Social Media White Paper (10!12!09)

8/8/2019 Social Media White Paper (10!12!09)

1/11

Berry Network White Paper Business Leads: Social Networking for Business

Business Leads:Using Social Networking for Business MarketingHarnessing the power to generate leads

The New Socially-Acceptable Business

TO TWEET OR NOT TO TWEET? THAT IS THE QUESTION asked these days

by businesses of all sizes and types regarding social networking. Should this

uncensored, viral form of communication established seemingly for Millennials

and college kids be part of the business environment? Is it proper business

practice and etiquette to take advantage of online social media by incorporating

it into a company advertising or PR plan?

Not only is social media becoming part of everyday business and deemed

acceptable by analysts and organizations around the world, it is possibly the

most important and effective means of lead generation since the creation

of the Yellow Pages. We can no longer look at social media as those online

connections of friends and chatter, its now a crucial marketing tool thatdeserves attention. We need to embrace it as a new revolution in consumer

behavior.

Pick up the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek or virtually any business pub

these days and you will see Twitter, Facebook, Friendster, MySpace and a

host of others headlined across the page causing eye-openers about social

networking and how its transforming the way we do businesses. The reality of it

is unmistakable when we learn that businesses such as Ford, Office Depot and

Dell have not only embraced social networking as a new marketing mantra, they

have found ways to build their brand, learn from customers, and make money

from it.

Our premise, as put forth in this report, is that social media can and should be

used as an effective tool for lead generation and brand development. To that

end, we also contend that the success of social media is shaped by two distinct

factors technology and trust. Technology is the enabler that conveniently

connects the consumer to businesses, research, friends and family, while trust

is the driver behind why they look to their friends first when considering a

business, product or service . . . over 2 billion connections just last month in fact,

according to Compete.com.1


2/11


The New ItsAll About MeConsumer

CONSUMERS ARE REJECTING

ADS PUSHED TO THEM they want

choice. Push-based information,

such as emails, pop-up Internet ads,

TV and radio . . . they are all quickly

giving way to pull-based information

served up to the consumer whenand where he/she chooses. In other

words, as described by Calisto, a

global technology communica-

tions firm, customers are rejecting

obsolete interruptive advertising and

moving to interactive engagement

marketing.2

Many marketing authorities believe

that broadcast advertising is in fact

already obsolete and that consumer-

driven choice marketing has taken

charge. Television advertisers for

instance are gearing up to deliver

topic-specific commercials based

on personal profiles just as Internet

ads are currently delivered based on

online activity and buying behavior.

In the same way that permission-

based marketing is affecting out-

bound advertising, it is shaping lead

generation programs as well. When

putting together a lead generation

program, you must first understand

what drives the consumer behavior,

how social networking is enabling

it, and how you can tap into those

mega-numbers to help drive traffic to

your business.

The Social Media Factor

Nielsen Online, the interactive divi-

sion of the worlds leading marketing

and media information company,

recently reported Growth in socialmedia is the single most significant

story in the online media space today.

Social networking sites have eclipsed

personal email in global reach.3

The question then begs to be

answered . . . why is this form of

mass media taking off in an era when

people scream about information

overload? The answer is in realizing

that consumers dont want just in-formation, they want honest, trusted

answers about any given topic and

that social networking has created

the perfect forum for this dialog to

take place quickly, conveniently and

among friends.

Calisto Communications also says

that people are placing greater

credibility on social media and user-

generated content than profession-

ally written editorial reviews and

information. The assertion is that

friends and family provide unbiased

and real customer experiences,

particularly if they are negative orunsatisfactory, whereas professional

reviews and business themselves will

avoid them.

Nielsen states that recommenda-

tions from personal acquaintances

or opinions posted by consumers

online are the most trusted forms

of advertising. Nielsen also cites

that, Ninety percent of consum-

ers surveyed noted that they trust

recommendations from people they

know.


3/11


4/11

4Berry Network White Paper Business Leads: Social Networking for Business

The Power ofViral Marketing

IF YOU RAN AN AD ON TWITTER,

AND IT WAS RE-TWEETED 00

TIMES, you might pay $00 CPM

for displaying that ad the first time

because you would have an effective

$ CPM, right? Unfortunately, adver-

tising is not available on Twitter . . .

but the concept of value for spread-ing the word is. That is precisely how

any marketing or PR initiative needs

to look at social networking not as

an advertising sales opportunity, but

as a means for spreading messages

about the organization, its brand and

solutions, and creating lasting rela-

tionships with consumers and media

gatekeepers.

