Channels go Social Media A new dimension to the social web Vendors empowering their partners

“ Channels go Social Media” Presenters Axel Schultze CEO Xeequa Corp Michael Dubrall Managing Director Gilwell Group, LLC Gilwell Group provides research, consulting, and enablement services to help organizations measure, manage, and improve partnership productivity through the use and understanding of Channels 2.0 products and tools. Xeequa is a social media software company providing companies with a branded online community, strategic support and education via the Social Media Academy. Xeequa’s solution and services help companies provide a better customer experience for their business eco system.

We invited people from within Channel Excellence and Gilwell Group Communities We talked about it in twitter many times - Some twitterers did a re-tweet We posted it in the Facebook Group We posted it in the LinkedIn Group We discussed it in channel-related LinkedIn groups We personally pinged individuals in Partnerpedia We emailed several people who asked for information If you are not already active in the various spaces, you may find it interesting to follow us: @AxelS and @GilwellGroup on Twitter You will also find us on facebook and LinkedIn . All these public places will point you to our online communities Gilwellgroup.xeequa.com and ChannelExcellence.xeequa.com How We Got Here Today

We invited people from within Channel Excellence and Gilwell Group Communities

We talked about it in twitter many times - Some twitterers did a re-tweet

We posted it in the Facebook Group

We posted it in the LinkedIn Group

We discussed it in channel-related LinkedIn groups

We personally pinged individuals in Partnerpedia

We emailed several people who asked for information

If you are not already active in the various spaces, you may find it interesting to follow us: @AxelS and @GilwellGroup on Twitter

You will also find us on facebook and LinkedIn . All these public places will point you to our online communities Gilwellgroup.xeequa.com and ChannelExcellence.xeequa.com

Go From Reacting To Acting What needs to be done today so your partners can grow and thrive with a social media presence The forces that are transforming the channel How customer purchasing is changing because of the internet (creating a need for new Go-to-market strategies) How your partners can use social media to stay in touch with their customers How to use content-rich partner communities to increase partner sales (and reduce support costs) Why your partners have resisted social media – until now

What needs to be done today so your partners can grow and thrive with a social media presence

The forces that are transforming the channel

How customer purchasing is changing because of the internet (creating a need for new Go-to-market strategies)

How your partners can use social media to stay in touch with their customers

How to use content-rich partner communities to increase partner sales (and reduce support costs)

Why your partners have resisted social media – until now

Channels 1.0 Channels 2.0 What’s Going Out What’s Coming In Partner Marketing Go-to-market Strategy Social Media Partner Communities, interactive sites/wikis, RSS feeds, VOD, SMS, IM, Twitter Named Accounts Traditional Sales Local Partner Territories Advertising Customer Communities Referencing “Experts” Small, frequent transactions “ Purchasing” not “Selling” Partner Portals Email Blasts/Webinars Classroom Training Lead Generation Responsiveness is critical Whole Products Complex Solutions Packaged Software Product Ownership SaaS, HaaS, Open Source Try-and-Buy

Just five years ago it was different When you wanted to buy a computer You probably started at a local store and checked things out You may have explored the Internet and checked web shops for better pricing You may have negotiated with a local store to match the pricing You may have ended up buying at CDW or Costco or elsewhere BUT AT LEAST THE STORES HAD A CHANCE TO DEAL WITH YOU Customer Purchasing is Evolving

When you wanted to buy a computer

You probably started at a local store and checked things out

You may have explored the Internet and checked web shops for better pricing

You may have negotiated with a local store to match the pricing

You may have ended up buying at CDW or Costco or elsewhere

BUT AT LEAST THE STORES

HAD A CHANCE TO DEAL WITH YOU

When you buy a computer today (or almost anything) You check the Internet You read blogs You check forums or online groups You get feedback in Twitter or other tools You ask friends in your social network When you are “ready to buy” your brand and product decision is pretty much set in stone You mostly ignore advertising You hate cold calls You have spam filters You have a popup blocker You throw the junk mail into the waste basket You may not describe it that way – but your purchase decision is made in the social web Go-to-market Strategies Must Also Evolve

You check the Internet

You read blogs

You check forums or online groups

You get feedback in Twitter or other tools

You ask friends in your social network

When you are “ready to buy” your brand and product decision is pretty much set in stone

You mostly ignore advertising

You hate cold calls

You have spam filters

You have a popup blocker

You throw the junk mail into the waste basket

How do most companies sell - still today: Buy contact lists Do mail shots Advertise anywhere from small Google ads to bill boards Follow up with cold calls Engage call centers Identify “readiness to buy” Qualify the yield Call and try to get an appointment Start a sales process Hope for the best If channel partners (and vendors) ignore changes in customer purchasing behaviors, they risk their (and their vendors) business future. Social media is not going away! Vendors Need To Lead

Buy contact lists

Do mail shots

Advertise anywhere from small Google ads to bill boards

Follow up with cold calls

Engage call centers

Identify “readiness to buy”

Qualify the yield

Call and try to get an appointment

Start a sales process

Hope for the best

What is Social Media? Technology vendors must adapt their channel programs in response to the availability of Web 2.0 tools and technologies, especially Social Media. Social Networking is as old as civilization. It involves the sharing of information among friends/acquaintances to socialize, discuss topics of interest, reduce risks, and make more informed decisions. Social Media is how the internet has changed social networking. It includes the use of Web 2.0 tools like blogs, wikis, video file sharing, and social networking sites like Facebook to expand the reach of social networking and more effectively capture and share relevant information. (Matt Goddard, R2i.ntegrated.com) Virtual Communities combine many social media capabilities in one secure place to facilitate communications, collaboration, and networking for social, educational, or business purposes

Technology vendors must adapt their channel programs in response to the availability of Web 2.0 tools and technologies, especially Social Media.

