or customer complaints. I love Twitter and I honesty see it surpassing Facebook because of its ease of use, no fluff and brand management possibilities. Speaking of Twitter, I'm @MyTitleGuy

• Mike Strobel 2 years 0 months and 27 days ago

  

  It's good to see companies actually paying attention to what their customers are saying. I've been approached by a couple companies whose products/services I've criticized on Twitter, and I'm always happy to send them write-ups with some constructive feedback when they ask about my experiences. I wouldn't put the effort in if I didn't know someone was actually willing to listen.