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A presentation given by Rene to Social Media Academy's conference in Manchester on 24 March 2011 focusing on the importance of sound strategy and good content and information in b2b social media.
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Applying social media to business marketing & PR
René Power presentation to Social Media AcademyThursday 24 March 2011
The b2b marketing social media challenge
Everyone is doing it, I need to
But where do I start?
Social media is social not business
Business buyers remain motivated by
supplier websites
B2b buyers are influenced differently
I don’t have time
I don’t have resource
It’s not measurable
It’s just not relevant to my
business
Understanding the influence funnel
Source: 2010 BUYERsphere survey 2010
Business uptake of social media
Source www.business.com latest B2B social media benchmarking survey (2009)
50%
The b2b social media challenge refined
What social media isn’t...
What social media is
• It’s social• Brands are broadcasting not engaging• Brands are broadcasting / engaging with the
wrong people
Reasons for a b2b social media #fail
• Brands are not using the right tools
• Brands compound this by not integrating the wrong tools
• Brands don’t engage with prospects in the right places
Reasons for a b2b social media #fail
Is it a question of semantics?
Q: Isn’t it all just marketing?
Twin track social media strategies
• The objective must be to:
• Provide actionable information that– showcases expertise– brings products, services and companies to life
• and ultimately leads to interest or a referral
Optimal social media and PR for b2b
And they say it can’t be measured
buzz by time of day seasonal buzz competitive buzz category/topic buzz
buzz by stage in DM process mainstream media mentions installs downloads
uploads favourites likes comments ratings
increase in searches %of buzz with links no of views/interactions polls virtual gifts
tags popularity contest entries leads generated
products sampled store visits trials
customer acquisition & retention
complaint handling
Buzz by no of posts buzz by impressions shift in buzz channel buzz
asset popularity buzz by customer type mainstream media mentions
growth rate of fans follows friends contacts no of pass alongs
recommends embeds bookmarks subscriptions page views
clickthroughs changes in search ranking type reach channel
geography volume of posts impressions time spent clicks
contributions by bloggers chatrooms wikis online sales offline sales
savings change in share AEV event response event attendance
satisfaction feedback
• Something tangible – not just how many fans,
followers, visitors – let’s talk conversion
metrics and funnels and look at downloads, email addresses, calls, visits, tenders, contract wins
1. Write SMART objectives
Action: set digital marketing objectives that can be measured after a period of activity
• Profile your audience– not just by company,
turnover, or job title – if you’re seeking to
engage them online, they need to be reachable, proficient and active themselves
2. Know your audience
Action: create profiles and research a wish list
• Know where your audience congregates– where they go for
information – discussion– and what they need to
do their job
3. Watering holes
Action: target sector portals, trade associations and Linkedin groups
• Social media implemented well is a finely balanced cocktail of original content and relationship management
• No PR = no content to make a start with
4. Operate a PR programme first
Action: create a PR plan which can back into an online content marketing campaign
• To endure, social media for b2b marketers means providing useful and useable information to customers seeking business solutions
5. Provide useful, usable information
Action: understand what the issues are, the problems that need solving or the pain that needs taking away
• Killer content should be– Interesting– Relevant– Targeted– Creative– Easily shared– Actionable
• An ongoing PR campaign makes this so much easier
6. Killer content
Action: review existing and available material before creating new content
• If you can’t develop, comment on industry blogs and news items
• Your hyperlinked responses will drive traffic
• This a valid entry level social media strategy
7. Comment
Action: use Google Alerts and Google Reader to monitor key search terms, websites and blogs
• If you can’t comment, share
• Build your profile by driving traffic to other people’s content and as a facilitator
8. Share
Action: follow industry leaders and publishers on Twitter and share good content you find
• If you can’t develop, share or comment, find a specialist who can do it for you
9. Ask
Action: using outside help doesn’t mean giving over control and responsibility
• Remember, people still buy people and the coldest, most demanding customer is still a person
10. Be yourself
Action: provide information to help customers – remember it’s the information age!
Takeaways
Social media affords huge reach
and choice
for business
Refine,
repurpose
and repackage
your existing
material
1. Content drives social media interaction and engagement
2. What press material. brochures, presentations, video, and audio can I repackage now?
3. What can I create that will add value and drive inbound inquiry?
Actionable information positions experts and builds trust
Research where your audience goes and what they are looking for
More?
www.bdb.co.uk
0161 925 4700
http://twitter.com/bdbmarketing
www.bdbblog.co.uk
http://twitter.com/renepower
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/renefp
http://marketingassassin.wordpress.com
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