This presentation discusses the influence and potential of social media in business communications. It summarizes the results of a survey of over 1,000 marketing managers and experts interviewed on their use of social media. Some key findings include: 1) social media is having a moderate to strong influence on communication strategies today, especially for B2C companies; 2) mobile internet via smartphones is seen as having strong potential to improve communications by 2015; and 3) combining events with social media is seen as having the highest potential for integration into marketing strategies. The presentation provides guidance on successfully using social media through listening to customers, participating actively, and integrating social media into overall communication plans before, during and after events.

1. Social Media
Prof. Dr. J. Beier
Open Seminar, Budapest 2010
07.07.2010

2. Social media and its influence on
our industry
• Introduction
• The potential of social media
• Integrated marketing and social media
• How to work with social media
Source: The following presentation is based on a survey made by
VOK DAMS Consulting, Event und Web X.0, 10th June 2010.
Questionnaire was responded by 1053 marketing managers; 73
experts were additionally interviewed.
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3. 3

4. Change in size and mix of B2B
Media revenues
• Forecasted growth of B2B media revenues
• Rapid growth of marketing spending in B2B online but…
• …the exhibition industry maintains its position at the expense of other
traditional media
2009 2013
$24.2 billion $26.0 billion
15%
23%
5%
44% 6% 44%
36%
27%
Source: JEGI; VSS Communication Industry Forecast 2009 – 2013; August 2009
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5. Please rate the influence of social
media on your Communication–Mix
today
(1) No Influence
(2) Weak Influence
(3) Moderate influence
(4) Strong influence
(5) Very strong influence
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6. Evaluation of the influence of Social
Media on the Communication-Mix
Very strong influence
Strong influence
Moderate influence B2C
B2B
Weak influence
No influence
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
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7. Please rate the potential of Mobile
Internet (via Smartphone) for
improving the communication in the
industry by 2015
(1) No Potential
(2) Weak Potential
(3) Moderate Potential
(4) Strong Potential
(5) Very Strong Potential
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8. Potential of Mobile Internet
Very strong potential
Strong potential
Moderate potential B2C
B2B
Weak potential
No potential
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
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9. Please choose which of the following
options regarding Integrated Marketing
has the highest potential for your
organization:
(1) Print + Social Media
(2) Mobile Marketing + Social Media
(3) Online Marketing + Social Media
(4) Radio + Social Media
(5) TV + Social Media
(6) Events + Social Media
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10. Potential for Integration with Social
Media
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11. Why a combination of events with
Social Media?
(1) High involvement of customers and guests
coming to the event
(2) Design of the content by the user
(3) Social Media can be used for documentation of
events
(4) Excellent tool for inviting people
(5) Multiplying potential of World-of-Mouth enhances
the success of the event
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12. What is your motivation for
participating in Social Media?
B2B B2C
(1) Integrated (1) Integrated
Communication Communication
(2) Being close to the (2) Being up-to-date with
customer brands and products
(3) Effective sales (3) Word-of-Mouth
(4) Being up-to-date with (4) Being close to the
brands and products customer
(5) Feedback about (5) ROI
customer satisfaction
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13. Drivers for the successful use of
Social Media
1. Synergetic effects of using integrated
communication
2. Catalyst for viral communication
3. Useful seeding for dissemination of information
4. Meaningful and relevant information
5. Opportunity of designing “user generated
content”
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14. Please predict, at the latest, when
exhibition organizers should use
social media for customer
communication?
(1) Already today
(2) 2011-2012
(3) 2013-2014
(4) 2015 or a later
(5) not at all
(6) don`t know
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15. Rules for communication
• Listen
Find out where your target group is located on the internet;
what type of social media is being used.
• Try social media yourself
Hint: If you are invited to a party and you try to sell
products you will never be invited again!
• Make Social Media part of your integrated
communication
Tweets, announcements and even information of low
interest should be distributed using all media channels
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16. Working with social media
• Stage 1
Activate your target group
• Stage 2
Be involved before, during and after the event.
• Stage 3
Follow-up is necessary
Documentation and diffusion of the information collected
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17. • Thank you very much for your attention.
• Any questions?
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