Neville Hobson - B2B Social Media Overview

Copyright 2010 WCG.

B2B Social Media

WhyDoes It Matter?

Neville HobsonHead of Social Media EuropeWCG London

@jangles

May 25, 2010

Copyright 2010 WCG.

www.wcgworld.comblog.wcgworld.com

www.forimmediaterelease.biz

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What’s More Important?

Defining “B2BSocial Media”

?

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Or Defining

What You WantTo Achieve

?

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What Social Media Is and Isn’t

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Social media is about

Relationships

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Why Social Media Matters

• Increasing importance of word-of-mouth on consumer purchasing behaviour

• Social media amplifies and accelerates word-of-mouth, rapidly shaping and influencing opinion

• Social media can help foster a genuine connection between a company and its customers/partners/employees/…

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What You Say You Want From Today

From the pre-event survey:

• To see how other companies are tackling this huge and challenging subject.

• I am looking at what companies think is the best way to use social media to drive awareness and as lead generation tool

• Would love to hear 'proved' successful social media strategies in B2B space

• Very interested to hear from and meet other business people interested in social media

• How B2B companies are specifically using Facebook - beyond individual marketing campaigns...

• Share ideas and best practice

• To hear more about social media in the B2B context, to network with others, to get ideas for how social media can either support strategic communications goals, or lead to the creation of other materials for comms

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Let’s Start With an Achievement

(She is your [insert description])

• Know how, where and when she discusses your brand online

• With whom

• With precision

• From awareness of you to an ambassador for you

• Welcoming you into her peer network

• Form a trusted partnership

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Who’s Doing What

?

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http://www.facebook.com/Cisco

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http://www.slideshare.net/abbukinstrumentation

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http://www.dell.com/twitter

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It’s a New Game

• Mobile, wherever there is a net connection

• Private location-based networks for sales staff

• GPS helps automate locations of sales visits into CRM system

• Tradeshow and event marketing for tailored lead generation

Purely the beginning

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The Formula for Success is Simple

1. Knowledge Understand your marketplace

2. ClarityListen and learn with precision

3. InfluenceIdentify the exact locations of influence and influencers

4. ContentFocus on content syndication and conversations

What You Can Achieve via Listening

• Know who the influencers are, with precision

• Know your “share of conversation” vs. “share of voice”

• Know where conversations are occurring that matter

• Know how news is shared and by whom

• Know of issues before they become mainstream

• Know the right keywords that drive search

• Know who to follow or friend

• Know what content your customers care about

• Know who is defining your brand, pro or conCopyright 2010 WCG.

Copyright 2010 WCG.

Ten Questions to Discuss in Your Company

1. How are partners, customers and employees providing you with ideas?

2. How do your teams act on insights each day?

3. How do you learn about issues?

4. Do you have a ‘central brain’ for listening?

5. Do you listen for silence or only for noise?

6. Are you paying high prices for commodity info and decreasing or avoiding investment in actionable insights?

7. Do you listen to your customers – B2B and B2C – in new and creative ways?

8. Do you know your competitors well enough that you can predict their habits?

9. Do you know how your customer is buying and how they talk when they are making decisions?

10. Do you know which topics are emerging as hot or decreasing in value vs. content on your site today?

Are you listening or just “accumulating”?

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Start…

1. Listen

2. Plan

3. Engage

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Thank You

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