Google ads work because people

are looking for information. They do

a search, and if the advertisement

shows information that helps with the

query, all is well. However, when it

comes to social networking, usage is

quite different. People are not looking

for information about products or

companies directly theyre looking

to communicate with friends and

others with similar interests. In many

cases, that communication may be

about a product or company, but they

only want feedback from the trusted

friends perspective. In that environ-

ment, ads are seen as an intrusion

rather than a welcome addition.

Social networkingis a mind-set shiftthat will make us

relevant to todaysconsumers...

Spread the Word

Social networking is dubbed viral

marketing for a good reason . . . it is

easily transferred, it quickly multiplies,

and it will die out if it doesnt remain

in contact with people. The difference

is, social networking for business can

be a positive infection or negative

one, depending on who starts it and

how it is managed. A disgruntled

customer can post comments just

as easily as a satisfied customer, and

more often is the one who does.

However, if your organization is read-

ing and watching, it can be prepared

with turnaround messaging that

shows the audiences your organi-

zation cares enough to listen and

respond even if you cant resolvethe problem.

This is the power of social network-

ing. It can control how consumers

look and think about your organiza-

tion and your services. Press releases

are now being posted on blogs,

customer surveys are put up on user

networks, job postings are put on

association networks, and contests

are attached to any number of other

networks. Positive, consistent com-

munication with consumers will go a

long way toward strengthening your

brand image, improving customer

satisfaction, and increasing leads.

In the words of P&Gs marketing

chief Jim Stengel, social network-

ing is a mind-set shift that will make

us relevant to todays consumers; a

mind-set shift from telling and selling

to building relationships.

How to Get Started

So, how does a organization get

started into social networking to drive

new relationships and word-of-mouth

leads? Contrary to some beliefs, itdoes not involve buying an applica-

tion that sits on a social platform and

spams messages to others. Rather,

it centers around a few individuals

assigned as buzz masters to the

organization individuals that post

messages and reply to others on a

regular basis by providing content

valuable to readers. The next section

provides details on creating buzz to

drive leads for your organization.


5/11


Creating Buzz for Leads

ONE EVERY SECOND is the rate at which social com-

munity LinkedIn is adding new members.7 07 million

people around the world are now actively using Facebook

and almost half of them are using it every day.8 Twitter has

a current annual growth rate at over ,00 percent and

almost half of those users are age 5 to 49.9 With statistics

like these, your business cant afford to have the social

networking train leave the station without you on it. You

need to get on board and use this medium to drive asmany followers as you can to your company Website and

turn them into customers.

For help, we have put together the following steps

to guide you through the use of social networking to

drive leads.

Step 1: Listen.

First and foremost, before posting to social networking

sites or even starting your own, you need to read and listen

to what is currently being said. This will give you great

insights into the tone, attitude and topics being discussed.

Begin by visiting some of the top networking sites, such as

the list compiled by Compete.com. This step will also help

you identify the top bloggers who are influencing your

target audiences.

Step 2: Look for Companion Sites.

Fundamental to member communities and networks is the

ability to give users a sense of association or belonging.

Users join groups where they can freely share like ideas and

learn from others with similar interests. This is where you

need to look next the communities that purchase or use

your companys type of products or services.

Suppose you were a car dealer following conversationon Twitter about car buying and you see reference to the

member community, Carspace.com, which posts advice

and experiences surrounding automobile brands. You can

simply link to that site and start following threads of discus-

sions from those members. The more you link and look

around, the more targeted groups you will find. Other tar-

geted groups range from QuitNet.com a site for those who

want to quit smoking, to PetZume.com for pet enthusiasts,

and everything in between. As your organization becomes

more comfortable with the medium and your social media

strategy evolves, you may find yourself not only participat-ing in existing communities, but developing communities

of your own.

Figure 3: PetZume social networking site

Figure 2:Compete.comsocial networkranking


6/11


Step 3: Develop a Value Strategy.

For many organizations this step is a simple as reinforcing

the brand and corporate messages. If your organization is

known for exceptional customer service rather than being a

price leader, for instance, your postings and conversations

should reiterate the quality of your customer service. It

also goes without saying, you should respond to customer

comments and postings quickly, with attention to service.

For organizations that want to take social networking to

a higher level, a more thorough strategy is needed. Forexample, suppose as the principal of a home remodeling

business, you wanted to tap into a new segment for eco-

friendly construction. Your strategy may involve posting

videos about your green materials on environmental

discussion sites or submitting surveys about environmental

building interests in your area.

