Your Corporate Blog Doesn't Need to Be So Corporate

YOUR CORPORATE BLOG DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SO CORPORATE!!GNITE CONFERENCE - MIDLAND, MI

SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2011

©2011 re:group, inc. | 213 west liberty street | ann arbor, mi | 734.213.0200 | www.regroup.us !gnite Conference, Midland, MI | 9.22.2011 |

TRANSFORM YOUR BRAND.TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS.

THE B2C SOCIAL WEB RELATIONSHIP

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B2C

TALK TO ME AND ADDRESS MY NEEDS

MAKE IT EASY TO BUY FROM YOU

MY LOYALTY IS YOURS IF YOU ARE THERE WHEN I NEED YOU

http://www.regroup.us




B2B SOCIAL WEB RELATIONSHIP

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B2B

SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE AND SHOW HOW IT HELPS ME

SHOW ME WHY I SHOULD BUY FROM YOU

KEEP ME CONNECTED WITH YOU AND OTHER INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS





THE USE OF B2B SOCIAL MEDIA WILL INCREASE

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• 81% of B2B companies were likely to

maintain company-related profiles on

social networks, compared to 67% of

B2C companies.

• One of the only areas where B2C is

more active in social media than B2B is

in advertising on social networks (B2B:

42%, B2C: 54%)

• Both B2B and B2C companies monitor

user reviews (B2B: 49%, B2C: 51%)

and manage communities dedicated to

customers (B2B: 49%, B2C: 51%)

~ Business.com Business Social Media

Benchmarking Study





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WHAT IS A BLOG?





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DON’T HAVE A BLOGGING STRATEGY





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WHAT IS YOUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY?





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WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT MARKETING OBJECTIVES?





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PEOPLE DON’T SPEAK CORPORATE





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DON’T ASSUME YOUR CEO WILL BLOG





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DON’T COPY PASTE YOUR PRESS RELEASE





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DON’T TALK ABOUT YOURSELF (ALL THE TIME)





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DON’T BE BORING





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BE A HELPFUL RESOURCE





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BE HUMAN




TRANSFORM YOUR BRAND.TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS.FROM ADOPTION TO BEST PRACTICES

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• 18 to 29 age demographic

slowing down.


catching up with large increase

of social network usage.


holding steady.

• 65+ age demographic making

a large increase.




TRANSFORM YOUR BRAND.TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS.FROM ADOPTION TO BEST PRACTICES

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BE VISUAL AND BE INTERESTING





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WHAT IS YOUR PASSION POINT?





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IDENTIFY YOUR CONTENT BUBBLE





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YOUR BLOG IS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR SALES FUNNEL





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CONTENT IS YOUR SALES PROCESS





CUSTOMERS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

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LEADS THROUGH BLOGGING

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HAVE A CALL TO ACTION




TRANSFORM YOUR BRAND.TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS.CALCULATING THE ROI

• First, identify your business objectives and marketing goals.

• Decide what it is you really want to measure.

• Determine how social media can be integrated.

• Begin a social media timeline.

• Compare SM timeline with the numbers, expenses, transactions, etc.

• Is there any correlation?

• Now you have a starting point to begin tracking ROI over the long term.

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CASE STUDIES

• Personable

• Authentic

• Accessible

• Helpful Resource

• Consistent

• Outstanding

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NUTS ABOUT SOUTHWEST

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• Provides the reader an inside look into the world of Southwest - customer and employee experiences.

• Highly personable.

• A lot of content that encourages engagement and sharing.

• They just don’t talk about themselves. Their blog has multiple subjects - history of air travel, vacation spots, family life.

• Blog acts as an extension of their customer service.

• Mobile friendly with a call to action - book a trip.




WALKER CORPORATE LAW GROUP

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• Blog focuses on how the law impacts entrepreneur.

• Case studies, stories, and testimonials from not just their client roster.

• Social media/social network education on how lawyers can leverage the available tools.

