I came across an interesting case this week and I’m not quite sure what is proper protocal.
The 2 part question is: Where does social media marketing and business development begin and end for a company? Secondly, how do we as outsourced social media consultants work with internal Business Development employees; should that synergy exist?
As a Business Development Employee: it’s your responsibility to go and seek out connections to corporate entities and create partnerships to further company growth. If you are targeting high tech corporations – then your avenue of engagement will most likely be technology /internet based. Relationships formed via the web become a way of doing business. Along with face-to-face meetings this can incorporate sharing company accomplishments / links via twitter, linkedIn, blogs, websites and other various forms to help your company and the company’s you partner with gain reach.
As a Social Media Specialist- your responsibility is to allign yourself with prospective industry or community influencers that will help you gain branding reach for your client. This is of course done through the web and incoorporates engagement, tweeting, videos, twitter, fanpages, etc.
With all this activity, it can create a crossover of accomplishments, information shared and confusion as to who is the company “go-to” person online.
As a Business Development Professional – utilizing all tools the company provides and supplying their own content direct to their current / prospective clients. These tools do sometimes utilize what the Social Media specialist is also supplying to the public. What happens when the outsourced social media consultant takes credit for the connections made by the business development personal? How, and should, the Business Develeopment Employee and the Social Media specialist work together? Should that position become one?
Would love to hear your thoughts below!