If you were part of a wellness center for eating disorders

your strategy may include posting testimonials from

patients that have completed your intervention program.

TIP: Do not post the testimonials directly, simply create and

market the forum for open discussion so that your patients

will post and carry on the discussions themselves. This

way, statements by your patients will be viewed as trusted,

inviting, and unbiased.

Regardless of the approach you choose, keep in mind, the

main objective is to make sure value is delivered in each

and every communication. Value is what drives readership

and the viral spreading of your messages; the more read-

ers trust your information and find it useful, the more they

will follow your postings and recommend you to others.

JetBlue decided to deliver value by inspiring a culture of

immediate response through open dialogue with their

customers using social media. By fostering communication

of understanding and forgiveness, customers are more

likely to forgive incidents that would put other airlines out

of business. As a result, JetBlue has more than 0,000

followers on Twitternine times that of Southwest Airlines

and 85 times that of Delta Airlines.0

Step 4: Execute with Diligence.

Like changing your oil, a well-tuned machine will deliver

the greatest performance. The more attention you give to

keeping your content up to date and informative, the more

your discussions will thrive and spread. Mix up your game

to make it interesting. Post video snippets, offer up links to

similar sites, post white papers, create voting polls on your

new products, list job openings, deliver RSS new feeds, or

offer rewards for those that can champion your brand to

other sites.

Once you are underway, you may be surprised how little

time it actually takes to keep a site active. For instance,

Twitter only allows 40 characters per update, or about

one sentence.

Simply by posting one sentence per day, you give users

a reason to come back each and every day. And, hope-fully that one sentence leads to a dozen more.

Additionally, by posting to a site like Twitter, your

updates can also be automatically sent to Facebook,

MySpace, LinkedIn and a host of others using applica-

tions like TweetDeck.

Figure 4: Big Green Switch member site on Twitter


7/11


Step 5: NetworkYour Messages.

This step is often the most misunder-

stood, but is the easiest to execute.

The concept involves building a link

to additional information anytime

you post a message. For example,

if you posted a comment that your

company made its projected earn-

ings, you should include a link to a

press release or annual report onyour company Website that provides

more detail. If you are responding to

customer comments about applica-

tions that work with your company

software, you should include links

to those other application vendors

and partners.

Back on your company website you

can expand your social network by

adding links to other social net-

working sites your organization is

connected with. This way, users can

choose to follow your topic using the

community site they prefer or usemost often.

This concept of networking your

message on social networking sites is

a crucial to driving traffic to your site.

The more sites you are listed on, the

more search engines will find mention

of you. In turn, the higher ranking you

will receive and the higher you will be

placed on the page.

And, finally, the more page views and

calls you will receive from users look-

ing for your products and services.

Case Study:Information Builders

How can Information Builders, an enterprise software

vendor, generate leads from an industry online group

without appearing to be just selling?

Strategy

Use B-to-B social networking sites as a way to provide

relevant content to professionals debating key indus-

try issues. Reach prospects that are early in the prod-

uct research stage (just shopping) and those openly

seeking advice about business information systems.

Solution

Invested time in learning about member interests on

social networking sites. Designed a new white paper

and email discussion group series around the issues

being discussed at the online sites. Promoted the

white paper across the network.

Leveraged the different sections of ITToolbox.com to

mine potential prospects: RSS feeds, alerts, blogs,

email newsletters, and discussion groups.

Used a customized registration page to capture lead

qualification information, then added the leads to the

CRM system for sales follow up.

Results

The social networking audience was so receptive to

the white paper offers that the campaign exceeded

its goal for total leads by more than 42 percent. Sales

made as a result of this program delivered a 750 per-

cent return on investment.

Case study from Marketing Sherpa, published in www.

smallcompanybigimage.com 11


8/11


Step 6: Utilize Technology.

With so much content online, you need to break through

the clutter to get noticed. This is accomplished not only

through interesting and informative content, but through

the use of technology as well. Users can browse video clips

through YouTube, photos through Flickr, and news through

Digg, while sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are useful

for keeping track of contacts and a record of when we last

touched them.

In others situations, an application that plugs-n-plays

with social networks may be useful for your organization.

Samples of these include:

Meebo.com a tool that allows you to install chat capabili-

ties that connects to MSN, Yahoo, MySpace, Google Talk

and others.

Bravisa.com a solution that aggregates products for

markup and resale.

ReferQuest.com a site that allows users to earn rewards

for promoting content on behalf of others.

