Social media has clearly established a place for itself in sales and marketing strategies in businesses across the globe. Simply search Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other popular social outlets for one of your favorite brands and you’ll find a page loaded with dialogue between customers, fans, critics and employees. This sort of engagement between an audience and the brand itself fosters a sense of connection and loyalty. You audience now has access to the “insider scoop” and the opportunity to voice comments in a public sphere which garner a response. This, of course, only seems to unfold when the brand is actively engaged, as avid social networkers thrive on reading and sharing the latest updates and communiques.
So, social media works for consumer products, but how does it or can it work for the B2B sector? Hint: It’s all about the conversation, my friends.
First, identify where your buyers are (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) and the right tools for making the most out of their presence and your presence on social networks. Mashable.com recently posted an article highlighting 10 essential social media tools for B2B marketers http://on.mash.to/cjfn7c. The list provides information on the most useful services for managing and integrating social networks as CRM tools.
Second, perform a little self analysis with an industry/media/customer "focus group", for example, and define your company’s personality. Listen to stakeholders. Build a community. Have mutual conversations that involve everyone. Ask the influencers. Also, find out where your sales are coming from- through the channel? Direct? Retail or e-Tail? If developing content is an issue, ask yourself what content do you have already that you can use.
Third, get everyone on board. Is everyone within your organization involved in the conversation? The Altimeter Group summarized this perfectly when they stated: “To be successful using social technologies, companies must first prepare and align internal roles, processes, policies and stakeholders with their business objectives. Social business is a profound change that impacts all departments in the organization.”
The final and most important step in integrating social media as a marketing and sales tool is engagement. Social media is a two-way conversation that requires brand alignment and planning. It is essential to:
- Observe and listen
- Define expectations and assets
- Set goals and metrics
- Concentrate on channels
- Engage
With social media today, customers can voice their accolades or complaints to the world without having to go through any media gatekeeper, and they can communicate with each other about your company, product or service. You must join the conversation; maintain customer loyalty by interacting with existing customers and help potential customers understand the value and benefit of what you’re offering.
To effectively engage you must make the most out of all that social media has to offer by posting videos of executive interviews; syndicate your corporate blog or podcast. Be responsive to ALL inquiries and dovetail launch activities with social media initiatives. Build your reputation and increase brand awareness one post at a time. In today’s marketing world, it’s not about who you know; it’s about sharing what you know.
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