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 Collection: Where in the (Web 2.0) World To Start?

Clients and colleagues often ask me "Where in the (Web 2.0) world to start?" when they're looking to learn about marketing with social media, the profound shifts taking place with their target audiences and the new best practices they need to grasp.

So instead of sending them a long list of links, I've compiled a collection of posts, presentations and series into this slideshow... as it seems a better format for marketers to pick and choose where they want to begin. And you might just enjoy it, too.

The slideshow is below (and is best viewed in full-screen format). RSS and email subscribers, just click here to view.

Social Media Marketing: A collection of special posts, series and presentations

View more presentations from Christina Kerley (CK).

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

Social Media Risk vs. Reward: Your Market Is Not Waiting For You To Be Relevant (psst: neither are your competitors).

At the conference I spoke at last week, I cited relevance (and risk!) in my presentation, as well as in several other workshops when I addressed how best to transition companies to social media environments. I explained that risk is UBER important to assess, as a company has a responsibility to its customers, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. But even though social media means that your brand's reputation and message is far less within your control, companies can take steps to dramatically manage risk. How?

Companies can manage risk through establishing a social media policy, identifying a handful of employees to be the brand's spokespersons on social media platforms and provide social media training for their employees so that they're not flying blind in this thriving, dynamic new region that is The Social Web. Plus, companies can start out through small steps and, once they gain a comfort level, they can broaden the volume of initiatives they implement and the resources and budget they attribute to them.

And the best way for companies to manage risk? Ensure that their company, and all of its departments, are delivering upon their brand's promise, value proposition and customer expectations (which are expectations that the company has set through its marketing, sales and communications, so the company should be consistently delivering upon them).

But when it comes to relevance? Folks, once you've lost relevance with current and prospective buying audiences, then it's--poof!--gone. And at that point you'll need to build it back inch by inch, while your competitors are already miles ahead of you. They're gaining market share while you're working to gain ground. Where's the innovation in that strategy?

Remember, just because your company is not actively participating in these media does not mean that the conversation waits for you. Conversely, the conversation just flows on without you. I'll repeat that last part as it's pivotal to understand... it flows on withOUT you.

In fact it's flowing on without you right now.

What's worse? Your competitors aren't awaiting your participation, either. Nope. They're enjoying first-mover advantages, as they already conducted the risk vs. reward assessment. So you can imagine my delight when I ran across this article citing feedback from companies on this very point. According to the piece:

"Last week, executives from companies as varied as Wal-Mart, McDonalds, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Mayo Clinic gathered at General Mills’ headquarters in Minnetonka to discuss the opportunities and concerns presented by social media. And one thing became clear: For now, companies seem more fearful of being left behind than they do of losing control."

While relevance isn't necessarily calculated as a "hard" performance benchmark like, say, revenues, much like trust (and ergo, credibility), once relevance is lost, it's amazing just how important "Getting it back!" becomes. So make sure that the social media conversation that you hold inside your organization about the social media conversations you wish to hold outside your company does not only focus on the concern of how to manage risk--and the fear of losing control-- but also on the very real threat of losing relevance.

Because losing relevance is the biggest risk of all, no?

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

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:

Marketers, Social Media Makes YOU An Influencer, Too.

If there's one thing in social media that the marketing community analyzes like crazy--and marketers target like heat-seeking missiles--it's online influencers. In building relationships and respect with online influencers, marketers work to gain entry to the communities of prospective customers within which these individuals hold influence so as to increase brand awareness and brand sales. So it's a strategy with much merit.

But as I often tell my clients, it's FAR from the whole story of “social media influence.” While the trusted, popular people that have amassed large followings are no doubt important, they are not the only influencers wrought through social media participation. Nor do they wield the only type of influence that aids marketers in their efforts, and impacts their company’s success.

Viewing The Social Web as a new "region"... not just a new marketing channel.

When companies globalize and enter foreign markets, a critical success factor that they’ve learned--and many companies have learned it the hard way--is that they must first understand a new region before marketing to the region’s citizens. Otherwise they increase their odds of failure, instead of upping their rates of success.

The exact same principle applies to social media and, more to the point, to The Social Web. After all, The Social Web is not just a new marketing channel, it’s an entirely new “region," given it's a place that boasts such attributes as thriving communities, cultural nuances, a set of rules, common values, accepted practices and a preferred code of conduct.

Web 1.0 truly was a new channel and gave us unprecedented efficiencies for communications, marketing, research, sales, service and support. Google gave us a new way to research stuff, Amazon gave us a new way to conveniently buy stuff and eBay gave us a new way to sell all sorts of stuff. Companies led the way and we were able to connect to the Internet and these company's offerings.

But with Web 2.0, people lead the way and we're able to connect to each another. Because with social media, people now have access to the same media tools as companies, and people, not companies, create and share the majority of content... so it follows that people (not companies) set the rules and fuel the space's growth.

