Bright talk b2b social media 6 nov
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These slides formed part of a webinar session led by Neil Malcolm, account director at BDB, where he explored how some of the primary social media channels can be harnessed more effectively for b2b brand engagement and marketing conversion.
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Bright talk b2b social media 6 nov
- 1. Neil Malcolm account director, BDB www.bdb.co.uk @BDBmarketing Going social in B2B
- 2. Session objectives Understand the role of social media within integrated B2B marketing communications Equip you with some techniques to overcome common barriers to getting the most out of B2B social media Explore the key considerations for getting started and some steps for demonstrating success @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 3. Why social media? @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 4. Understanding the landscape @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 5. Identifying the opportunity @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 6. Applying context @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 7. Activity implementation @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 8. What makes good content? @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 9. Twitter @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 10. Twitter @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 11. Facebook @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 12. Facebook @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 13. LinkedIn @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 14. LinkedIn @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 15. Pinterest @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 16. Pinterest @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 17. Getting started @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 18. Integrated management Example of ‘short link’ and hashtag @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 19. Demonstrating success Here’s the heart of the matter. The essence of social media is knowing your audiences and engaging them in something they love @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 20. Social media goals @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 21. Social media measurement @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk November 2014
- 22. FAQs What social media channel should we use? Who should post the content? How will we have enough content to post? We’ve had a negative comment, what should we do?
- 24. Upcoming webinars @bdbmarketing www.bdb.co.uk October 2014
Editor's Notes
- Hi everyone and thanks for joining the latest session on international b2b marketing agency BDB’s BrightTalk channel. My name is Neil Malcolm and I’m an account director at BDB. Today, I’m going to talk about the role of social media in B2B marketing communications and give some tips on how to implement a successful approach in your future campaigns. The session is aimed at people with a beginner or intermediate knowledge of social media, who are currently working in an in-house b2b marketing communications role and want to extend the reach of their campaigns and connect with audiences via social media platforms. At BDB, we are often approached by people who are in this position and the trigger for getting in touch can range from wanting to develop an understanding of social media in a B2B context, to exploiting the opportunities of integrating social media channels into marketing communications campaigns. First, some housekeeping. We’ll run a couple of polls today so do take part in any that I flash up. If you have any questions, please do submit throughout the session and I’ll aim to respond as we go along. Please also rate the presentation when you leave. It’s really important for our channel moving forward and we’ll take it on board for our future webinars. Ok…let’s get started...
- First up, here’s an overview of what we’ll cover today. The focus is very much on social media in a B2B context, although of course a lot of the principles will apply to B2C communications as well. The key element to remember is that social media activity requires careful planning and research to help support a clear strategy in relation to the platforms that will offer maximum benefit for your campaign objectives. By the end of this webinar, you should be able to better identify how social media could fit with your B2B marketing communications approach and overcome any barriers you may face to incorporating social media activity into your campaigns. I’ll also share some tips on how to get the most from social media and measure your activity effectively to maximize your chances for success.
- Let’s consider why social media could be a good fit for your B2B marketing communications mix. Key factors include; Build direct interaction between you and your customers Broadcast and share valuable content Showcase brand personality Drive website traffic to key landing pages – news stories, product campaigns etc (trackable and traceable user journey using integrated analytics) – this is a more detailed discussion than we’ll be covering today Reach your customers in a direct and engaging way – and broaden the reach of your messages beyond conventional communications channels Bring corporate values to life – eg. if a company claims to be innovative, then taking this approach with its communications can support the perception it is trying to create for its customers Encourage participation within its marketing, sales, product management and customer service teams – throughout the session I’ll be referencing some examples where we’ve provided social media support to a client, and in this instance they were looking to create a sub-team of social media community managers within their sales and marketing team
- Social media is an expansive communications channel, offering a wide range of tools and platforms in order to reach people in a more engaging and connected way. It’s important to remember that within this wide range of opportunities, there will be platforms that offer best fit for your business, and the audiences you’re targeting. In B2B, the most common platforms are highlighted in red. These can be even more specific when we start to target niche industries and sectors – eg. Pinterest is a common platform in the interior design marketplace, but its use is less common in other markets such as the oil and gas industry. For today’s webinar, we’ll be focusing on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Platforms such as YouTube and Slideshare, while fairly prevalent in B2B industries are a little more straightforward in terms of how business can exploit the platforms as they essentially provide a ‘hub’ for specific types of content – i.e. videos and presentations.
