Social Media in 2009 and Beyond

People we speak with in sales and marketing are largely still trying to figure out how to harness the social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the like.

SiriusDecisions writes "While the hard dollar investment is lower to add social media to the marketing mix, companies should not underestimate the time and people resources that are required. Unlike other marketing tactics, social media requires an ongoing commitment and new skill set. SiriusDecisions believes that communities – the fastest-growing social media segment within b-to-b organizations – will eventually be largely managed by product marketing to create the most relevant content and dialogue with customers and prospects."

Whew! Thank goodness that Product Marketing is taking the lead in managing this conduit. Now sales people can back to work. Traditional sales approaches like personalized hand-written letters should not be abandoned. They still work! they show you care and prospects and customers want to know that you are not a drive-by opportunistic vendor!

Happy Selling and Marketing!