EMC, Qwest, Partnerpedia Resellers Graduate From Social Media Academy

The first graduating class of the Social Media Academy Channel Empowerment Program received their “diplomas” after completing a rigorous six week program and passing a final exam.
By: Social Media Academy + Gilwell Group
 
April 8, 2010 - PRLog -- Happy resellers posted ”virtual high-fives” across their social media spaces and set off to engage their customers and vendors in a more social and comprehensive manner.  This program was sponsored by Qwest, EMC and Partnerpedia to improve the social media awareness of their channels so they can connect with new, younger customers.

As part of the Social Media Empowerment Program, resellers participated in a series of webcasts delivered by Channel Social Media experts and completed “homework” assignments to increase their presence on popular social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.  Channel partners were given access to a dedicated online community to share ideas and Social Media enabling tools like HootSuite and Xeesm were introduced to facilitate productivity.  

“Resellers must see tangible results from their involvement  in social media,” says Sam Liu, VP of Marketing  at Partnerpedia.  “The Channel Empowerment Program helps resellers understand how to use social media to build more productive relationships with vendors and customers.”  Adds Liu, “Helping members to leverage B2B social networking in order to obtain positive business results is an investment we made in the success of the Partnerpedia community.”

Social Media use has exploded in recent years and resellers commonly visit popular sites to get information and stay connected.  Manufacturers have discovered that social media is a powerful tool for marketing, product branding, and communicating the company message to large customers.   However, using these sites in a B2B sense is a relatively new concept for many channel partners.  Many are hesitant about being too aggressive until they understand more about social media.

Laura Wheeler of Copper State Communications elaborated,  “The first time men figured out fire...those that charged in first got burned. The quick followers (like the students in this class) stayed warm AND unscarred!  We are now ready to move forward with what we learned.”

“The class has been an eye opener.  Social media is having a huge impact in the business and personal on-line space,” adds student Michael Bottalico of Invictus Converged Solutions.  “Many of our customers are already online and the cost of social media is far less than traditional methods of communication. “

“Resellers need to understand social media in order to grow with their customers,”  says Mike Dubrall, Gilwell Group Director and member of the Social Media Academy Faculty.   “Research consistently shows that channel partners that are engaged in the social web are growing their business faster than resellers who are sitting on the sidelines.”  “It’s the newest and best tool for customer communication."

Social Media for High Tech Channel Partners
http://xeeURL.com/A02185  

Empowered Partners Alumni
http://xeeURL.com/A02184

Social Media for Channel Partners Group on Linkedin
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2710576

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Social Media for High Tech Channel Partners is a program designed to get resellers using social media in conjunction with their vendors. The Social Media Adoption process was developed by Gilwell Group in collaboration with the Social Media Academy.
More info
http://www.socialmedia-academy.com
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Source:Social Media Academy + Gilwell Group
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Tags:Emc, Qwest, Partnerpedia, Resellers, Channels, Vars, Social Media Academy, Education, Career, Training, Social Media
Industry:Education, Business, Technology
Location:Palo Alto - California - United States
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