Which Department Should Control Social Media?

 

What department should handle social media remains an unresolved question in corporate America. Marketing runs social media in many companies. Other organizations assign the function to public relations or perhaps customer service.

Although marketing is a popular choice, digital marketing consultant David Giannetto argues that any other department can do a better job of marketing through social media than the marketing department. He explains why in a post for Convince & Covert.

Marketers don’t provide what customers want. Successful social media marketing calls for building long-term relationships with customers, Giannetto argues. Customers want insider information on how products can make their live better, easier or more fun. Almost any other department can do a better job doing that. Marketers churn out holiday messages and discounts along with standard sales and marketing content.

“Experts tell you something you could never have figured out on your own; marketers too often tell you things you already knew,” says Giannetto, author of “Big Social Mobile, How Digital Initiatives can Reshape the Enterprise and Drive Business Results.”

Counterpoint: Though many marketers will undoubtedly dispute that description, it’s probably worth some pondering. If that ugly shoe fits, change it.

Marketers are not the best salespeople. Social media has blurred the line between sales and marketing, but selling and marketing require different skills. If you want to sell, get a salesperson.

Counterpoint: In most big companies, the majority of marketers and product managers come through the sales ranks. They got the marketing position because they were successful sales persons.

Marketers are not good with data. Ironically, they control more data than most other departments. Companies can use social media data can determine the minimum discount needed to prompt a customer to purchase, or if a discount is needed. Marketers frequently offer across-the-board discounts and coupons. That trains customers to wait for the next discount to complete purchases.

Counterpoint: It’s doubtful anyone would argue that public relations or customer service are better equipped to handle data analysis than marketing.

Marketers as a Conduit

The solution, Giannetto says, is to limit marketing to being a content conduit, in other words to helping other departments connect directly to consumers, enabling them to form deeper relationships and increase conversions.

Counterpoint: That may be true, but not for the reasons cited. The problem is that marketers always want to market/sell. In social media, the path to success is in educating, providing services that customers value, and thereby building relationships. Marketing/selling should be limited in social media.

Marketers appear to at least slightly prefer that PR run social media. A Creative Group survey of advertising and marketing executives indicates that 39 percent believe PR/communications is best suited to manage social media; 35 percent favor marketing, only 15 percent prefer customer service, and 5 percent picked the CEO/owner.

If not marketing, then who should oversee social media? Many communications experts believe public relations is the best option.

Is PR the Answer?

PR pros have several skills that are needed to succeed in social media, including writing and interpersonal communication skills. They can promote a company on social media just as they win media placements in print publications. They can handle difficult social media commenters just as they deal with clients or reporters.

Just as PR people help companies and non-profits engage with reporters, they can help them engage with their fans. They also are skilled at serving as go-betweens for the company owners, sales staff, customers and the company’s technology and SEO agency.

While all that may be true, PR has many of the shortcomings Giannetto attributed to marketing – lack of sales know-how and experience, lack of customer insight, absence of direct customer service experience, and inability to draw insights from data.

If PR pros have a shortcoming, it may be in in media measurement. Although PR pros don’t typically see themselves as mathematically inclined, many experts warn that PR will soon be required to understand how to measure and analyze both media and social media. All digital initiatives will soon be required to deliver quantifiable results linked to revenue and profits, not just friends and downloads.

The Solution: No Department Controls Social Media

Breaking down departmental silos with a group effort involving representatives from all involved groups seems the best approach. But who would be in charge? How about the legal department? Just kidding. As the keeper of corporate reputation, PR can guide the strategy while other departments implement the social media activities. Decision-making, however, takes place in a task-force environment so that all corporate functions can be heard.

Bottom Line: What department should oversee social media remains a somewhat controversial topic and companies follow different practices. A cross-department task force to oversee and implement social media activities has the greatest likelihood of developing and carrying out a successful social media program. What do you think? What department should have ultimate decision-making authority for social media? Why?