Social media provides businesses with unprecedented opportunities to engage with customers and build their brands. However, many B2B companies believe social media is only for personal use or consumer businesses. This document aims to dispel common myths about social media's relevance for B2B and provides best practices for effective usage. It explains that social media allows businesses to share content and opinions with a mainstream audience. While listening is important initially, businesses can use platforms like blogs, forums, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to engage customers, gain new leads and drive traffic. Success requires having a clear objective, measuring relevant metrics, and following basic rules like responding to customers and avoiding angry or irrelevant posts.
Open Brands: How Social Media is Pushing Radical Transparency on Brand Manage...Earthsite
Learn how Social Media is pushing radical transparency in brand management. Includes new research on Social Media Policy and calculating Social Media ROI. Social Media case studies of The North Face and Drugstore.com.
Social media for social good, including insights and best practices on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google Plus. Delivered to the national Mission Resource Alliance conference in Orlando, Florida on February 25, 2015 by Amy Neumann.
Open Brands: How Social Media is Pushing Radical Transparency on Brand Manage...Earthsite
Learn how Social Media is pushing radical transparency in brand management. Includes new research on Social Media Policy and calculating Social Media ROI. Social Media case studies of The North Face and Drugstore.com.
Social media for social good, including insights and best practices on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google Plus. Delivered to the national Mission Resource Alliance conference in Orlando, Florida on February 25, 2015 by Amy Neumann.
Content marketing: Producing low-cost content that worksJonathan Wichmann
A take on how to get the basics of content marketing right. It's all about having a content infrastructure in place, knowing what the different content forms are good at, and – of course – knowing your products and your target groups.
You’ve thought about what social networks to use for your business or nonprofit, and you’re ready to take the next step. Where do you go from there? This seminar will give you a closer look at the popular social media networks – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+. We’ll show you the benefits of using each, how other organizations are marketing with them, and some dos and don’ts of each channel. You’ll also get tips on how to tell if your social media activity is working. Core concepts introduced include: A closer look at the 5 most popular social networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest Within each network: - How to tell if it’s right for your business - What kind of content to create and post - Etiquette - How to tell if your content is working - Suggestions on what to do next Why social media & email marketing must be used together
How To Sell Through Social Media – And Why B2Cs Have A Lot To Learn From B2BsJonathan Wichmann
The slide deck from my presentation at Dialogkonferansen 2014 in Strömstad, Sweden.
A big thanks to Augie Ray who provided a lot of the data (http://www.experiencetheblog.com/2014/04/what-if-everything-you-know-about.html).
Visit OrcaSocial.com to learn how we help B2B companies use social media and social technologies the right way.
Personal Branding Social Media Campaign StrategyTori Green
A summary of campaign research, implementation and evaluation of promoting personal brand on three social media platforms: Twitter, Linked-in and a blog on portfolio website. The campaign goal was to promote personal brand to potential employers and demonstrate knowledge of events and communication industry. Summary includes additional research on cross platform best practices and advice for personal branding, career readiness on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Social Media Strategies for Partner Development by Francine AllaireFrancine Allaire
Proven Social Media Strategies & Tools for Partner Recruitment and Development. Why is it important for companies to engage in social media.. and most specifically in this case with their partners? Find out!
This presentation defines social media, how to use social media for marketing, benefits of social media marketing, facts and successful implementation of social media.
Is your business on the right track to meet your goals in 2019?
Have you been doing the necessary activities to stay on track during the first half of 2019?
Join Mostyn Marketing Group and the Baltimore Business Journal to learn how to finish out your year and meet all of the goals you have set forth for growth! Learn about resources and tools available to small businesses that can help you achieve growth and market your business.
Social media centered on online conversations, which encourages user participation and dialogue. Knowing what your customers are saying about you, and what your future-customers are hearing, is essential. Top Floor Technologies’ Social Media Bootcamp will teach you how monitor conversations and brand-mentions on popular social media platforms and on the web in general, allowing you to be proactive with your customer-base.
Content marketing: Producing low-cost content that worksJonathan Wichmann
A take on how to get the basics of content marketing right. It's all about having a content infrastructure in place, knowing what the different content forms are good at, and – of course – knowing your products and your target groups.