It's not that people no longer need companies in this environment, they just don't need them in the same manner. And instead of being customers of a particular brand or users of a particular technology, people are members of a particular community--and many times they are members of several communities spanning personal and professional interests.

Psst! Both your brands AND your social media programs must provide distinct sets of value to your markets. Yep, Both.

A social media presence is important for today's brands and yields various points of ROI for brand marketers. (I've published an exhaustive (!) list of the many value points here.) But still there seems to be a big enough misunderstanding by enough companies, that it warrants some clarification.

You see, it’s not only how your brand creates value for audiences offline but how your social media initiatives and involvement creates value for audiences ONLINE. Value that complements your brand's value proposition... but value that is both separate and distinct.

In fact, your audience should receive value from your social media programs even if they do not purchase your brand. Why? Because that value will encourage them to discuss, recommend and perhaps even purchase your brand.

For example, if I visit a blog by, say, a professional services company and it provides me with thought leadership--be it a new methodology, new viewpoint or new set of tips for handling age-old challenges--then I have received value from their blog (and I might even hire the company or refer the company to others).

But if that blog were merely a regurgitation of their press releases and product pitches? Then I would receive no value (and their perception would decrease in my mind). No-brainer, right?

Wrong.

You'd be amazed how often brainy companies blunder this principle.

The BIG Shift

Recently I met with a group of professionals who don't work in the technology sector and are just starting to dabble in social media (or perhaps it's more accurate to say they were just starting to dabble in the idea of using social media). The group I was speaking with were curious about all the buzzwords and hype they keep hearing. More to the point, they needed to better understand how these technologies affect them and their specific business environments.

As I explained to them, what we’re witnessing, and navigating our way through, is The BIG Shift.

While this shift is bolstered by technology--both Web 2.0 and other tech innovations--its effects cut across all industry sectors, be they professional or consumer. You see, Web 2.0 technologies are remarkable because they shift content creation and control from marketers to their markets. An unlike all other media, people, not profit-driven companies, fuel the growth of this space. In this era, consumers aren't waiting on companies to "get it" or get on board. Nope. Empowered by these tools consumers are fully equipped to move ahead all on their own.

From influencing the purchasing decisions of people located all over the globe... to building active communities and establishing mass movements... our markets are now leading us.

Via these technologies we're now able to reach more of the world, so geographical borders are of little relevance--with the voices of the so-called little guys reaching (and influencing) many the world over. Equally compelling, while technology levels playing fields and make for a world that’s more “flat,” the global connections and relationships that these innovations enable make for a world that feels, and seems, much smaller.

Web 2.0’s growth is fueled by REGULAR PEOPLE, not profit-driven companies. You'd be amazed how many professionals do not understand this fundamental principle--so please tell all your friends.

Other media, through their offerings and services, target regular people, but social media is comprised of them. In fact, Web 2.0 is the only set of media that places the dynamic tools of creation and communications in everyone's hands.

Sure, twitter is growing by leaps and bounds. But even more extraordinary, as pointed out in last week's Time article, is this:

"In short, the most fascinating thing about Twitter is not what it's doing to us. It's what we're doing to it." (The exact same thing applies to Facebook and other platforms.)

More to the point, when companies launch Web 2.0 initiatives the success of them rests on whether they can engage enough regular people to contribute to their platforms, and tell others to get involved with them. Those audiences might be consumers or professionals but, I assure you, they are by and largely regular people.

And, as I've said again and again (and yes, again):

The story is not that social media enables us to connect to the world. The story is that, given access to one another, the world is now actively connecting (and swapping stories).

Regular people. The vast majority of them using FREE tools. To freely voice their likes, dislikes, rants, raves, passions, preferences, pain points... and, yes, a lot of what they're doing/eating/watching on TV at that exact moment.

Think of it this way: just as there would be no television networks without programming created by studios and no magazines without columnists and reporters, there would be no social media if not for the people using these tools to (1) create, innovate and share content and (2) building communities and networks around their interests.

So where we needed CBS to fuel broadcast TV, Life Magazine to fuel print magazines and Amazon/eBay/Google to fuel Web 1.0, we need the everyday tweeters, diggers, MySpacers, Facebookers, commenters and bloggers to fuel social media. Ergo, unlike all other media, every day folks (regular people) don't just consume this space's content, they create it... and in turn, power this space.

Now, will companies lose money in this space? Yep. Many will falter at their first attempt and a bunch of offerings will never get off the ground. But this notion of a "Web 2.0 bubble bursting and dying!!" would mean that people, like, millions and millions of them, would suddenly *poof* burst--and worse, die. 

Marketers, welcome to the 'New Transparency' (and if you think that means "full disclosure" then you're missing the full story).

