Social Media for More than Just Consumer Brands
A presenter at yesterday’s Using Web Social Networking Tools to Create Business Opportunity event from the Connecticut Technology Council insisted that insistent that social media was only for B2C (business to consumer), which I thought was completely incorrect. Though I know that people at large consumer brands live and breathe social media, I also believe that those of us in the knowledge economy can benefit as well.
Business-to-business social media will be extremely valuable in the next couple of years, as more people become comfortable with conducting non-core business in public. Because so many of today’s businesses ventures are built on strong relationships and niche experience, we will need sources of real information on our colleagues, partners, customers and vendors. A resume will not be enough. A web page won’t provide the right information. We’re going to need data, over time, that gives a little insights into someone’s thought process. Blogs, profiles, twitterstreams, I think, do just that. They prove that an individual is thinking, processing, editing, developing, etc. These media may not always have the polish of a presentation piece, but they show the character of individuals, which is more than a resume or purchase order ever could.
Other takeaways from panelists:
- Don’t be a shameless self-promoter
- Share just enough non-professional information to remind people that you’re a human, full of thought and not under the control of some PR machine
- Share your experiences. You never know who else could benefit, or be inspired by you. And, when someone gets to the point of soliciting business, you could be top of mind.
- Go and experiment.
One Comment, Comment or Ping
Mike Selissen
Social media is indeed alive and well in B2B, particularly in the technology marketplace. Many companies incorporate blogs, wikis and audio/video podcasts into their communication mix, and make use of share sites like YouTube, Flickr, and Slideshare. But the challenge, as always, is for companies to focus on the communication goals and avoid the “We need a blog” mentality.
Of growing importance are online communities (both company sponsored and independent). Studies by MarketingSherpa and ITtoolbox show their increasing influence in the purchase cycle as members establish trusted relationships (this goes to your point about establishing online character). IBM, EMC and Oracle are examples of individual companies doing a splendid job of creating their own communities.
And there is certainly no shortage of B2B marketing blogs providing information and persectives on how to develop social media strategies. The lead gen company Marketo (no connection) maintains a list of B2B marketing blogs on their website.
Jan 8th, 2009
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