You’ve thought about what social networks to use for your business or nonprofit, and you’re ready to take the next step. Where do you go from there? This seminar will give you a closer look at the popular social media networks – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+. We’ll show you the benefits of using each, how other organizations are marketing with them, and some dos and don’ts of each channel. You’ll also get tips on how to tell if your social media activity is working. Core concepts introduced include: A closer look at the 5 most popular social networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest Within each network: - How to tell if it’s right for your business - What kind of content to create and post - Etiquette - How to tell if your content is working - Suggestions on what to do next Why social media & email marketing must be used together
How To Sell Through Social Media – And Why B2Cs Have A Lot To Learn From B2BsJonathan Wichmann
The slide deck from my presentation at Dialogkonferansen 2014 in Strömstad, Sweden.
A big thanks to Augie Ray who provided a lot of the data (http://www.experiencetheblog.com/2014/04/what-if-everything-you-know-about.html).
Visit OrcaSocial.com to learn how we help B2B companies use social media and social technologies the right way.
Personal Branding Social Media Campaign StrategyTori Green
A summary of campaign research, implementation and evaluation of promoting personal brand on three social media platforms: Twitter, Linked-in and a blog on portfolio website. The campaign goal was to promote personal brand to potential employers and demonstrate knowledge of events and communication industry. Summary includes additional research on cross platform best practices and advice for personal branding, career readiness on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Social Media Strategies for Partner Development by Francine AllaireFrancine Allaire
Proven Social Media Strategies & Tools for Partner Recruitment and Development. Why is it important for companies to engage in social media.. and most specifically in this case with their partners? Find out!
This presentation defines social media, how to use social media for marketing, benefits of social media marketing, facts and successful implementation of social media.
Is your business on the right track to meet your goals in 2019?
Have you been doing the necessary activities to stay on track during the first half of 2019?
Join Mostyn Marketing Group and the Baltimore Business Journal to learn how to finish out your year and meet all of the goals you have set forth for growth! Learn about resources and tools available to small businesses that can help you achieve growth and market your business.
Social media centered on online conversations, which encourages user participation and dialogue. Knowing what your customers are saying about you, and what your future-customers are hearing, is essential. Top Floor Technologies’ Social Media Bootcamp will teach you how monitor conversations and brand-mentions on popular social media platforms and on the web in general, allowing you to be proactive with your customer-base.
Cogent Healthcare has opportunities available now at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, IA. Join a great team in the Quad Cities that is a part of a "Top 50 Health System."
A 2011 talk delivered at the NFAIS annual conference. The focus was a review of current trends in mobile referential and patient data within the healthcare industry
With many employees relying on defined contribution savings as their primary source of retirement income, Retirement Annuity Accounts (RAAs) offer employers a benefit plan option to provide employees guaranteed retirement income on an annuity basis.
Today’s business leaders are struggling to understand how to harness the power of digital marketing tools such as social media to improve their business results.
In this Content Marketing Workshop, we cover:
- Whether social media is a useful business tool or a waste of time
- Why most companies can’t harness the power of social media
- A case study of how one engineering firm used LinkedIn to send lead generation results through the roof
Social media offers the greatest opportunity for marketers in our generation. However, it also requires the greatest paradigm shift. The Social Media 201 presentation goes beyond setting up accounts on social networks and it lays a framework for first, becoming a company worth talking about and second, developing a successful social media effort.
Learn what works for others & get ideas for your business.
Do you know that the internet can help your business grow but you don’t know where to start? Do you feel that you need to spend too much time or money to get results?
See this seminar to find out:
• The myths and realities of internet marketing
• How successful business use the internet to get more customers
•What you can do right now to attract and retain more paying customers
•How to avoid wasting time and money doing things that don’t work
For more visit: http://codesm.com
Social media marketing provides companies with a way to engage with existing customers and reach new ones while allowing them to promote their desired culture, mission, or tone.
YouthLink Scotland - Intro to Social MediaAdam Lang
A presentation prepared in 2011 to intoroduce staff members to the (then) current social media landscape in Scotland and the opportunities it represented for the sector. A bit too wordy, but still has some useful info.
IBM presentation at Digital Media Barcelona- Twitter For Business Microbloggi...the bureau, digital agency
IBM presentation: Twitter for business - Microblogging goes to work by Delphine Remy-Boutant, WW Social Media Marketing Manager IBM SWG - Digital Media Barcelona event 16th September
Social Media Marketing for small businessesMaureen Wright
A presentation about Social Media and how businesses can use it to promote their businesses. Aimed at small business owners who don't currently use social media, the presentation gives a brief overview of social media and some of the most popular platforms. It also offers advice on how to plan your social media strategy and how to decide which platforms to focus on for your business.