- Typically, social media opportunities will fall into these two categories; Tapping in to an existing social media community Building a community and starting from scratch Ultimately, it’s important to consider the target audience and how they interact with social media – you may have heard the term “watering holes” applied to this aspect of social media or content marketing. This relates to communicating and connecting with your audiences in the areas where they already gather. That way there’s an established community for your brand to join the conversation and share relevant and appealing content. Working with one of our former clients, a carpet manufacturer targeting the interior design and architectural sectors, we were building on social media activity with the UK team that had already been established in the US. Here, we identified the opportunity in relation to using regional content to engage with key audience groups in the UK and Europe.
- Building up a clear picture of the social media landscape you’re operating in provides valuable insight and visibility to inform your social media strategy and approach. Here you can see some examples of part of this review we worked through with our client. On the left you can see an overview of one their key competitors in relation to where they are most prevalent in social media. This also provided a clear idea of the types of content they were developing and promoting so that we could identify opportunities to differentiate our client’s social media activity. At the bottom of the slide is an overview of the social media activity of key industry press which demonstrated areas we could potentially connect offline trade PR activity with online channels. And finally, on the right-hand side is a review of one of our client’s key customers and their social media platforms. This shows how this particular customer uses social media to inspire its customers, and how our client could create appealing content that connected with end users in the market to influence their product preferences – in this case showcasing inspiring carpet designs as alternative to other materials such as wood, vinyl or stone tiles. The key considerations you should focus when looking to apply industry context are: Size of the audience – number of followers, likes etc Audience type – particularly useful in terms of finding people to follow Type of content featured – broadcast, interaction, polls/discussion topics, visual Frequency of updates Tone of voice
- Once you’ve completed your industry/market review, you’re in a strong position to develop your strategy based on your campaign objectives. It’s at this point where the analysis of the various platforms takes place to ensure you focus your activity on the most relevant channels in order to reach your audience in the most effective way. In a moment we’ll take a closer look at the merits of the common platforms for B2B social media mentioned earlier, but before we do this it’s important to draw attention to the key factors that may influence your selection of these social media tools; What’s your strategic position on adopting social media? Broadcast? Engagement? Or a combination of the two? This will ultimately guide your decision as to the most appropriate platforms to use depending on the type of interaction you want your audiences to have with your brand What marketing communications assets do you want to focus on or maximise through social media? High-quality, eye-catching images? Video content? Technical presentations? Website content – case studies, technical features (product selectors, calculators etc), blog posts?
