B-to-B Social Media – Really!

B-to-B Social Media – Really!
Paul Gillin (@pgillin)
Author, The New Influencers
Secrets of Social Media Marketing

Results
Objectives:
Create awareness for new mainframe value proposition
Increase mainframe awareness with college students
>250,000 views of first episode
Blog traffic increased 25x
Analyst, Press, Blogger coverage
Screened at Chief Sales Officer summit, Price Waterhouse sales trainingand other venues

The New Media Landscape
Marathon schedule http://bit.ly/waCMc
I can't find my good black pants.
Shared bread pudding w/ @skydiver at Mother's. My life is now complete.
I'm at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI, West Palm Beach). http://4sq.com/4GeLz0
Best press photos of 2009 http://om.ly/fNhW
How to Write a 1 Minute Video Marketing Script http://ow.ly/17xJE
Comparing Top Chef Masters Restaurants #topchef http://is.gd/8q4hN
How To Get Well Prepared For The Website Creation. http://bit.ly/aTitVC

Influence
Inversion

How Is B2B Different?
Focus on Value
Group Decisions
Longer Buying Cycles
Many Moving Parts
Relationships are Key
Service & Support Matter
Channel Complexity

Experience Shapes Perception
IBM Market Research, 2008

Assessing Influence
Tags
voip, telecom, telephony, AndyAbramson, WiFi, FMC, Fixed Mobile, Convergence, CallVantage, Vonage, Skype, GizmoProject, SightSpeed, Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Mobivox, Truphone

Assessing Influence

Influencer Relations
In B2C market, influencer relations successes include:
Molson Beer
Toro Lawnmowers
Zarafina Tea
PBS
Parents magazine
“Since 2002, this annual event has evolved into the cornerstone of SAP's influencer programs, now serving as a key event to validate SAP's transformational market strategy.”

You Are The Media

IT Pros Are Interactive
Source: Forrester Research

Match Tools to Buying Stage
Source: TechTarget

So Now the Fun Begins

Open Up
"Your goal should be to have as many people as possible be public voices of the company. Scary? If you answered yes, you don't have the right people."
Brian Kalma
Director of User Experience, Zappos
“It is the responsibility of corporate communications to support each employee’s capability and desire to be an honest, knowledgeable ambassador to customers, friends, shareowners and public officials.”
--From The Authentic Enterprise: Relationships,
Values And The Evolution Of Corporate Communications
Arthur W. Page Society, Dec., 2007

Case Study: Clickable Gurus

Blogging for Business
Create Thought Leadership

Blogging for Business
Showcase Talent

Educate

Advocate

Have Some Fun!
OK Labs uses "social objects," or distinct icons, to create a memorable association. “It’s been a way for people to feel that they know the company before doing business with the company,” says Marti Konstant, VP of marketing

Communities: 360° of Value
Needs Definition
Peer Support
Product lifecycle
Viral Marketing
Product Architecture
Iterative Development
Field Testing

LinkedIn for Business
Active Groups…
…and a Distinctive Approach to Company Profiles

The New Face of Media
Spiceworks Community
800,000 registered users
National user conference; multiple regional conferences
Points system rewards participation without payments
“What’s always amazed me is how much people are willing to give back.”
Tabrez Syed, Director of Products, Spiceworks

Element14
Document and information exchange for electronics engineers
Anyone can become a designated “expert” by delivering value
More than 10,000 documents contributed and indexed in first six months

Many Uses for Twitter

Publish Everywhere
44 million members
32 million members
300 million members
1 billion daily views
1 million daily visitors
6 million daily visitors
1.5 million daily visitors
10 million members
50 million members

Typical Multi-Platform Scenario
Corporate website
Feed Aggregator
Partner website
Email Newsletter

Reuse and Extend
Begins as a tweet
Becomes a blog entry
Feeds a podcast
Stokes a white paper
That gets tweeted!

Sodexo Recruiters
Most of the company‘s 60 recruiters user Twitter and other social media to meet hiring demand.
Focus is on building relationships and enthusiasm among prospective employees
Traffic to careers site up 182% in last two years, job applications up 25%. Recruitment ad costs down $300K
Principal Value
“The human touch is essential. People know there’s somebody behind the message and the photo.”
-Kerry Noone, Manager, Marketing Communications
Improved applicant quality
Image of Sodexo as progressive young company
Recruitment costs substantially reduced

AskPatty’s Syndication Wizardry
Syndication partners include TwitterMoms, BlogHer, Parenthood.com, SheKnows
Articles automatically posted to bookmarking sites, multiple Facebook fan pages
Spokesperson for Rain-X Division of Shell Oil, Mobil1 division of Exxon/Mobil
Hired for 12-part video series on AutoNet TV
Principal Value
“My inbox is overflowing every day with people who want speakers, partnerships, training and certifications.”
-Jody DeVere, CEO
10M quarterly impressions
100-fold amplification of blog/Web content
CEO developing side business as automotive social media consultant

Thank you!
Paul Gillin
508-656-0734
paul@gillin.com
www.gillin.com
Twitter: pgillin
Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter at gillin.com
Available on Amazon or at NewInfluencers.com
Available on Amazon or at SSMMbook.com
Coming late 2010: Social Marketing to the Business Customer
By Paul Gillin & Eric Schwartzman

B-to-B Social Media – Really!

by Society for New Communications Research (SNCR)

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