Building RAG with self-deployed Milvus vector database and Snowpark Container...Zilliz
This talk will give hands-on advice on building RAG applications with an open-source Milvus database deployed as a docker container. We will also introduce the integration of Milvus with Snowpark Container Services.
How to Get CNIC Information System with Paksim Ga.pptxdanishmna97
Pakdata Cf is a groundbreaking system designed to streamline and facilitate access to CNIC information. This innovative platform leverages advanced technology to provide users with efficient and secure access to their CNIC details.
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...SOFTTECHHUB
The choice of an operating system plays a pivotal role in shaping our computing experience. For decades, Microsoft's Windows has dominated the market, offering a familiar and widely adopted platform for personal and professional use. However, as technological advancements continue to push the boundaries of innovation, alternative operating systems have emerged, challenging the status quo and offering users a fresh perspective on computing.
One such alternative that has garnered significant attention and acclaim is Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, a sleek, powerful, and user-friendly Linux distribution that promises to redefine the way we interact with our devices. With its focus on performance, security, and customization, Nitrux Linux presents a compelling case for those seeking to break free from the constraints of proprietary software and embrace the freedom and flexibility of open-source computing.
Alt. GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using ...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Communications Mining Series - Zero to Hero - Session 1DianaGray10
This session provides introduction to UiPath Communication Mining, importance and platform overview. You will acquire a good understand of the phases in Communication Mining as we go over the platform with you. Topics covered:
• Communication Mining Overview
• Why is it important?
• How can it help today’s business and the benefits
• Phases in Communication Mining
• Demo on Platform overview
• Q/A
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdfPaige Cruz
Monitoring and observability aren’t traditionally found in software curriculums and many of us cobble this knowledge together from whatever vendor or ecosystem we were first introduced to and whatever is a part of your current company’s observability stack.
While the dev and ops silo continues to crumble….many organizations still relegate monitoring & observability as the purview of ops, infra and SRE teams. This is a mistake - achieving a highly observable system requires collaboration up and down the stack.
I, a former op, would like to extend an invitation to all application developers to join the observability party will share these foundational concepts to build on:
GraphSummit Singapore | The Art of the Possible with Graph - Q2 2024Neo4j
Neha Bajwa, Vice President of Product Marketing, Neo4j
Join us as we explore breakthrough innovations enabled by interconnected data and AI. Discover firsthand how organizations use relationships in data to uncover contextual insights and solve our most pressing challenges – from optimizing supply chains, detecting fraud, and improving customer experiences to accelerating drug discoveries.
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
Unlock the Future of Search with MongoDB Atlas_ Vector Search Unleashed.pdfMalak Abu Hammad
Discover how MongoDB Atlas and vector search technology can revolutionize your application's search capabilities. This comprehensive presentation covers:
* What is Vector Search?
* Importance and benefits of vector search
* Practical use cases across various industries
* Step-by-step implementation guide
* Live demos with code snippets
* Enhancing LLM capabilities with vector search
* Best practices and optimization strategies
Perfect for developers, AI enthusiasts, and tech leaders. Learn how to leverage MongoDB Atlas to deliver highly relevant, context-aware search results, transforming your data retrieval process. Stay ahead in tech innovation and maximize the potential of your applications.
#MongoDB #VectorSearch #AI #SemanticSearch #TechInnovation #DataScience #LLM #MachineLearning #SearchTechnology
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Unlocking Productivity: Leveraging the Potential of Copilot in Microsoft 365, a presentation by Christoforos Vlachos, Senior Solutions Manager – Modern Workplace, Uni Systems
Sudheer Mechineni, Head of Application Frameworks, Standard Chartered Bank
Discover how Standard Chartered Bank harnessed the power of Neo4j to transform complex data access challenges into a dynamic, scalable graph database solution. This keynote will cover their journey from initial adoption to deploying a fully automated, enterprise-grade causal cluster, highlighting key strategies for modelling organisational changes and ensuring robust disaster recovery. Learn how these innovations have not only enhanced Standard Chartered Bank’s data infrastructure but also positioned them as pioneers in the banking sector’s adoption of graph technology.
