by tradesmeninsights | Sep 5, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
Social forums are an ideal way for B-to-B companies to demonstrate their expertise and knowledge. Forums are intended for people to exchange ideas and gather info. There are several to choose from… Quora, HighTable and LinkedIn to name a few. Most of my experience has been using LinkedIn.
A recent article on Social Media Examiner by Kane Russell gives tips on using social forums in a B-to-B setting. Here are some highlights:
- Comment from the perspective of a thought leader – answer questions and provide qualitative and quantitative supporting evidence. Acknowledge alternative solutions.
- Respect other users – don’t argue but address disagreements using examples and data to make your point.
- Join the conversation – respond directly and acknowledge what others have already said.
- Be consistent and cover subject comprehensively – do this on both where you have expertise and on topics outside your business experience.
- Add links where necessary – but make sure they are relevant.
If you haven’t participated in a forum, please expand your horizons and try. It’s a great way to learn and make new friends.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 4, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
What’s your social media plan – Ready, Fire, Aim?
Most businesses’ social media plans fail because there isn’t a plan. Starting a Facebook account or blog with no plan on how they will react, not only with each other but with the rest of your marketing plan, is a disaster waiting to happen.
I read a good article by Jim Belosic on Social Media Examiner that outlines some pretty straightforward tips for your social media efforts to be successful. Here are some highlights:
- Make a commitment – establishing yourself and your company doesn’t happen overnight. You need to make a commitment of time, energy and resources to ensure its success.
- Find your best fit – go where your customers or potentials are. It could be Facebook or LinkedIn. Search for your business on sites like Yelp to see where you are mentioned.
- Create expert content – don’t promote yourself; promote conversations about issues that affect your followers. This will help engage and position you as a thought leader which is one of your main objectives.
- Delegate tasks – as you grow your social presence, don’t get overwhelmed. Get help and recruit more team members. You don’t have to do it alone, but should manage others efforts.
Do you have a plan? Can you add to this list?
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 21, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
Customer service. We all say we have it, but what is it? Where does it start?
Unless you are offering something you can’t get anywhere else, then you’re going to have competition from someone. So what makes your customers or potentials want to do business with you instead of them?
Assuming you have a good product then I’d say the customer experience would be the major deal sealer or breaker. Customer service starts the moment someone from your company answers the phone through the sales process and follow-up with your customer service department if a question or problem arises.
I guess what I’m trying to say is your company’s customer service should start with every employee. Those that are on the front line (be it a CS or delivery man), they have the one-on-one contact with the customer and can sway future purchases by their actions or inactions. We all build our business around repeat sales so everyone in the company needs to be goodwill ambassadors. The challenge for all of us is to find the friction in our process and smooth it out.
Let me give you two examples of positive CS experiences.
1- I recently had to go to Buffalo for an association/trade show for one of our new clients. The host hotel was the Buffalo Hyatt and we stayed there. They were going through some renovations like any other hotel, but I seemed to notice that everyone who worked there had a very positive attitude that was focused on the customers and it showed. When we checked out and our car came from the valet, it was filthy dirty (it was clean when we checked in) and I come to find out from the valet that they park guest cars outside so they can retrieve them quicker for guests. Needless to say, the positive experience of the last three days was ending on a sour note. The next day (Sunday), I get the standard thank you for staying at the Hyatt, yada, yada, yada, and if there is anything that we could do to improve our service, please email me (general manager). So I did, explained my story and in less than 15 minutes had a response from him apologizing and crediting our bill for $30 to get a car wash. The end result when/if I’m back in Buffalo, there is a better than 50/50 chance of me staying there again.
2- At that same show, I had the chance to talk to several dealers for this new client and asked them why they did business with Buyers Products. They all said it was because they made a good product, but more importantly the main reason is they did what they said they were going to do, when they said they were going to do it, and if any problems arose, they had their back with any product problems. Several told stories of how they needed product over the weekend and their salesman would actually deliver it to them before Monday morning. They are in a very competitive market and are growing at a pace that outsets the industry standards. Wonder why?
The key for us all is to follow our customers’ experience. From how they find out about you through the repeat orders. If there is friction along the line, work to smooth out the process so your customers have a positive experience.
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 15, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
I believe we all struggle with writing the kinds of emails that will make prospects take some sort of action. We’re careful not to sell too much or give away too much info, but where is the balance, that sweet spot that makes the difference?
