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DeJean's goal, was to create a feed for the UDT Web site by putting content on Facebook and Twitter, thereby driving people to communities on the site. UDT has created specific community groups through which participants can share information.
"It lets us really listen to the conversation and know what changes are going on in their industry," said DeJean. "What are they interested in? What are their thoughts on certain products and solutions?" By plugging in that way, UDT has been able to create sales prospects straight from social media.
Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have offered marketers a powerful means of getting the word out about their products and services. Gibbs coined the term, "cloud marketing," which refers to the ubiquitous nature of marketing today: "[Taking] everything you have as a marketing resource and putting it out in the cloud."
Getting employees and customers alike familiar and comfortable with social media is crucial to success, panelists said. "I show them how I use each of these tools, and I give a little demo. What that does is give them a safe way to see how I use these tools ... and that really gets them comfortable," said Devita. "If they really express an interest, I help them create their own profiles and connect them to people they already know. That gives them a launching pad to see where these tools can take them."
Finally, a level of commitment is necessary to reap the benefits of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Gibbs advised executives to check in frequently, much as they might look at e-mail. Blog posts and comments need to be shared generally on a regular basis, whether that's daily or weekly. Also, some campaigns work better on certain platforms.
"Talking to professional organizations, it's definitely LinkedIn," said Gibbs. "Twitter is really good for brand recognition. You're able to push out ideas and establish yourself as an opinion leader. There's what I call the 80/20 rule on Twitter: 80 percent of the time, you need to push out content that's interesting. The other 20 percent you can promote yourself ... If you want to talk to your customers on a really casual level, use Facebook. You can make a blog, anything you want."
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