- Social media is all about sharing great content with people in a way that makes it easy for them to engage. Without this essential building block careful consideration needs to be given in terms of how you can engage your audiences via social media. Showcase personality and opinion Opportunity to develop your brand personality Be consistent – across all channels Keep it clear and concise Write in soundbites - these are memorable and easy to recall for your audience. Also encourages a higher level of engagement and sharing Keep your target audience in mind – social media channels aren’t simply a loud haler for your business Capture your reader’s imagination Engagement and interest Edit, check, edit again before you post Remember keywords, SEO and linking
- What is Twitter? Launched in 2006 as a group resource and networking tool at a US podcasting company Twitter is a microblogging and social media service that allows users to send and receive text-based messages of 140 characters (although this can be longer when using specific tools within third party platforms) Users can post links and embedded images within tweets, comment and share content by retweeting
- In terms of good practice, here are some important things to remember; Tweets should be short and punchy due to the character length restriction. It is also beneficial to use shortened URLs to maximise content. Be creative to showcase your inspiration and gain followers. Test all links to make sure they work. Check the article/video is current and up-to-date. Invite people to engage with you and share their thoughts by asking them questions and what they think. Encourage people to retweet by including RT in your tweets. This gets your name on the Twitter feed of more people, strengthening your exposure and attracting more followers. Engage with your followers by replying to their tweets and thanking users for retweeting your messages. Start a trend or new conversation topic by using the # function. If a user makes a customer or general enquiry, direct them to the website or send a DM with the relevant contact details. So that was some of the things to remember, what about the things to avoid? Never post a link without explaining what it is – a short or snappy phrase will encourage people to click the link. Make sure the post does not endorse a competitor. Do not respond to concerns from customers about your products or services negatively. Try to be helpful and offer a solution where possible. Do not leave it a few days before responding to tweets or retweets. Twitter works in real time, so you should act immediately. Avoid tweeting the same content. Balance content of tweets covering corporate news, product information, what inspires you. Aggressive following can lead to account suspension. Be selective about who you follow.
- What is Facebook? Online social networking sites allowing sites to connect with friends, share and ‘tag’ photos, update statuses, ‘follow’ brands or celebrities and ‘like’ pages.
- From a good practice point of view here are some key things to remember; Always add a sentence or two when posting a link to explain the content – a short or snappy phrase will encourage people to click the link Actively encourage people to click on the link and post their thoughts – ask questions, ask them what they think – encouraging engagement is a fundamental part of social media, and particularly this platform Encourage people to share links where possible. This gets your name on more newsfeeds, strengthening your exposure. Test the link to make sure it works. Check the article/video is current and up-to-date. Make sure the post does not endorse a competitor. And in relation to photos, think about the following; Do not upload photos which are too similar. Each one should be unique. When a new album is posted, the last image, and the first three images will be showcased on your wall and in peoples’ newsfeed (as shown). Make sure these four images contrast sharply for maximum impact. Also, there are some practical tips for avoiding some common pitfalls in relation to using this platform; Don’t engage with negative, or unconstructive comments or messages unless there is a clear solution Don’t wait until you have the answer to respond to a question if it will take a while
- LinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals Networking channel for Generating connections Building relationships Sharing information Credibility / engagement depends on quality (not quantity) of content Stay active in the group Engage with group members to establish and develop thought leadership position Content must add value for the professional reader Attract followers through valuable content Keep followers through effective engagement Become a useful source of timely and relevant information The goal is for people to Like and Share with their network... And drive traffic to your website Create a regular feed of high quality content Raise level of engagement Using links and images Keeping posts short Being clear on the action you want followers to take Remember to answer “What’s in it for me?” (the reader)
- Join and participate in relevant groups Keep the conversation going Respond to questions and comments Reference your sources (link) Don’t post anything you wouldn’t be happy to announce in public Don’t assume your post is limited to your connections Don’t criticise others, especially the competition Post a link without reading it in full and in situ Humour can be subjective, so best to avoid Don’t plagiarise material Don’t lie or post spurious content
- Pinterest in B2B Virtual online pinboard that encourages people to collect, organise and share the content that interests them online Visual search engine that generates high levels of referral traffic – more than YouTube Tell the visual story of the brand to showcase personality online Aim to connect with audiences based on what they find interesting, with great content at the heart of the activity Practical guidance and advice; Start with content you already have – existing photography Consider showcasing different types of content -Infographics, data charts and brochures/catalogues can all work well to complement high quality photography Combine client images with other related pins to show involvement and interest in the wider industry Add specific links to pins so that traffic is referred back to the client website -Take advantage of the cumulative effect of multiple traffic sources
