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
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."
More business resources from Mashable:
- The 10 Stages of Social Media Business Integration
- 5 Tips for Creating a Successful Social Media Contest
- HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI
- HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs
- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
- HOW TO: Use a Start Page to Stay Organized
- HOW TO: Choose a News Reader for Keeping Tabs on Your Industry