Social Media for Sustained Export Growth

Post on 22-Nov-2014

701 views 1 download

description

Slides for our presentation at the SCDI/FSB National Business Conference, Murrayfield stadium, 1st October, 2011

transcript

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Social Media for Sustained Export Growth

Dr. Jim Hamill Alan StevensonVincent Hamill

www.energise2-0.com

October, 2011

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Background

30 years International Management Development Experience – mainly Export Marketing and International Business

Since 1995 – focus on e-Marketing

Passionate about the potential of social media

for SME internationalisation

ENERGISE2-0.COM

A 10 Minute Agenda

Used effectively, Social Media can help to overcome many of the ‘traditional’ barriers to SME internationalisation

Focus on 4 main areas: ‘Listening’ – Social Media and International Market

Research, Knowledge, Insight ‘Hub’ sites – knowledge based and e-marketplaces (for

selling)Making the right connections/ building a quality online

networkPractical advice – ‘next steps’

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Important Policy Implications

ENERGISE2-0.COM

www.energise2-0.com

More detail on our blog - ‘Topic Index’ – ‘Internationalisation’

ENERGISE2-0.COM

The Social Media Revolution

ENERGISE2-0.COM

How Big Is It?

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Social Media Monitoring Tools and SME Exporting

ENERGISE2-0.COM

SMM and SME Exporting

• Lack of foreign market knowledge and limited resources for export market research/country screening are two of the main barriers to SME internationalisation

• Used effectively, Social Media Monitoring tools can help to overcome these barriers

• Online conversations are already taking place relevant to your business, your brand, your industry. Are you ‘listening’?

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Are You Listening?

NOT a broadcast medium. Its about listening to and engaging with customers, partners, your community, your tribe

This is something we are not very good at doing. We prefer telling people how good we are

We have two eyes, two ears and one MOUSE for a reason

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Monitoring the Conversations

Use Social Media Monitoring Tools to develop ‘actionable insights’ from the online conversations taking place relevant to your brand – also for measuring ‘online brand buzz’

No or low cost tools such as Google Alerts, Yahoo Pipes, Social Mention, Topsy, IceRocket, Blogscope, Blogpulse and ViralHeat

More expensive and sophisticated tools such as Radian6, Alterian SM2, Sysomos Heartbeat and Infegy SocialRadar

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Social Media Monitoring

ENERGISE2-0.COM

You can develop a customised Social Media Monitoring System to meet your

own needs

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Quick Example

Where are the Conversations taking place about ‘Organic Foods’?

ENERGISE2-0.COM

4,000+ Mentions per Month

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Should You Be Involved?

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Useful?

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Use of Export ‘Hub’ Sites

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Export ‘Hub’ Sites

• Participation in export support sites, e-marketplaces etc can help to develop a more global ‘mindset’, generate greater awareness, enthusiasm, confidence and sales

• Can help to speed up the internationalisation process leading to quicker ROI

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Export ‘Hub’ Sites

• Very large number of sites......

– General export support– Online Markets– Industry specific

ENERGISE2-0.COM

General Export Support Sites

ENERGISE2-0.COM

UKTI - Britain Open for Business

ENERGISE2-0.COM

General Export Support Sites

ENERGISE2-0.COM

General Export Support Sites

ENERGISE2-0.COM

General Export Support Sites

ENERGISE2-0.COM

globalEDGE

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Online Markets

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Good Article

ENERGISE2-0.COM

General Marketplaces

ENERGISE2-0.COM

General Marketplaces

ENERGISE2-0.COM

General Marketplaces

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Industry Specific Communities

ENERGISE2-0.COM

BioSpace

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Food

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Drink

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Fashion

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Make the “Right” Connections

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Building a Quality International Customer Base/ A Quality Network

Quick Example from Linkedin

ENERGISE2-0.COM

The Company

• A new business start-up

• Supplier of hi-tech solutions to the neurotechnology and optogenetic sectors

• Project Task– Identify most attractive potential international customers

and a communications plan for engagement

• Who, Where, How?

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Quality Customer Growth Programme

• Start with a ‘Customer Mapping Exercise

• Identified 3 main customer groups– Individuals in neuroscience– Neuroscience/optogenetic institutes, firms and clusters– Individuals in optogenetics

• Used Linkedin for building a customer database.....• Then position on the Customer Value Matrix• Communications strategy emerged from this.......

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Linkedin Research

• 39,666 neuroscience profiles on Linkedin• 100 neuroscience institutes, firms, clusters• 246 neurotechnology companies• 22 individuals in optogenetics

• Further filtered to identify the Top 50 ‘best sales prospects’

ENERGISE2-0.COM

39,666 Neuroscience People

ENERGISE2-0.COM

246 Neuroscience Companies

ENERGISE2-0.COM

22 Optogenetics People

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Society of Neuroscience 2,889 Members

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Practical Adviceand Next Steps to Avoid the Road to Nowhere

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Next Steps

• Web 1.0: Audit your web site and web site marketing to ensure that they are fully aligned with and supportive of agreed business/export goals/objectives

• Set up a Social Media Monitoring/Listening System to develop ‘actionable insights’

• Search, join, lurk, participate in ‘external’ ‘hubs’, forums, groups etc

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Next Steps

• Develop your own social media channels:– Blog – for ‘telling the story’ and helps with SEO– Twitter– Linkedin– Youtube where appropriate– etc

• Make sure that you have agreed Objectives, KPIs, Targets etc and a procedure in place for monitoring social media performance, business impact and ROI

Social Media Planning Pays

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Policy Implications

• There is a very important public policy dimension to our thinking in this area

• Given the importance of SME internationalisation to future economic growth, there is a clear need for a ‘Social Media Supported SME Export Programme’ to complement more ‘traditional’ support measures in this area

• But then again, I would say that wouldn’t I

ENERGISE2-0.COM

Thank YouDiscussion/Questions

www.energise2-0.com