1. The Journey of Business Adoption
to Realize Benefits of Social Media:
Lessons Learned
Manish Mehta, Vice President, Social Media and Community
April 6, 2011, Bazaarvoice Social Commerce Summit.

2. Early Dell Social Media Milestones
February 2006 December 2006 October 2007 May 2008 June 2009
Michael Dell Asks Ratings and Reviews Michael Dell quote in Business Week Dell Outlet Achieves Global Twitter
Why don’t we reach out and help on Dell.com Jeff Jarvis story quote, “These conversations are $0.5M in Sales via Twitter Revenues of $6.5 M
bloggers with tech support issues? going to occur whether you like it or not. Do you Community team active on Twitter
want to be part of that or not? My argument is you Community across the social
absolutely do. You can learn from them. You can Small Business web =3.5 million direct
customer connections
August 2006 improve your reaction time. And you can be a blog launched
better company by listening and being involved in
Blog Outreach Expands that conversation.”
Beyond Tech Support March 2008 June 2009
February 2007
2006 Engagement with anyone who
commented about the company. IdeaStorm Launched
2008 Accepted Solutions $2M+ Sales via Twitter
Dell outlet on Twitter surpasses
Business model and other issues A voting based site allowing customers launched on Community $2 million in sales with another March 2010
considered. and others to submit ideas for Dell. Dell France begins Online $1 million dollars in sales at dell.com China Micro-
Community Outreach
Blogging
July 2006 2007 2009 2009
April 2008 Dell TechCenter
Direct2Dell Launched June 2007
Inside IT Launched A Collaborative
Today Direct2Dell exists in
English, Spanish, Norwegian,
Dell joins Twitter
Why don’t we reach out January 2008
Blog focused on business
January 2009
Community for 2010
Japanese and Chinese. customers, and Cloud Datacenter pros
and help bloggers with Dell Aligns Computing. Dell Organizes in to grows by 400%
tech support issues? Organization 4 customer focused
for Success business units
Dell Launches
EmployeeStorm June 2008 December 2009
Internal Blogs Launched Huffington Post Blog
for Employees. Channel Blog
March 2006 Dell’s VP of Social Media and
January 2007 February 2008 Launched Community, Manish Mehta, begins
Community Outreach Team Formed StudioDell Launched blogging at Huffington Post
Team begins by just listening and monitoring
Twitter Expanded
conversations to see what’s being said. The tech
Dell’s video and podcast site,
November 2007 Start experimenting with Twitter Spring 2009
with helpful tips and tricks. for business– another venue to Some Members of Community and
support experts are hand-selected for their tech Eventually expanding this into DellShares Launched help customers, but also thanking
problem-solving expertise and superior the YouTube channel making The first investor relations blog
Conversations deployed within each
interpersonal skills. Dell customers. Outreach leads of the new Dell Business units
sharing easier. by a public company. to some Twitters asking for help
on purchases.
2 Confidential Global Marketing

3. 7 Key Lessons Learned
3 Confidential Global Marketing

4. Lesson #1: Integrate where Customer & Business
Value are realized
Product Development Marketing Online Presence
• Feedback Loop • Demand Forecast • Ratings & Reviews
• Early Warning • Lead Generation • Communities
• New Product • Message Reach • Customer Stories
Ideation
Sales Customer Service Communication
• Collaboration • Listening • Rich Media
• Thought Leadership • Support Widgets • Brand Reputation
• Blogs • Outreach • Influence
• ReputationMarketing
Global

5. Lesson #2: Chasing shiny objects is a formula for
ridicule. You will not be taken seriously …
• Don’t chase every trend
• Find a willing business sponsor, but not a radical one
• Understand the expected outcome(s)
• Be willing to turn things off quickly
Take risks, but rapidly and iteratively align to above
Global Marketing

6. It’s about
pragmatic approaches
Smart business fundamentals
never change
Global Marketing

7. Lesson #3: Make your IT organization a partner,
play Freaky Friday often …
Global Marketing

8. Lesson #4: Never stop innovating … ever
Global Marketing

9. Innovating in the
future:
A social radio for all
employees
9 Global Marketing

10. Lesson #5: Yes Virginia, there is ROI. It is
measurable in many forms, there is not 1 number …
Global Marketing

11. Lesson #6: Campaigns are capital intensive. You
can not buy fans & followers for life …
Global Marketing

12. Social Media & Community
University
Principles
Policy
Governance
Training & tools
Global Marketing

13. Lesson #7: Look across the entire customer
lifecycle. It can be used everywhere …
• Insight: Social media improves
Dell’s reach and share of voice
• Insight: SM keeps customers Awareness
engaged, provides solutions
and improves loyalty.
Research and • Insight: Established causality
CLV (loyalty) Dell.com Consideration between social media activity
and purchase
• Insight: Social media based Our External
support improves sentiment Communities Communities
and correlates with higher
revenue • Insight: Social Media provides
Demand / high Business Value and
Support Lead Gen and contributes to demand gen
Sales vehicle
Global Marketing

14. +1: Listen, Engage, Act. It’s at the heart of all
strategies …
Global Marketing

15. 15 Global Marketing

16. Thank You

17. Slide 7:
http://hwcdn.themoviedb.org/backdrops/6f9/4bc92d91017a3c57fe0126f
9/freaky-friday-poster.jpg http://bit.ly/dZhvt2
Slide 8: http://www.mylimitlesssuccess.com/wp-
content/uploads/2010/05/Light-Bulb-innovate.jpg http://bit.ly/feZj0x
Slide 10: http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Images/Biomechanics
& Trauma/THOR Advanced Crash Test
Dummy/Figure12THOR_Alpha_Instrumentation.gif http://bit.ly/h4KMRw
Slide 11: http://www.enterpriseirregulars.com/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2010/09/Relationship.jpg http://bit.ly/g3dDo1
Slide 14: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/353753314_41c1dab493.jpg
http://bit.ly/gQ2iFG