Removing Uninteresting Bytes in Software FuzzingAftab Hussain
Imagine a world where software fuzzing, the process of mutating bytes in test seeds to uncover hidden and erroneous program behaviors, becomes faster and more effective. A lot depends on the initial seeds, which can significantly dictate the trajectory of a fuzzing campaign, particularly in terms of how long it takes to uncover interesting behaviour in your code. We introduce DIAR, a technique designed to speedup fuzzing campaigns by pinpointing and eliminating those uninteresting bytes in the seeds. Picture this: instead of wasting valuable resources on meaningless mutations in large, bloated seeds, DIAR removes the unnecessary bytes, streamlining the entire process.
In this work, we equipped AFL, a popular fuzzer, with DIAR and examined two critical Linux libraries -- Libxml's xmllint, a tool for parsing xml documents, and Binutil's readelf, an essential debugging and security analysis command-line tool used to display detailed information about ELF (Executable and Linkable Format). Our preliminary results show that AFL+DIAR does not only discover new paths more quickly but also achieves higher coverage overall. This work thus showcases how starting with lean and optimized seeds can lead to faster, more comprehensive fuzzing campaigns -- and DIAR helps you find such seeds.
- These are slides of the talk given at IEEE International Conference on Software Testing Verification and Validation Workshop, ICSTW 2022.
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
GridMate - End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid...ThomasParaiso2
End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid regressions. In this session, we share our journey building an E2E testing pipeline for GridMate components (LWC and Aura) using Cypress, JSForce, FakerJS…
3. “Everyone wants to do it.
Nobody knows how.
When it‟s finally done there‟s surprise it‟s
not better.”
Avinash Kaushik – Analytics Evangelist, Google
4. 1 What is social media?
2 Why use it in business?
3 5 social media myths
4 Is it relevant for my business?
5 Getting it right
5. What is social media?
use of web-based and mobile
technologies to facilitate
interaction, collaboration and the
sharing of content
14. The numbers can‟t be ignored
• LinkedIn has 100m+ users globally, growing at a rate of 1m
every week, there are around 4m in the UK
• Twitter has 200m registered users; 180m+ tweets a day! 50%
log in every day
• YouTube had 144m viewers in September 2010
• Facebook has 800m+ users world-wide with 45 billion pieces
of content shared per month and 1.5m businesses with
active Facebook pages
15. social media for business
At its core, Social Media for businesses is about:
• Listening
• Learning
• Engagement
• Communication
• Reputation
• Conversion
18. social media is mainstream
• 98 of the FTSE 100 are represented on LinkedIn
• Facebook„s fastest growing segment is users over 30 years
old
• Nearly three-quarters of baby-boomers use a video sharing
site like YouTube, every month
• Research has shown that 50% of pensioners are on
Facebook and a third use YouTube
• More than four out of five online users are active in either
creating, participating in or reading some form of social
content at least once a month
21. Word of mouth has always been
important
...social media makes it visible
• In 2007 15% of B2B marketers said they used social media
• In 2010 that number has risen to 57%, using some form of
social media to connect with customers, create leads and
tap in to new sources of innovation
• In 2009, 51% of B2B communicators cited brand
building/brand management as the primary objective for
social media adoption
• Digital and word of mouth is deemed the most trustworthy
source of information
26. Two thirds of consumers expect
companies to allow them to post
positive and negative comments on
their website
27. Myth 4
social media is not
relevant to conversion
28. social media works at all stages
of the sales & marketing funnel
Online advertising, news
AWARENESS
content, specialist reviews
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
INTEREST podcasts, product videos
EVALUATION Review forums, live chat
COMMITMENT Blogging, recommendations
Participation, interaction
REFERRAL
and advocacy
32. Start by listening
Listen to what‟s said about your
brand, products, service or
sector online
Monitor relevant blogs and
forums
Set up tracking and listening
tools
34. Learn from your listening
• As with all good research, your findings will shape your
social and marketing strategies, guiding your level of
involvement
• Even if your learning tells you that it is not appropriate
to become more actively involve, you may chose to
continue listening and learning
36. Have a clear objective
• What do you want to
achieve?
• To listen and observe in
order to inform your
marketing strategy?
• To engage with
customers to improve
brand reputation?
