Face Off pt 3 - Debbie Weil & Richard Binhammer

From grandparents to grandkids, social media has taken over new millennial communication networks like nothing else.  And that goes for business as well as pleasure. 

So how should we go about navigating this new chatter frontier in the workplace?  Over to corporate social media experts Debbie Weil and Richard Binhammer…

SOCIAL MEDIA AND BLOGS MAKE IT EASIER FOR BRANDS TO STAY RELEVANT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS, AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Richard: Agree 100%. Listening on the social web is like having customers walking the halls of Dell everyday.  From perspective on products and services to business processes to new products and services, you name it.  The more connected any business can be with its customers, the better you can constantly become.  Direct customer connections is what Dell was built on.  Social media is great for further realizing those direct connections.

Debbie: Absolutely, I agree. In fact, if customers are *unable* to interact with a brand via Facebook, a blog or Twitter, then the brand seems closed-off and disinterested.

DO YOU THINK CONTROLLING AND BUILDING BRAND REPUTATIONS TODAY IS MORE ABOUT BEING PRO-ACTIVE THAN REACTIVE?

Richard: I'm not sure I understand the question.  A reputation is earned, not controlled.  I suppose your building leads to what you end up earning, and that is both reactive and pro-active.  How you respond and react can impact a reputation as much as what you do pro-actively, on any front. 

Debbie: If first listening to customers and then engaging appropriately and authentically is considered "pro-active," that's my answer.

IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, DO DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS HAVE FAVOURED SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS?

Richard: I don’t worry much about age groups.  I look at where our customers are.  In some respects there are variances in how different customers use different platforms.  For example the consumer may spend more time on Twitter; the IT professional might be spending more time on LinkedIn, although they too might be on Twitter.

Debbie: Everybody loves Facebook. The over-65s are the fastest growing adopters, BTW. But the biggest difference in age groups I've experienced is that Millennials prefer real-time texting to email.

WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL MEDIA, EXCITING CONTENT OR FAST RESPONSE TO CUSTOMERS?

Richard: Its not an either or situation.  What matters in social media is what customers are having conversations about and how you engage in these opportunities

Debbie: Great question. The answer is both. And you can provide both via a blog.

IF THE WORLD HAD TO CHOOSE TO USE JUST ONE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU VOTE FOR?

Richard: None of them because no one platform meets all my needs in the way I want

Debbie: Oh dear, I can't decide. But if you ask me what device I can't live without, I'd have to say my iPhone.

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