In the Web 2.0 environment, when companies are marketing with social media, you’re bound to hear the word “transparency.” And you’re bound to hear it a lot. Thought leaders exclaim “Transparency is critical!” because people appreciate honesty. Actually, they downright expect it.

For example, if an employee from a company that sells, say, trucks, start participating in online forums that are discussing trucks and the employee starts chatting up how a specific truck (that their company manufactures) is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but the employee doesn’t disclose--nor does the employee make it obvious--that he works at that truck-manufacturing company, then the employee has not been transparent... because he has not been up front about his truck-promoting agenda.

And that’s a BIG no-no (both online and offline). Further, by not disclosing any product bias or affiliation, it not only reflects poorly on the professional, but far more so on the company for which the professional works. It's a rule that all companies should abide--because when we disclose there is no deception, or question thereof.

Plus, if you don’t practice transparency in your communications, you’ll eventually, and many times quite quickly, be “outed" for not being transparent, since you did not fully disclose your position or agenda in your marketing programs and communications. And this is when controversies, backlashes and boycotts ensue, which place the reputations of both brands and companies at great risk. It's simply not worth the negative consequences. To be frank, it's not even an option for companies worth their salt given it's so highly unprofessional.

But that is not where the implications of transparency in this new era start and end. Nowhere near. The 'New Transparency' is not limited to employees (and promotional representatives) disclosing their professional affiliations to brands, it extends to users disclosing their personal experiences and perceptions with brands--and doing so in front of your entire brand audience.

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.

Riddle Me This, Marketers: Why oh why should brands have a social media presence?

I've covered the need for companies to use social media to listen to their markets more (and talk less). And I've covered social media best practices (a ton of them). Yet even after all these years, and all these posts, I repeatedly get asked a question, and a core one at that.

While it may seem a basic question to many who are already actively using social media, the question has much merit given that social media is still very new territory to many companies, and it's up to us to guide them in their learning curves. And their learning curves undoubtedly begin with this core question:

Why oh why should a company—whether a B2B or B2C organization—have a social media presence; what are the true gains to be gotten in going to the time and trouble of launching and maintaining a social media presence?

The thing is this: that there isn’t an answer to that question.

Well, there isn’t one answer.

There are many.

So it’s sort of a trick riddle. (Yeah, I'm tricky like that.)

Why, then, should companies establish and maintain a social media presence? Well marketers, the reasons are both vast and varied, ranging...

To get it right, start with asking the right questions.

I've written posts aplenty on how imperative it is that marketers--before diving into social media--truly understand this environment, both the tremendous opportunities it poses for companies and the best practices it demands from them.

Because Web 2.0 isn't just a shift in one's media spend but a shift in one's mindset. 

In recent months, I've also posted on how much upfront work is necessary before you get to the actual work of building out your social media presence and programs. Because while many things have changed in this new era, the need for a solid strategy and strong plan absolutely have not.

And a strategy warrants due diligence which means marketers need to do their research, assess their options, address their challenges... and come to a lot of answers. Yet, to get to the right set of answers you need to ensure you're asking the right questions.

(While this may seem obvious, you'd be amazed how often companies, even though they don't plan to fail, do fail to wisely plan.)

So, on that note, I've created a set of questions, organized by category, that can serve as a nifty checklist for companies when approaching this space. But it covers a lot (!) of ground so I've published the list on its own page right here.

(Happy Planning)

Oh, the irony.

When something strikes us as something other, or something opposite, than what we thought it should be--or what we projected the outcome would be--it takes us aback. Because it's ironic and that's the effect that irony has upon us.

Sometimes irony makes us scratch our bewildered heads... other times, it's embarrassing and we want to bury our heads in the sand... and yet other times it just gives us a really good giggle. One thing is sure, we don't soon forget irony because the sheer peculiarity of these moments and mishaps land them a permanent place in our minds.

It's like the universe reminding us that we can't be set on autopilot, lest we get served these *gotcha!* moments that catch us right when and where we least expect them.

And that brings me to Web 2.0 (aka "social media"), which is not just the most social of all media, but also the one most laden with irony.

Having been involved with social media for several years, I thought it high time to illuminate some of the most notable ironies that have surprised, startled and taught we marketers just how complex marketing can be when people, profit-seeking companies and new technologies converge. Oh, the irony indeed.

The world doesn’t change. Our minds do. And now that minds have changed... it's time marketers did, too.

When one says “The world has changed,” what that really means is that people’s minds have changed. Even when people discuss previous generations and past eras, they often explain, “It was a different time, the world was a different ‘place’ then.” But it wasn’t a different place. Not really. 

Fact is, the thinking, sentiment and culture of the time was different—and so the world felt different, as well.

In some cases, changes in mindsets are spurred by developments that mark a turning point, or by people whose visions amass a movement. In other cases, changes are bolstered by innovations that empower people in new ways—whether through new abilities, choices or freedoms—by giving them something that they didn’t have, or have access to, before.