• Gain new customers?
• Open up new markets?
• Drive traffic to increase
sales online?
37. Blogging
• Blogging is one of the earliest forms of social media
and is a vital tool for B2B organisations
• It can enhance SEO activity and also provides a
compelling reason for people to regularly visit your
site
• It displays thought-leadership
38. Forum
• B2B typically has a more limited audience, but at the
same time that audience is more clued up
• Forums provide a method for individuals to discuss
industry issues with fellow professionals
39. LinkedIn
• B2B professionals have highlighted LinkedIn as one of
the most effective channels for new business
• It is important to harness the professional networking
opportunities this channel presents
40. Facebook
• Not just a platform for B2C companies
• Facebook is an excellent way to share a wide range of
content with an audience
• A „Like‟ is NOT engagement
41. Twitter
• Twitter is an excellent
channel for B2B
organisations
• Seek out stakeholders,
media, thought-leaders and
engage with them
• Engage with customers and
provide regular snippets of
information
42. YouTube
• 24 hours worth of video is uploaded to YouTube every
minute
• Provides an excellent platform to share video content
with your audience
• Don‟t have a silo approach to YouTube – cross-sell
across other platforms to help build traffic
43. Google+
• New and exciting or just another platform we have to
worry about?
45. Success metrics
It‟s not just about number of followers
It‟s about:
• Number of influential people who Tweet about the
brand
• Number of influential blogs that are linked to us
• Increase in page ranking
• Number of unique visitors
• Number of people by location who follow your brand
• Number of things discovered about customers that we
didn‟t know before
• Impacting on the volume of negative / neutral / positive
content in social spheres
47. Some cardinal rules for businesses
Once you post content, it is almost impossible to
remove it
Never post anything you wouldn‟t say in person
Never lie, you will always be found out
Never post anything in anger / as an emotional reaction
Do not ignore replies
Always be polite
Always make content relevant
Do not leave accounts for extended periods of time
Editor's Notes
So just what is social media all about. Well we love this quote as we think it sums up the apprehension we hear from so many companies in both B2B and consumer sectors
Today we are broadly going to cover:Definitions and simple explanationsWhy should you consider using it in business? We are going to offer some compelling reasons as to why you shouldMyths – there are so many of these flying around and we are going to counter some of the most commonThis is a vital question that only you can answer – we’ll provide some guidance to help you decideAnd finally, a few pointers on getting it ‘right’
You could put up anyone of hundreds of definitions of social media here, but this one really puts it at its simplest. Communication enabled by technology. Looking at it from a simplistic perspective, e-mail is a form of social media – however with the considerably more advanced platforms available now it is very much on the peripheral of this area
Social media is about content – that could be someone posting that they have just bought something, to posting pictures of their wedding or blogging a diatribe about a horrible experience that they have just had. It is the process of sharing using technology that makes it social. Although not relevant for business – we could not resist including Charlie bit my finger – Again! – one of YouTube’s most popular videos. It illustrates that even the simplest content can gain significant traction.
So here are the most frequently used and most famous of social media platforms. From the early established such as Google and Wikipedia to newer fashionable blogs such as tumblr.
The common perception is that social started as a way for friends and family to keep in touch and ‘socialise’. However, in reality e-mail can be seen as the first incarnation, which was initially developed in academia and was then adopted into business. It is certainly true that the most common use of social platforms is friend / family interaction, however it is not without its benefits for B2B activity
B2B brands need to join the debate and influence these online opinions and build relationships with customers and prospects. Social media provides a way for businesses to join the debate and directly engage with their customer base through a non-traditional channel – it allows them to communicate on a platform that many people use as part of their daily routine.
The growth of these platforms, through growing sign-ups and increasing depth / variety, means that businesses simply cannot afford to ignore social media. Sticking your head in the sand just doesn’t work anymore!
WOM marketing is critical – it has been shown to behind as much of 50% of purchasing decisions. This has typically been used within the B2C sphere, but there is equal importance of using this within the B2B marketing.