- Good practice; People are at the heart of the Pinterest community and there is a focus on positivity Remember that visual content is often subjective and comments and conversations can reflect personal taste Be authentic – users place more importance on brands that post interesting, insightful and engaging content rather than trying to achieve lots of followers Credit good work by linking back to the original page and encouraging people to do the same And remember; Under Pinterest terms of service, content posted to the site is owned by the member account - But Pinterest can show it to people and other users can re-pin it Keeping your page secure is key – ‘brand squatting’ has become more prevalent with the increased user base on Pinterest Using a Pin It button for relevant content on a client website will improve user engagement and encourage further sharing
- Important to assign and clarify clear roles and responsibilities (particularly when sharing resource internally, or working with a partner agency) Helps to manage expectations Ensures adequate resources are applied to the activity Build this approach around your specific needs, and what we can reasonably be delivered – social media offers a great opportunity, but you also need to give yourself the best chance of success Client experience: our responsibility was squarely aligned with getting the client team of community managers prepared and ready to manage the social media activity – BDB; Developed the strategy and approach Created social media training and practical guidance sessions on the selected platforms Presented to the client community managers and European sales team Provided ongoing consultancy, guidance and advice – available to answer queries re audience interaction and content Set-up the reporting format and provide initial evaluation reports
- Hootsuite Manage multiple social media platforms ‘Scheduling’ feature for advanced posts Monitor mentions Follow relevant keywords and hashtags Open access to multiple users with individual logins (Hootsuite PRO + additional logins) Integrated functionality requires minimum time and resources once it’s set up
- Evaluation and measurement is an important part of social media activity, and one of the most challenging A lot depends on access to data in order to assess and evaluate the valuable insight it provides which then helps inform the activity approach Be aware of the limitations that only basic, usually quantitative, data provides (likes, shares, views etc) Agree measurement parameters early on in the strategic development, as this plays a key part in setting the objectives and any KPIs Client experience: we had limited access to user data via the social media platforms and no access to website analytics. This meant that the reporting focused more on how users engaged with the content, but stopped short of evaluating what they did with that content, where it took them, or how it influenced their overall perception of the brand But ultimately it’s a learning curve. As you develop your social media experience and ability to integrate this activity into your offline marcomms/PR campaigns you’ll continue to refine your approach to measurement and evaluation
- Quantitative metrics Followers Views Output, rather than outcome focused Demonstrate reach of activity but not its effect Qualitative metrics Click-throughs Retweets Mentions Downloads Comments Focused on the outcome of social media activity
- Analytics-based tools to track social media activity Hootsuite platform has built-in analytics reporting Support with specific platform analytics – i.e Facebook Combine with data taken from Google Analytics of your website Establish benchmarks based on quantitative and qualitative metrics Analysis of social media community Measure effects of social media activity Continued, regular measurement to refine ongoing content plan
- Here’s an example of the typical questions we come across when B2B organisations are exploring the possibilities of social media; What social media channel should we use? - Depends on the campaign objective, strategy (broadcast, engagement, industry monitoring) and target audience Who should post the content? Depends on client resource, capability, preference BDB would always recommend clients ‘hit send’ on social media activity as they’re the ambassadors for the brand BDB can bring value in the strategic development, campaign planning and content guidance How will we have enough content to post? -Start with what you have and build up a bank of content -Plan, and use an editorial calendar to keep the activity on track -Follow discussions, and be prepared to be reactive We’ve had a negative comment, what should we do? -Manage it and don’t panic -Depending on the statement/type of comment, acknowledge it and then move the conversation offline -Shows other users that you’ve taken control of the situation and (hopefully) found a resolution -Ultimately, apply the same common sense and consideration to social media content as you would offline PR content – don’t talk about your amazing customer service if you’re not delivering this to customers
- That brings to an end today’s webinar. We’ve received some questions during the course of the session so I’ll take a minute or so to run through those.
- Please don’t forget to rate the webinar as you leave, or to subscribe to our channel for our upcoming events and On Demand content. Visit www.bdb.co.uk and click Insights to download our free guides on PR and marketing in b2b sectors. Ok, thanks again for your time and I hope you have a good rest of the day.