Whatever the reason, one thing is sure: something so significant occurred that it altered the status-quo from that point forward. It changed our thinking and, as our minds go, so too our world.

Hi. I'm here to help you be more human. Yes, technology will be involved.

As marketer, one could think my time with clients is mainly spent developing lofty strategies and clever programs to garner gobs of market share and WOM. Oh, but if only that were the case.

Along with all the high-level strategizing, I clock plenty of time knee-deep in the trenches when training companies on the ways, whims, practices and protocols of social media.  You see, social media is a funny thing. Why? Because due to tremendous cost efficiencies and tremendously easy publishing tools, social media is the easiest medium to enter, but it's the hardest one to truly understand.

As specialists, when it comes to the wonders of Web 2.0… blogs and wikis and twitter, oh my!... we need to be mindful of making the technology “tangible” for our clients, otherwise it’s too techie and they tune out. And we also need to espouse best practices to ensure lots of signal and much less noise for audiences (trust me, it’s getting really noisy in here).

But chief among all these points is this: To succeed in social media, one must get past thinking “technology” and, instead, think “humans.”

Whether or not you like these tools doesn't matter (it NEVER did). What matters is whether your markets do (it ALWAYS has).

I've been seeing (and mainly hearing) several of my very brainy colleagues talking about how they find so many Web 2.0 tools downright inane. To be fair, many label them "just plain stupid."

Last week alone I spoke to 3 of my talented peers about this subject and was astonished at their stance. I was not astonished at their personal preference-- hey, use the tools or don't, I don't care as that choice is certainly not mine to make or impose upon another. It's up to each and every person. Oh how I love choice.

I'll only suggest my colleagues use these tools when I think they might find value in them... and if it were me, I'd be happy that my colleagues wanted me to participate since it signals that they value my opinions and like my company.

But what's astonishing (read: myopic) is when they take their personal preferences and apply those to their markets. And that's when I become mouthy.

Because we shouldn't be speaking for our markets, we should be listening to them speak to us--be it through their feedback, media preferences, product consumption and so on.

Some things bear repeating...

When you're involved in social media--or perhaps I should say "participating in this conversation"--it's easy to forget that others are not yet. And by others I mean the majority... yes, fellow bloggers, twitterers, facebookers and social networkers, while the numbers are growing by leaps and bounds, we are still in the minority.

Much like we did at the outset, many people and professionals are still asking some very-basic-yet-very-logical questions. Like, for instance, why blog? What value, insight or satisfaction could possibly be derived from people sharing their ideas, opinions, preferences, passions, likes and dislikes across the Web?

Well, I have an answer for that. Actually, I have many answers. Straight from the source. (Many sources, actually!)

Way back in the fall of 2006 I asked a core question of my readers: What is the single greatest point of value that you receive from blogging? (I asked it here). And from their answers I created a piece--more aptly, I created a collage--that I frequently share with other colleagues, clients, prospects and audiences be it through presentations or via one-on-one conversations.

I rerun this piece about once a year here since new people are coming into this space daily--and a portion of them might even stop by this little blog (psst: if you're new to this blog, I officially welcome you and I thank you for spending some time here).

And as I point out, there are two key things to understand about the piece. First, it was created from opinions across the marketing community--not just mine. And, second, the answers are very diverse. We may all be receiving value from this exchange, but the core value that we receive--spanning knowledge, connection, community, self-improvement and many, many more differ for each person.

If you've not yet read it, take ten minutes and review the many answers; the first page of the collage gives short answers all on one page, and pages 2-5 give you the full comments. Perhaps it will help you, too, in understanding and explaining the myriad points of value that are derived from blogging to your curious clients and colleagues. And you might even find some new blogs in the process, as all answers are hyperlinked.

The piece is in PDF format here. And if you don't prefer downloading a PDF, a rich media version of the collage is right here. Enjoy and feel free to pass it on.

PS: for other goodies and posts on social media, just go here.

What Marketers Can Learn From The Frozen Food Aisle...

Frozen food is a gamble if ever there was one. Sometimes you luck out and lunch is a 5-minute microwaveable miracle. And other times?

You kick yourself for being so easily seduced by the scrumptious images on the package… since the product inside tastes less like those pictures and far more like the cardboard box it came in.

Enter Greg Ng; the self-proclaimed “frozen food master” who publishes FreezerBurns, a show where eats his way through the frozen foods aisle one box—and one brand—at a time.The show's genius is focusing on an aspect of food reviews that, until now, has been untapped yes is ubiquitous: frozen food.  

But what does frozen food have to do with marketing? And what could these lessons have to possibly do with marketers that don't promote frozen foods? I have all those answers and much more yummy marketing goodness in my current column over at The Daily Fix. 

(Just go here to learn all!)