ZenZuu.com a site that pays users to have their friendsjoin a member group.

Vocus.com a site that enables posting, monitoring and

measurement of PR announcements.

Ning.com a tool that helps users to create their own

social networking site.

Skype.com a Windows application that allows PC to PC

phone conversation over the Internet.

Newsgator.com a RSS (Real Simple Syndication) news

feed application that delivers your new updates to others

simultaneously.

Step 7: Measure.

One of the challenges with social media is that measure-

ment is often difficult since Internet boundaries are virtually

non-existent. However, there are some measurements you

can perform to get a reasonable sense of how well your

social networking campaigns are performing:

Follow search ranking results on the major search

engines: Google, Yahoo!, MSN and Bing

Create search phrases that are not used commonly by

search engine optimization groups and track theincrease in the terms.

Track increases in unique visitors to your site at the time

you launch a campaign.

Compile a list of your brand advocates and influences

and track their perpetuation of your messages.

Track the flavor (positive, negative) of messages being

posted about your organization.

Track user registrations on your site and follow them

through the sales cycle.


9/11


Additional Factsfor Consideration

Market research firm eMarketer

predicts that U.S. advertising

spending on social networks will

exceed $.6 billion this year (009) as

the sites and companies that make

applications for them push to harvest

more personal information posted

online, then sell it to advertisers.

Of 0 chief marketing officers

who responded to a survey by

Anderson Analytics asking them

which platform would figure into

their marketing plans the most in the

coming months, 40.8% responded

Twitter, followed by 6.% saying

Facebook, 6.5% saying LinkedIn,

and 8.7% responding Other.

A study run by business social

network MeettheBoss.com shows that

executives are spending an extra

hours a month online sharing their

professional experiences and learning

from their peers. Over 90% of

respondents said they felt their time

online was very valuable to their

daily role.4

According to Neilsen Online,

social networking sites eclipsed

personal email in global reach at

68.4% vs. 64.8%, in February 009.

And even more significantin only

the first few months of 009the

reach of these sites is growing at

a brisk pace, faster than any other

online sector.

The average social networker

goes to social sites five days a week

and checks in about four times a day

for a total of an hour each day. Nine-

percent stays logged in all day and

are constantly checking out whats

new. Anderson Analytics, 0094

LinkedIn claims that the average

household income of its members is

$0,000, 64 percent are male, the

average age is 4, and 49 percent

are decision makers. In contrast, the

average Wall Street Journal reader,

makes $0,000 per household, is

48 years old, and only 40 percent are

business decision makers.


10/11


11/11


About Berry NetworkBerry Network is an agency specializing in driving local leads from multiple

search platforms (Internet Yellow Pages, print Yellow Pages, local search,

social media etc.). A wholly-owned subsidiary of AT&T, Berry Networks team

has unique insight into how to reach consumers on their terms when they are

ready to buy - anytime, anywhere. We are proud to be working with clientslike Hertz, Meineke, and Rite Aid, just to name a few.

ContactTo learn more about how Berry Network drives local leads, visit our website at

www.berrynetwork.comor call one of our offices listed below. You can also follow

us on Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Berry NetworkHeadquarters00 Kettering BlvdDayton, OH 4549

Tel: [email protected]

Berry NetworkWest Coast0 Pacifica, Suite 70Irvine, CA 968

Tel: [email protected]

Sources:

1. Compete.com,2009

2. CalistoCommunications:TheChangingRoleofMarketingandPRintheNew AgeofSocialMedia,2009

3. NeilsenOnline,TheFutureisBrightforOnlineMedia,2009

4. TwinCities.com,SocialMediaSpreadstheWordforFord,July2009

5. Forbes.com,WhereSocialNetworkingCashesIn,June2009

6. TechnologyReview.com,MakingMoneyfromSocialTies,September2008

7. AdvertisingAge,LinkedInSkyrocketsasJobLossesMount,March,2009

8. PCMagazine,MoreAmericansGotoFacebookthanMySpace,June2009

9. NielsenWire,TwittersTweetSmellofSuccess,March,2009

10. dna13,Inc.,SocialMedia:thecaseforonlineengagement,2009

11. MarketingSherpa,casestudypublishedinwww.smallcompanybigimage.com,2009

12. eMarketer,2009

13. AndersonAnalytics,2009

14. MeetTheBoss.com,2009

Berry Network, Inc. All rights reserved. #3624 10/09

Documents

Social Media White Paper (10!12!09)