The evolution of social media has dramatically enhanced the potential reach and audience for WOM. It has presented an excellent platform for businesses to take advantage of the opportunity WOM presents.Here are a few numbers for you…
Search is set to be about ‘sociagraph’, not just algorithmsLinked in has 4m users in the UK. The most LinkedIn sectors are IT, Financial services, computer software, marketing / advertisingNatural search liking and recommending content is set to become as important as search.Google+1 set to remould how people search for content – brings in peer-to-peer recommendations to search results. Recommendations from peers.Facebook is working hard to commercialise its platform beyond Farmville. Nearly half of the UK population is signed up to FB. FB Mobile has over 350million users globally. Avg user is connected to 80 pages, groups, eventsMobile is the future of social interaction. The growth of smart phones means there is even greater capacity to monetise social activity – particularly gamingA host of new developments from F8 - update
We have outlined some of the reasons why you should be involved – now it is time to dispel a few common myths that you may of heard.
I guess this depends on your definition of young!But in reality this simply isn’t true – social media is for everyone.
And these stats really say it all!FB fastest growing segment is 30+50% of pensioners use FB and a third use YTMore than 4 in 5 online users create / participate / read some form of social content at least once a month
Here a few examples brands that will appeal to some of the older among us – social media isn’t just for the young.
Again – this simply isn’t true and some of the world’s biggest B2B brands are involved in social media
These numbers show the increased participation from B2B companies as they recognise the value social media can offer their businesses.It is of growing importance to business – it provides an ideal channel that organisations can use to engage directly with their audience on platforms they will most likely use on a daily basis
Dell Enterprise is an good example of a B2B brand utilising FB to reach its audience. Intel and Cisco are also very proactive on social mediaAlthough it has fewer likes, you have to take into account that its potential audience is far smaller than its consumer facing division – never benchmark your following against those achieved by consumer brands – it is a different playing field
And here is another example of a B2B brand doing it well.
And here is another example of a B2B brand doing it well.
Social media is NOT about geeks and computer games or re-enactments of roundhead / cavalier battles.Social media is mainstream and people now expect companies to b using it.
Social is a fundamental part of the marketing mix, it is no longer simply a ‘nice to have’. It has relevance at all points of the sales and marketing funnel – from awareness to referralAdvocacy is social nirvana – creates brand ambassadors / advocates that create a very strong reason to purchase
Brand messages and stories are communicated in real time and not through brochures and short term advertising.Not being in social media won’t stop people talking about you, your brand or your products – good or badIf you’re not in it, you won’t hear / see, you can’t respond and address the negative or build on the positive
Successful marketing activity is developed through being informed about the target audience. Listening is vital to any social media activity – it will show you where people are talking about your brand / product / sector and help guide your decisions moving forwards.
Social media is a continual process of learning – constantly analyse the content that you derive from listening, take time to understand what people are saying about you, your competitors and your sector. This will enable you to create a far more effective strategy.
Learning is vitalIt will tell you what, where, when, how, sentiment etcThe more you listen, the more you learn – the more informed your approach will be
So you listened / learned:You may have decided there is no compelling reason to participate at this moment in time. If that is the case I would urge you to keep listening – keep in touch to see if the situation changesIf you are ready for the next step – here are a few guiding principles to help you get it right
A clear and concise strategy with a defined objective is essential. Social media must be treated as any other part of the marketing strategy so that it can be measured.Why is social media right for your business?What is the rationale for participation in each social media channel?How will you integrate this into your overall marketing strategy?What tone / approach / characteristics should be implemented to ensure an appropriate corporate voice is used which maintains brand consistency?Resourcing – time, content, responding, engaging
Corporate blogThought-leadership is a vital part of building confidence on your brandIt has to be relevant to your audienceIt can’t simply parrot other content – you will lose interest as people will ultimately return to the originating news sites, such as BBC etcIt has to be regular – if you build an audience, make sure you keep feeding them the content. Don’t let it lapse.Make it shareable – include the opportunity for readers to quickly and easily share or vote on (Google+1) the contentThird party bloggingEngage with bloggers as if they are journalists – be respectful, they can command immense respect from their followers
Forums are vital for businesses. Listening will help you learn where these forums are, who is on them and what they are saying. There will most likely be a range of well-established and highly respected B2B forums with your audience.You can use this information to feed your wider activity, as well and your social activity.If you engage on forums, do it respectfully, tactfully and only when the opportunity presents itself. Don’t just sell, seek to provide constructive advice to a problem they have highlighted with your product / business.
