This document discusses using social media for measurable B2B marketing. It argues that traditional B2B selling is no longer enough and that customer intimacy requires understanding a customer's context. Contextual marketing combines customer profile and real-time behavioral data to deliver the right services at the right moment. Social media can benefit B2B firms by helping build relationships and create value for customers over time. The document advocates measuring social media's impact on revenue and the sales funnel, not just engagement metrics.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA
IN
MEASURABLE
B2B MARKETING
MIKKO EEROLA
WWW.AVAUS.FI
@TULENSRMA

2. 2
We combine strategy,
analytics and design with
technology and outsourcing
services.
DRIVING
BUSINESS
Focus areas:
• Digital transformation
• Customer growth
• Digital sales and B2B Lead
management
• Business model & service
innovation
• Business process efficiency

3. SOME GREAT COMPANIES WE WORK WITH:
92 SPECIALISTS
OFFICES IN HELSINKI, FINLAND
AND WROCLAW, POLAND
REVENUE 10 MILLION € (est. 2012)

4. CREATING A
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE
BASES FOR
DIFFERENTIATION
It’s difficult to differentiate
based on price or product
characteristics. It might work for
a while, but usually competition UNIQUE
catches up.
PRODUCT
However REALLY KNOWING
YOUR CUSTOMERS and
serving them based on their
individual needs will set you
apart.
COST
ADVANTAGE
Traditional B2B selling is NO
LONGER ENOUGH TO
CREATE CUSTOMER CUSTOMER
INTIMACY.
INTIMACY

5. THE
CHALLENGE:
IS NOT REALLY ME
THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE, BUT IT
A LOT OF THE CUSTOMER INFORMATION
COMPANIES CURRENTLY USE ISN’T REALLY
FOCUSED ON GETTING TO KNOW WHO THEY
ARE AND WHAT THEY NEED.
AND ABOVE ALL IT DOESN’T TELL MUCH ABOUT
WHAT THE SITUATION – THE CONTEXT – OF THE
CUSTOMER IS RIGHT NOW.

6. THIS IS
ME
ü Head of sales at midsize company
ü Member of executive team
ü Decision maker for sales and
marketing related purchases
ü Influencer in IT investment decisions
ü Gadget freak
ü Cigar aficionado
ü Time strapped, convenience
oriented
ü No children, has a cat
ü Houseowner
ü Lives outside city
ü Loves to travel
ü Fair price, not necessary cheapest
ü Prefers digital channels
ü Read your slideshare presentation,
clicked on a link in newsletter, Twitter
follower, FB fan
ü Only visits your website when
prompted

7. THE HEART OF Products/
CUSTOMER INTIMACY IS
services in use
RELEVANCE
Customer
lifecycle
Purchase
history
IS HELP FROM THIS
COMPANY RELEVANT
IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
Contact DAYS TO
history
MONTHS
Web searches
RELATIONSHIP
IS THIS SOMETHING I
NEED RIGHT NOW?
CONTEXT
REAL-TIME
Visit to webpage
Purchase
IMMEDIATE
CONTEXT
Expressed
PERSONAL needs
Call to CC
CONTEXT
Area of
Weather
residence
Location
Preferences
YEARS
Lifestage
IS THIS IMPORTANT
Attitudes
TO ME IN LIFE?
Social
connections

8. understanding context
+
CUSTOMER REAL-TIME
PROFILE DATA
BEHAVIORAL DATA
Contextual marketing is about understanding not just who someone is but where they are,
what they are doing, and what they are likely to do next. It’s about combining the right
information about a customer and the context to deliver the right services and communication
at the precise moment it offers the most value.

9. Scoring leads in order to find
customers that are ready to buy
Image: Marketo – The definitive guide to lead scoring

10. CONTEXTUAL
MARKETING
How can we then benefit
from social media?

11. Social models are emerging from
consumer services into the corporate world.

12. Yet B2B social media is seen either as
daunting, expensive, all-encompassing…

13. …or something relevant only for
companies catering to tech buyers.

14. However, even the B2B buyer is always
a person, never a corporation.

15. Did you know that 60% of the sales cycle is over
before a buyer talks to your salesperson?

16. So you should really focus on
building a relationship

17. and creating value for your
prospects and customers.

18. You might want to see it as
having the mindset of a gardener.

19. You will need to invest in resources,
content – and a suitable platform.

20. Also, don’t worry so much about
not having complete control.

21. But be ready to react quickly.

22. Find out what
motivates your customer
Source: Liz Smyth: Marketo on Marketing – London, September 2012

23. Engaging visual content helps stand
out and encourages sharing
Image: Liz Smyth: Marketo on Marketing – London, September 2012

24. 136,000
views
3,000
tweets
Are you still focusing on
whitepapers?
Images: Liz Smyth: Marketo on Marketing – London, September 2012

25. The fastest growing content format is
infographics

26. MEASUREMENT
Go boldly where no
marketer has gone before

27. B2B marketers are mainly measuring their
number of followers or content engagement

28. MEASUREMENT
HOW MUCH
REVENUE ARE
OUR SOCIAL
MEDIA
ACTIVITIES
GENERATING?
WITH MARKETING
AUTOMATION, MARKETERS
CAN LOOK BEYOND
TRADITIONAL METRICS
(CLICKS, OPENS, ETC.) AND
STARTING MEASURING
(AND FORECASTING) WHAT
EXECUTIVES REALLY CARE
ABOUT: CURRENT AND
FUTURE PIPELINE, REVENUE,
AND PROFITS.
Image: Liz Smyth: Marketo on Marketing – London, September 2012

29. Test & Tune With Social Funnel Metrics
Measuring success – ”The What”
Source: Liz Smyth: Marketo on Marketing – London, September 2012

30. Test & Tune With Social Funnel Metrics
Measuring success – ”The Where”
Source: Liz Smyth: Marketo on Marketing – London, September 2012

31. Test & Tune With Social Funnel Metrics
Measuring success – ”The Who”
Source: Liz Smyth: Marketo on Marketing – London, September 2012

32. Test & Tune With Social Funnel Metrics
Measuring success – ”The Beef”
Source: Marketo Revenue Cycle Analytics, 12 months ending 30 April 2012

33. Thank you!
Mikko Eerola
VP Sales / Avaus Consulting
+358 40 5899776 / mikko.eerola@avaus.fi
@tulensrma