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

rene@bdb.co.uk

http://twitter.com/renepower

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/renefp

http://marketingassassin.wordpress.com

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