In a survey of B2B marketers, 26% identified LinkedIn as their single most important social tool.98 of the FTSE 100 are on LinkedInHow?Complete a comprehensive profile page, including details of your products and servicesPublish content so that followers can see you are activeUtilise the search functionality to identify relevant groups – join and contribute to the discussion, listen to what people are sayingUse the search functionality to identify potential customers, contact them directly and start to build a relationship – it is a professional networking tool so use it!Targeted LinkedIn adverts – paid for, highly targeted using LI dataBe active – respond and engage
Recent changes – around 78% of users don’t like the way it has changes – this may impact on the way that brands are able to use FB to engage.Best practiceCreate a landing page – include a call to action on the page!Segment information so that it is easy to findOutline house rulesIncorporate applications that will engage with the audienceUse the FB page to act as a hub for your other social channels, for example promoting youtube vids, twitter feedsContent, content, contentCommunicate, respond, engageOpportunities to build B2B Facebook:Rewarding brand advocates – Cisco do this very well with their SuperFan Spotlight – it is a very basic step but helps build a level of engagement with the audienceProduct case studies – Fluke Corporation uses its FB page to encourage product testimonials. It is highly product focused and fans know exactly what they are gettingUse it as an online news room – promote your company news, with images / video content. Scania does this very well. It also has a house rules section, which is a very important aspect of the siteShare video content – Use the FB page to share the content you post to other video content hosting sites – this may be your own domain or places such as YouTube or Vimeo. Dell Enterprise uses its FB page to share a wide range of contentMake your FB page a source of expertise – post expert comment, links to blogs, provide information about those thought-leaders within your organisation so they are more than just a name – allow people to identify with them on a more personal levelGenerate leads – a landing page is an excellent way to achieve this. Use an application on the landing page to encourage visitors not only to like the page, but also take a further action – for example request a free item / discount if you do X – this will provide the added bonus of data capture and give you greater understanding of your audience. Be active – don’t let it lapse – at the same time, don’t flood it with content. This can annoy fans and ultimate cause them to un-like the page because it is dominating their feed
Twitter is 140 characters of something, that something is entirely up to you.It provides a really good opportunity to share a quick thought along with a link through to additional content.News releasesA new blog postAn industry developmentNew video content added to your YouTube channelOffline content – eventsCustomer service! – this is a major use of twitter – it is real-time and a quick and simple tweet response shows that a customer has been acknowledged. Careful with private data – take conversations offline if needed. Allows proactive approach to customer service - @BTCare - broadbandUse Hashtags to communicate with an audience beyond your followersPromoted tweets / hashtagsBuild not only followers, but also seek out and follow relevant people. Don’t just broadcast content - consume, digest and engage with content, yours and others1. Hubspot (@Hubspot)2. Forrester (@Forrester)3. eMarketer (@eMarketer)4. CME Group (@CMEGroup)5. comScore (@comScore)6. Cisco (@CiscoSystems)7. Gartner (@Gartner_Inc)8. Oracle (@Oracle)9. radian6 (@radian6)10. Intel (@Intel)
Build a channel properly and populate it with content – brand continuity – making the user journey as simple and natural as possibleBe prepared to regularly upload contentEnsure you focus on providing content that your audience will want to seeDemos, conferences, talking-heads, case-studiesCross-sell YouTube presence across wider areasIt is now widely acceptable to hold corporate content on YouTube – relieving the pressure placed upon your own site – lightweight and easier to manage?
It might be the new kid on the block, but because it is intrinsic to the world’s largest search engine – it holds fantastic search benefits for businesses.It will be a major challenger to FB, providing a new way for people to engage with not just friends, but wider circles – you can segment this in anyway you chooseFastest out of the big three to reach 10m+ usersEncourage people to share your content with their Circles on Google+Implement the Google+1 button with content you post so that people can give their public stamp of approval. It is similar to the ‘Like’ button, but is integrated into Google’s search results so your Circles can see – it takes peer-to-peer recommendations to the next levelFacebook is a closed book – Google+ isn’t – this opens it up to a whole new world and expands its reach over FBMany experts are saying when, not if, so get in quickGoogle is slowly rolling out Google+ for business, so keep your eyes peeled for more opportunities
A strategy is key to measuring ROI – every business has different objectives and therefore the ROI will be different for each.Measurement is much more than quantity – as we pointed out, Likes can mean absolutely nothing – so look at it from a qualitative basis as well as a quantitative.