I ran across an article by Ben Settle on Copyblogger that I thought was interesting, and I wanted to share some of his insights. He calls his writing style “infotainment.” It’s a way to present your content in a way that’s fun to consume but still delivers value at the same time.
I think those of us in the B-to-B space and especially the manufacturing sector are so focused on the features/benefits of what they are trying to sell that we don’t engage our target audience.
Here are three tips for us to consider:
- Inject your personality into every email – show customers the real you; maybe even crack a joke!
- Storytelling – stories are naturally entertaining and it’s easy to process info from them.
- Culture references pop – work something in (where possible) about the latest craze, TV or current event.
What are you doing to get people engaged in your email campaigns?
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 14, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
Social media is no different from any other marketing tool. In order for it to be successful, you need to have a specific plan with action items that can not only be attained but measured. Once you have a plan, get the C suite to buy into your goals and objectives and keep them in the loop as things move forward.
Once you get approval, make sure you integrate social media programs into your other marketing plans. It can’t and shouldn’t stand alone.
I recently read a good article by Heidi Cohen that outlines seven social media goals. Here are some highlights:
- Build brand awareness – a great way to engage directly with prospects.
- Protect your reputation – you need to know what folks are saying about your brand.
- Learn more about your customers – use social as a kind of market research.
- Increase customers or prospects – based on your content you can engage new potentials.
What are you doing to ensure your social media program is a success?
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 1, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Traditional Marketing
Guest Post
Sage Lewis is Founder and CEO of SageRock Inc., a digital marketing agency in business since 1999 and recognized as a Marketing Sherpa top ten U.S. search marketing company.
You do a search on Google for your top-selling product and there you are in spot #1. Whew. Your listing is followed by your best distributor and then after him that new startup you signed on that knows how to market online, but has a website from 1998. Then the trade publications are interspersed in there, touting your product in their article but, sure enough, your competitor’s ad is all over the landing page. The paid search is filled mostly with competitors and Ebay folk selling parts without your permission.
Face it, this is a mess.
Your brand and products are being represented by everyone with a vague interest in them online. You want to control the marketing message, but how? Ideally people would come to you and localize for the distributor, but you can’t tell partners to disengage because it’s driving revenue for everybody. You talked about cookie cutter distribution sites, but those flop in Google. You can’t fund top distributor’s marketing the same as the guy who sells every competing line indiscriminately. Besides they all talk after 3 beers and you don’t need that hassle.
So, you do your own SEO and Paid Search and keep your head down, right? Wrong. There IS a solution to this madness. Here’s what you can do to fix this:
Create a system
What’s the ideal? Step one is defining the goal. What does page one on Google realistically need to look like when you visit? Now make it happen. How? That’s the system part.
Part one of the system:
Create a portal, a first place of contact for those selling product. It should be populated with everything you wish they inherently knew and thought you didn’t have to tell them (you do).
Shareable useful content:
- Approved photos
- Press releases on product and parts
- Video tutorials on selling and running demos
- Downloadable brochures and sales PDFs
- Recommended products by industry, price and other demo targeting
Tools and Resources:
- Training in effective SEO and PPC practices
- Google Analytics basics
- Localized targeting advice for PPC
- Local Page claim instructions
- SEO phrase recommendations for product and location (help everyone understand long vs. short tail)
- Ideal Phrases for distributors vs. corporate (and why they should comply for their best interest)
- Web design consultation and improvement tips and options
- Free software for managing digital marketing
Policy:
- Link back requirements
- Duplicate content restrictions
- Spam and other deal breakers
- Blog and social media policies
Launch the System
- An onsite launch / workshop is ideal.
- Explain and build excitement about the common goal (Discuss the master plan for online dominance).
- Show everyone how working together means increased revenue for those who comply.
- Bring in experts for your event.
Give funding incentives for those who follow the system
People won’t do it. Plain and simple. Money talks. Match investment. Give marketing dollars to those who use the portal and comply with the system. The smart ones will see the benefit and jump all over it.
Monitor and follow-up
- Use the tools in the portal to do your own digital marketing work.
- Monitor who’s doing what out there and reach out to the eyesores and the high achievers.
- Combat competitors who hijack product phrases. In paid, by contacting Google about policy and inorganic by creating content strategies that smack spam landing pages down.
- Encourage those complying to share success.
- Offer additional incentives for high achievers.
Is it a lot of work? Yes. Is it free of investment? No. Is it worth it in the long run? Of course. Take back your brand.