• Takes advantage of “shared content” already available on the social web. Turns the message into lessons of the law.

• Breaking the stereotype of how lawyers think, speak, and act.

• Shares news and information from outside resources.




ZING - QUICKEN LOANS

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• Breaking the image of a traditional financial institution.

• Provides insight into their culture and their passion of helping people with financial issues.

• Helpful resource for home finance, money management, and life decisions.

• Hits on a passion point: financial decisions that affect your life and family.

• Content is highly engaging and informative.

• Blog and social networks act as a lead generators.

• Active member of the communities they serve.




GE REPORTS

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• Provides content that builds awareness innovation, technology, economics, aviation, health care, global business, and more.

• Spotlight: “The Faces of American Manufacturing”

• Images and Video throughout their content.

• Blog is updated regularly, and content leverages stories (not just information) for the personable hook.

• Job development and placement.

• Positions their blog as the go to resource on how technology is re-building America.





THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

David Murray

Director, Social Web Communications

734.327.6622

[email protected]

@DaveMurr

Follow Us

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

Flickr

Website

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mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.twitter.com/davemurr

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http://www.facebook.com/regroupinc

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http://www.youtube.com/regroupannarbor

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/regroupinc/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/regroupinc/





REFERENCES

Pew Internet Study:65% of online adults use social networking sites

eMarketer:B2B Social Media Marketing Heats Up

Hubspot Inbound Marketing Best Practices:The State of Inbound Lead Generation

Nuts About Southwest:The Southwest Corporate Blog

Walker Law GroupRepresentation of Entrepreneurs

Zing Blog of Quicken LoansAmazing Insights on Home, Money, and Life

GE ReportsGE Reports Imagination Daily

iMedia ConnectionBest Practices for A Killer Corporate Blog

Jason Keath - The Evolution of Media10 Great Corporate Blogs

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http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Social-Networking-Sites/Overview/Findings.aspx

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Social-Networking-Sites/Overview/Findings.aspx

http://www.emarketer.com/Report.aspx?code=emarketer_2000676

http://www.emarketer.com/Report.aspx?code=emarketer_2000676

http://www.hubspot.com/Portals/53/docs/inbound_marketing_best_practices.pdf

http://www.hubspot.com/Portals/53/docs/inbound_marketing_best_practices.pdf

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/

http://walkercorporatelaw.com/blog/

http://walkercorporatelaw.com/blog/

http://www.quickenloans.com/blog/http://www.quickenloans.com/blog/

http://www.quickenloans.com/blog/http://www.quickenloans.com/blog/

http://www.gereports.com/

http://www.gereports.com/

http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/27253.asp

http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/27253.asp

http://jasonkeath.com/best-corporate-blogs/

http://jasonkeath.com/best-corporate-blogs/



PHOTO CREDITS

Corporate Logo Cupcakes: clevercupcakes

Blog Ideas owenwbrown

The Strategy Of Chess: kenteegardin

Montjuic Communications Tower: borkur.net

La Lunga Strada: alexdecarvalho

Double Speak: numberstumper

Walmart CEO Mike Duke on Tips to Being the Best Retailer: Walmart Stores

Copy Copy Copy Copy: bettyx1138

Talking Parrot: Siddy Lam

Yawn: greencandy8888

Shiny Happy People: Donna Cymek

Funnel Cake: blu_pineappl3

Garage Sale: besighyawn

Call to Action: renaissancechambara

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/clevercupcakes/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clevercupcakes/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/owenwbrown/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/owenwbrown/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/teegardin/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/teegardin/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/borkurdotnet/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/borkurdotnet/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adc/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adc/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/numberstumper/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/numberstumper/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/walmartcorporate/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/walmartcorporate/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettyx1138/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettyx1138/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/siddylam/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/siddylam/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shelbychicago/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shelbychicago/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/purrr/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/purrr/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blu_pineappl3/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blu_pineappl3/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/besighyawn/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/besighyawn/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/renaissancechambara/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/renaissancechambara/