Social Media Implications for Stakeholders – illustrative example

Benefits Challenges Next Steps

The

Customer

• Customer ratings and feedback on products

• User-centric support info (i.e., FAQs, discussion posts)

• A voice for one’s experience

• Requires initial social engagement to access full product/support info

• Entails trust in wisdom of the crowd

• Engage! Start at comfort level and expand engagement from there

• Use social media experience from other environments

Sales &

Marketing

• Platform to connect with and engage customers

• Direct customer feedback on products, experience

• Rich segmentation ability

• Requires a conversation – no longer one-directional

• Forces highest level of credibility in campaigns

• Identify channels of choice by customer segment

• Listen to current/target customers conversations

• Follow corporate policies

Customer

Support

• Increased quality in customer engagement across support channels

• Database of user-centric data to mine for training

• Demands higher competency levels in support personnel

• Forces metric driven improvements due to increased transparency

• Listen to the customer conversations across external platforms

• Begin the conversation

• Follow corporate policies

Legal

Department

• Direct access to customer conversations and feedback

• Platform for improving and expanding on legalcommunications

• Presents an undefined, semi-regulated environment

• Entails an increase in outbound communication channels

• Establish social media corporate communication policies

• Learn from other social media related legal actions

This illustrative example was first presented in the DC Insights Blog, http://dcinsight.typepad.com/dcinsights/, What is Social Media to [fill in blank]; visit the post to share your own thoughts and experiences