CK's Blog

Building The B2B Business Case for Social Media Marketing: A 10-Benefit Slide Show for B2B Professionals.

I've written and spoken plenty about the tremendous benefits that B2B companies can yield by leveraging social media. And while more B2Bs are integrating social media into their marketing mix, many are still not convinced that these game-changing media apply to their businesses.

What do they need to make this leap? Rationale. B2Bs need the business case explained to them in a way that speaks to the unique objectives, needs and challenges of B2B companies (vs. those of B2Cs). To that end, I've developed this presentation for "Building the B2B Business Case for Social Media." Here's the description:

In a world brimming with MySpace teens, Facebook fan pages and millions of personal blogs, it's small wonder why so many B2B marketers view social media as strictly a "consumer play." But that mindset could be costing them revenues, relevance and, quite possibly, their competitive advantage.

This presentation illuminates the tremendous opportunities that social media affords B2B companies by building a strong business case, punctuated by 10 key benefits, that explains why B2B marketers should be leveraging these tools to engage with their audiences, grow profits and increase their reach. 

In the chance that you are also working to nudge more B2B companies away from the social media sidelines and into this brave new world of revenue potential--or are a marketing executive championing the social media marketing cause inside your own B2B organization--perhaps these arguments and benefits will help you build your social media business case, too.

Viewing the slides below in full-screen mode is recommended--but if you would prefer to view the presentation in PDF format, click here to download the slides.

Building the B2B Business Case for Social Media

View more presentations from Christina Kerley (CK).

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Social Media Tips • Social Media *Extras* • Social Media Training • Contact CK

Social Media Marketing Training: 5 Tips for Breaking Through The Knowledge Barrier.

Knowledge is powerful. But when it comes to companies moving into social media, lack of knowledge is absolutely paralyzing.

While social media adoption rates are exploding among consumer and professional audiences alike--and companies are attributing far more attention and budget to social media efforts--education remains one of the biggest barriers to social media adoption.

More to the point, lack of know-how is one of the biggest reasons that so many social media programs fail to perform. Take these recent findings on the knowledge barrier:

• According to a recent study by Russell Herder and Ethos Business Law, the marketing and HR executives surveyed who are not using social media on a corporate basis say non-implementation is primarily due to concern about confidentiality or security issues (40%), employee  productivity (37%) or simply not knowing enough about it (51%).

• As the "2009 Marketing Industry Trends Report by Equation Research illuminated, the leading barriers to corporate social media adoption are knowledge, measurement, and funding/time-resources.

Since one of my practice areas is social media marketing training, I wanted to share 5 key training tips on how best to educate, prepare and guide companies to succeed in the Social Web:

B2B Social Media: Top 10 Reasons Why The World Is Your Web 2.0 Oyster.

In a Web 2.0 World brimming with MySpace teens, Facebook fans, Celebrity Twitterers and blogs about cute kittens, it's no wonder so many B2B companies view social media, and the Social Web, as strictly a "consumer play."

That mindset, however, is costing B2B companies potential revenues, new customer relationships, unparalleled reach and, quite frankly, their relevance. Even worse when B2B companies realize that this opportunity loss isn't something that's being done to them... but due to something that they're simply not doing.

While I'm pleased to see quite a bit more Web 2.0 movement and participation from B2B players, I frequently find myself building the "B2B Social Media Business Case" when walking professionals through the multitude of programs, tools and strategies now afforded to them. I'm happy to have these discussions as, aside from it being part of my role to transition companies to these new media and new practices, it's rewarding to see the looks on executives' faces when they connect the dots and ... poof!... social media becomes (really) relevant to them.

Yet along with explaining the world of social media opportunities now available to B2B companies, I also need to illuminate that the world is not awaiting their involvement. Nope. Because unlike all other media, customers now have the very same tools of creation, communication and sharing that companies do and thus, customers are moving forward at unprecedented rates and quite potentially moving onto other companies that are actively using social media to build relationships with them. 

Moreover, their competitors aren't waiting on them, either. Hardly. Those smart companies are rightfully enjoying first-mover advantages in their respective sectors due to so many companies sitting on the social media sidelines waiting for others to move first. But what is innovative about waiting for those you compete with to make the first move into qualified markets? You guessed it, not a single thing.

So, in the case that you, too, are working to nudge more B2B companies into Web 2.0, here are 10 key points to help you build the B2B Business Case for using Social Media:

Want to master high-tech marketing? Start by going really low-tech.

Over the past three years it has been a sheer pleasure to write this blog and, more so, to learn from all the brilliant minds who publish so many great blogs. In so doing, I'm afforded the advantage of participating in a dynamic professional community that is constantly teaching me new ideas, remarkable insights and breakthrough methodologies. I even learn new ways to tackle age-old problems.

And in an economy based on sharing--with its fervent exchange of ideas, expertise and knowledge--my learning curve is constantly at full tilt as I'm gleaning so many different views and viewpoints. I grow, and my work grows better.

But even in my avid personal use of these media, and in my use of them professionally, one thing I know for certain is that nothing... not a single thing... can replace the value received through hands-on, face-to-face training.

No amount of books, blogs, conferences, e-conferences, ebooks, checklists, podcasts, position papers, Webinars or Web tools can equate to the level of impact that on-site instruction and professional guidance yields.

(And if I’m wrong on this premise? Then not only am I owed a whopping sum of cash back from college tuition fees, but business school owes me a mountain of money back, too.)

A book doesn’t answer you. A blog might not be able to answer you right away, or address the specific challenges you have at that moment. A conference is a space where you are but one in an audience of many. And during a podcast, you can’t interrupt the professional to clarify a complex point... you can only rewind the podcast and hope that you grasp that point when listening to it a second time. Or a third.

Oh the things those (fear!) demons make us do. The only thing more dreadful? The things those demons make us NOT do.

I've come to the realization that I'm not a marketer. Or maybe I should say I'm not only a marketer. Over the years, my role has evolved into 2 parts marketer + 1 part guide + 1 part therapist. 'Twas not intentional. But it's certainly called for in these disruptive times.

Because in transitioning companies to social media requires my tapping into all these roles. Why? The short answer is: fear of the unknown. Marketers now find themselves in uncharted territory that's defined by change and rife with ways to falter.

And hey, that's scary stuff.

You see, Web 2.0 (aka "social media") is more than a set of new technologies. Conversely, social media heralds an entirely new era that places customers in control because it puts dynamic media tools within everyone's reach. As a result, it changes so much of what marketers have learned up until now--and has companies of all shapes and sizes scrambling to keep pace with consumers. My how things change, and quickly so.

Exciting times? Definitely. An age that's ripe with revenue opportunities? Most definitely. Scary era for marketers? Definitely x infinity!

So while the marketer and the guide part of my role helps me teach companies the opportunities and best practices, and facilitates the necessary shift in their mindsets, the therapist part of my role is laser-focused on their fears. Because fear tends to make us not act, instead of take action. And we want companies to be proactive in their use of these new tools, not paralyzed by their fear of them.

Thus, it is here where we let the (fear) demons loose. Oh if only I had the budget to stream some CGI graphics where I could simulate demons encircling the room... maybe one day.