Are there (replicable) rules for using social media for b2 b marketing

Cnfidential MarketingXLerator

Are there (Replicable) Rules

for Using Social Media for B2B Marke=ng?

Natascha Thomson February 19, 2014


Connec'ng People for Business Impact.

Natascha Thomson NaThomson@Marke;ngXLerator.com @NaThomson +1 (925) 519-‐8111

Over 15 years of B2B marke'ng experience in Global 2000 and startup companies. Customers include SAP, EMC, Matrix Precise, Cen;gon Solu;ons, EV Technologies.


B2B Social Media Rule #1:

BREAK THE RULES

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Rule #2: IT’S PERSONAL

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Your Social Media Profile = Your Virtual Business Card

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WIIFM?

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Approximately 46% of online users

count on social media when making a purchase decision.

Source: Nielsen

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Rule #3: KNOW YOUR OBJECTIVES

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You Need the Right Key To Unlock Forrester: The Key to Successful Social Adver;sing* •  Promoted content most effec;ve for awareness •  Paid adver;sing most effec;ve for sales •  DO: Branded Pages (free) •  DO: Ads (paid)

*Note: Results are from brands who spent $100,000 + on ads

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Rule #4: KNOW WHAT

SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

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Rule #5: MARKETING IS

STILL MARKETING

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Impact: Spread the word n  Iden;fy channels

  Email   Social Media

n  Define tac;cs   Webinars   SEO

n  Create Content (Calendar)   Blogs   Videos

Deliverables:

-  Detailed Plan -  Execu;on

The 3 Marketing Pillars

Brand Posi'oning / Message Promo'on

Portray: Who is Your Company? n  Iden;ty n  Promise/Differen;ator

Deliverables: Crea;ve Brief For n  Look & Feel n  Style n  Colors n  Fonts n  Pictures

Convince: Why does it maaer? n  Clear understanding of target audience and needs

n  Unique Selling Point n  Differen;ators n  Products & Services

Deliverables: n  Copy n  Assets

Awareness, Engagement, Conversion

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Rule #6: EXPECTATIONS ARE

HIGHER

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Cnfidential MarketingXLerator14

Source: Danielle Herzberg, Hubspot


Rule #7: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

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On average, 60% through sales cycle before engaging with sales. Marketer moves buyer through buying process, not sales. Source: Chao;c Flow, The New Breed of B2B Buyer

Today’s B2B Buyer

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What is Your Unique Value Proposi;on?

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Rule #8: B2B SOCIAL MEDIA

WORKS

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85% of business decision-‐makers said

at least one social media channel is important when making technology purchase decisions

“How important are the following sources when researching and evalua'ng technologies and services to purchase?” •  Support forums or discussion forums (63%) •  Virtual events or virtual trade shows (47%) •  Online videos (46%) •  LinkedIn (40%) •  Blogs (36%) •  Professional social networking sites (35%) •  Twioer (19%) •  Facebook (19%) Source: Forrester Research

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59% of Twiaer users have visited B2B tech brand sites,

compared to 40% for the average Internet popula'on.

Source: Compete and Twioer

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Engage the customer in a collaborative conversation

in order to provide mutually beneficial value in a trusted and transparent business environment.

Paul Greenberg, Owner, The 56 Group

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hop://techcrunch.com/2014/01/21/instagram-‐is-‐the-‐fastest-‐growing-‐social-‐site-‐globally-‐mobile-‐devices-‐rule-‐over-‐pcs-‐for-‐social-‐access/?ncid=tcdaily

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Rule #9: FOCUS

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Owned vs. Earned vs. Paid •  Owned

–  Channels you “run”; your strategy •  Earned / Organic

–  Channels you don’t own but can leverage, e.g. LinkedIn Groups, Blog syndica;on, comments on other’s blogs.

•  Paid –  Channels you don’t own & have to pay

to play in. E.g. Forbes advertorial, LI ad, FB promoted story.

Source: SmartInsights.com



Rule #10: KNOW “Your Stuff”

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BLOGS •  Fresh Content Helps

with SEO

•  Builds Thought Leadership

•  Content for Social Media

•  Enables Calls to Ac;on


Good Content is the Best Recipe

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To maximize engagement with your brand, you need to understand what informa;on the audience wants as well as what they do with it once they get it.


“A B strategy well executed is be-er than an A strategy poorly executed.”

Source: HBR.org

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Social Media E;queoe 1.  Never blatantly pitch your company or product 2.  Listen to “conversa;ons” before you “talk” 3.  Be respectul, kind, and add value 4.  Write as if your grandmother will see it 5.  If somebody gets “nasty”, don’t engage in an online argument.

Ideally, try to work it out “off-‐line”. 6.  Don’t men;on religion, race, poli;cs, sex

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What to Measure: Example

REACH (how many poten;al eyeballs?)

ENGAGE (how many interac;ons?)

ACT (response to call to ac;on)

ADVOCATE & SHARE (sa;sfac;on and loyalty)

AWARENESS Volume (e.g., # of fans, followers)

Interac;on (e.g., # of retweets or shares)

Click-‐Thru ( e.g., click-‐thru on bit.ly links)

Shares (e.g., # of shares or # of repeat visits)

INTERACTION Volume (e.g., # of visits to company blog)

Interac;on (e.g., # of comments per post)

Conversion (e.g., # of downloads of solu;on whitepaper)

Referral (e.g., # of referrals to friends)

INTENT Contact (e.g., # opt-‐ins for newsleoer)

Depth (e.g., # of click-‐thru on 2nd level links)

Conversion (# of leads generated)

Reten;on (e.g., # of inquiries from installed base)


Social Media Resources

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Connec'ng People for Business Impact.

Natascha Thomson NaThomson@Marke;ngXLerator.com @NaThomson +1 (925) 519-‐8111

Over 15 years of B2B marke'ng experience in Global 2000 and startup companies. Customers include SAP, EMC, Matrix Precise, Cen;gon Solu;ons, EV Technologies.

•  Strategy Development •  Channel Op;miza;on •  Integrated Campaigns (Organic & Paid) •  ROI Repor;ng •  Training (1:1 & Workshops) •  Blogging / Wri;ng

(SOCIAL MEDIA) MARKETING CONSULTING SERVICES

Accolades •  A Top Marke;ng Author on Twioer

Top marke;ng book authors on Twioer •  A Top Webinar on BrightTalk

Top 5 marke;ng webinars on BrightTalk •  A Woman in Social Media who Rocks

25 social media rock stars