Social Networking is as old as civilization. It involves the sharing of information among friends/acquaintances to socialize, discuss topics of interest, reduce risks, and make more informed decisions.

Social Media is how the internet has changed social networking. It includes the use of Web 2.0 tools like blogs, wikis, video file sharing, and social networking sites like Facebook to expand the reach of social networking and more effectively capture and share relevant information. (Matt Goddard, R2i.ntegrated.com)

Virtual Communities combine many social media capabilities in one secure place to facilitate communications, collaboration, and networking for social, educational, or business purposes

Social Media value pyramid Social Media Impacts All Levels Of The Value Chain

Communicating In The Social Web ??? How do you communicate with your partners? How do your partners communicate with their customers? How do the customers communicate with each other?

People Increasingly Use Social Media Tools Blogs Micro-blogs Social Networking Business Networking Video on Demand SMS Podcasts Bookmarking Interactive web sites (wikis) Massively Multiuser Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) All can come together in (Branded) Virtual Communities (many shapes and sizes)

Blogs

Micro-blogs

Social Networking

Business Networking

Video on Demand

SMS

Podcasts

Bookmarking

Interactive web sites (wikis)

Massively Multiuser Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG)

All can come together in (Branded) Virtual Communities (many shapes and sizes)

Branded Virtual Community Systems

Building Professional Local Virtual Communities Vendor encourages channel partner (provides community?) Channel partner invites local customers and prospects Community provides interesting (non advertising) content Customer Benefits Partner Benefits Intensifying the customer relationships with additional services Members help members to reduce support load Customer advocacy brings new members and new business Members reach out to people they never would meet otherwise The community health is proportional to their business health Discussing and learning from other customers Skill development access to know how Educational videos and interesting clips Events and ability to meet others through online meeting setup Meeting interesting people and growing their network

Vendor encourages channel partner (provides community?)

Channel partner invites local customers and prospects

Community provides interesting (non advertising) content

Installed Base Access Grows, Globally VENDOR A, B, C, D....

Tying It All Together Through The Xeecast System Community A Community B Community C Community D . . . . . . Community N Master community Distributing smart, non advertisial content such as blog posts, events, white papers, news, video clips to hundreds or thousands of partner community systems. Partner communities Allow selected vendors to syndicate content with their customer community. Getting content directly to the existing installed base

Measuring The Results Measure the success of a Community by size and level of ongoing activity

A Channel-oriented Social Media Initiative ACME Corp decided to go social with a specific goal: massive competitive displacement The only way to grow is to displace competition The only way to displace competition is to win their customers Their Social Media Strategies Build a master community as HOME BASE Empower the channel to build local end-user communities Provide relevant blog posts white papers, product releases, application notes, events, online or offline video clips, training clips, and more Provide resellers with financial incentives to grow their community Continue to engage in selected “public spaces” where customers also congregate Gain direct access to reseller’s installed base Use that access to influence the conversation about our products ACME

ACME Corp decided to go social with a specific goal: massive competitive displacement

The only way to grow is to displace competition

The only way to displace competition is to win their customers

Their Social Media Strategies

Build a master community as HOME BASE

Empower the channel to build local end-user communities

Provide relevant blog posts white papers, product releases, application notes, events, online or offline video clips, training clips, and more

Provide resellers with financial incentives to grow their community

Continue to engage in selected “public spaces” where customers also congregate

Gain direct access to reseller’s installed base

Use that access to influence the conversation about our products

Things to remember "Speed is more important than perfection“ Axel’s Blog “ Perfection is the enemy of success“ Mike’s corollary

The package Xeequa Master community license (3 month) Branding package to match the current website design Community setup service Three Partner communities, connected to the master community Branding for the partner communities The helping hand In-house team presentation Social Media blueprint development (objectives and timeline) Adding content to the community Web-based partner presentation Sand castle exercise (building a connected social media world) Partner invites a small and selected number of test customers Customer introduction webinar Customers play in the sandbox for a few days Review meeting with partners, including customers Washing the castle away - exploring the cement The “Social Media Sandbox”

The package

Xeequa Master community license (3 month)

Branding package to match the current website design

Community setup service

Three Partner communities, connected to the master community

Branding for the partner communities

The helping hand

In-house team presentation

Social Media blueprint development (objectives and timeline)

Adding content to the community

Web-based partner presentation

Sand castle exercise (building a connected social media world)

Partner invites a small and selected number of test customers

Customer introduction webinar

Customers play in the sandbox for a few days

Review meeting with partners, including customers

Washing the castle away - exploring the cement

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