Richard@Dell
- Mar 14, 2013
- 2 min read
A casual button-up shirt and a pair of jeans that screamed “regular” clothed the social media advocate at Ottawa’s Third Tuesday event on November 9, 2010 held at The Exchange venue. However, after listening to Richard speak for mere moments, I realized he was far from normal. Richard Binhammer, also known as “Richard@Dell” was the driving force behind Dell’s online presence.
Dell [http://www.dell.ca/] is proven social media leader.
Richard first started seeing the benefits of social media back in 2006, when he responded to an upset customer’s complaint on a blog. Since then Richard, and by extension Dell, joined the social media discussion, and use it today in everything from customer service, to brand awareness, and retail.
Among the many important points covered by Richard, there were a few prevailing ones we could all learn from.
According to Richard, the most important aspect of social media is the engagement of customers. As a customer, we want to know that our voices have been heard and that someone is working on our issues... listening to customers is exactly what Dell has done. They’ve bridged the gap between business and direct customer interaction. When used successfully, social media can change minds from naysayers to advocates.
Another key benefit of using social media is that it can be easily measured. Traditional methods such as consumer magazines don’t work very well because companies don’t get feedback. No feedback can mean no innovation, which in turn can ultimately be a factor leading to a company’s demise (Blockbuster anyone?).
With social media monitoring tools, businesses can track reviews, comments, and even complaints. That information can then be cross-referenced with a database to provide informative and valuable consumer reports.
Richard stressed that social media isn’t just another internet fad. It’s a tool that when used to its full potential, can have very persuasive effects.
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