by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 4, 2012 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing
It’s not like social media just came out. The B-to-C space has been using it successfully for the last 3-5 years. So why are B-to-B practitioners slow to adapt?
I think it’s because they don’t know where to start. You should probably start by developing a strategy that is included in your overall marketing plans. If you use social media to help build better relationships with your customers, I think you’ll find that it can help with more than just brand building.
I read a post recently in emarketer.com on why B-to-B was still unsure about social media strategies. Some highlights include:
- 66% of marketing executives view social media as extremely or very important, but only 7% were leveraging it heavily.
- 9% of B-to-B marketers weren’t using social at all.
Nearly 50% said that new tools and technology would make their social efforts more effective.
So if you’re a B-to-B marketer, what’s holding you back? Is it a resource issue?
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 3, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
It’s that time of year again where we review the Top 10 viewed posts on our blog. If you missed them, here’s a listing:
- How Do You Thank Someone For a Retweet?
- Social Media: Who Uses It and Why?
- B-to-B Marketing Trends 2012 Study
- Social Networking is on the Increase Among Older Adults
- Google+ and B-to-B Users: How to Get Started
- Market Overviews
- 5 Reasons Why Social Media Doesn’t Work
- Content is King: 10 Tips on Effective Writing
- 5 Ways to Improve Constuction Productivity
- QR Codes: Are Manufacturers Missing an Opportunity?
by tradespeopleinsights | Dec 21, 2011 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
For those of us who do blog, we do it because in the big picture, it’s the hub of the marketing wheel and everything else we do should revolve around and integrate with the blog.
So here are some quick tips that I’ve come up with since I started blogging three years ago that will help you gain readership and credibility.
- Give your readers what they want – give them solutions to their problems.
- Get to the point – do a good detailed headline and then deliver on the message.
- Keep it simple – don’t try to impress people with fancy words, get to the solution and do it in a conversational tone.
- Keep it on point – don’t ramble onto other topics.
- Give examples – show what other people are doing and ask for feedback.
So how did I do?
by tradespeopleinsights | Dec 20, 2011 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Twitter
I can’t believe that many marketers still ignore customers who are dissatisfied. Especially since most of the complaints make their way to social sites.
Ignoring them won’t make the problem go away, and if the non-responsiveness continues, you may get a tweet with #FAIL attached to it and you’ll be part of an elite group (where you don’t want to be in) who have failed their customers. This is more of a problem for B-to-C companies than B-to-B, but none the less, you still shouldn’t ignore people. Fear and lack of resources are cited as the two most reasons why companies don’t respond. You probably should rethink your priorities.
According to a recent survey done by eMarketer.com, only 34% used social media to respond.
Another study by Maritz and Evolve24 showed that only 29% of the tweet gripes were responded to. As Jay Baer says, these channels are the social telephone. You’re missing the boat for several reasons. One is that 83% of those who complain online want to be answered there. Secondly, those who complain on Twitter are already disproportionately upset and ignoring them will only add gas to the fire.
People complain on Twitter because they have already went through traditional means with no resolution. I can attest to this as I’m still fighting with Travelers Insurance on a hail claim on my roof. After getting nowhere with the local adjusters, I was venting on Twitter about it and lo and behold, I got a Tweet back asking me to call an advocacy number. While it didn’t solve my problem (they sent my complaint back to the local adjuster and now I’m one of his favorite people), at least I thought they tried to defuse the situation.
Research has shown that social media users want to be responded to even if a company wants to take the conversation offline. At least they acknowledged you.
So what are you doing to handle complaints on social media?
by tradespeopleinsights | Dec 15, 2011 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Traditional Marketing
Yes, I know the stats are overwhelming that of all smartphones today, over 50% connect to the Internet that way, and by 2014, 90% will be using mobile as a main way of staying connected.
A recent survey by Equipment World Magazine on those contractors that had smartphones:
- 85% view emails
- 81% use it to text
- 71% connect to the internet
- 52% use apps
- 24% visit social sites
- 20% watch videos
- 4% don’t use it for any of the above
Those are some impressive numbers and should tell us all that we’re missing the boat if we’re not including mobile marketing into our overall program.
But before you jump in right now, why don’t you ask the guy in charge of your web analytics to see how many people are coming to your site currently via a mobile browser.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t consider a strategy, but a QR Code isn’t a mobile marketing program.
I get a kick out of QR codes that go to the regular website that’s virtually unreadable. DON’T SEND PEOPLE TO A NON-MOBILE SITE.
If QR codes are going to be part of your strategy, then WOW them where you take them. That’s been one of the biggest complaints (disappointments) from most users that scan the code. If you put them on product packaging, make sure, for example, a how-to-use video is short and clear. Make them glad they went to the extra effort. Also tell them what to expect to get if you scan the code, i.e. a coupon, how-to video, chart to find the right size tool.
Beyond using a QR code, apps that help the tradesmen do their jobs are really a good way to connect with them. Calculated Industries has mobile apps for phones that allow a contractor to download specific calculators onto their phone. RIDGID has a digital level download for your phone. Something useful that a contractor can use.
Are you starting to think about a mobile strategy, or maybe you already have one in place? I’d love to hear about your success stories.
If you like this post, you may want to read:
What are You Doing to Reach the Young Professional Tradesmen?
Tablets and Smartphones are Changing the Way Manufacturers Will be Reaching the Tradesmen.
What are You Doing to Insure a Successful QR Code Campaign?
Are you Considering Mobile Media as a Strategy to Reach the Professional Tradesman?
by tradespeopleinsights | Dec 14, 2011 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Traditional Marketing
Here are some facts we can’t ignore: According to Hubspot, mobile devices will be the number-one way we access the Internet by 2013. Comscore just released a white paper that shows in the U.S. right now almost 7% of Internet traffic is coming from non-computer devices with mobile phones leading the way.
So it begs the question – is your website optimized for mobile users? I recently read an article by Jamie Turner in Social Media Examiner, 9 Tips for Optimizing Your Website for the Mobile Users that I thought was very helpful. Here are some highlights:
- KISS – keep it SIMPLE.
- Plan your site layout – keep pages to a minimum and the layout simple.
- Match branding elements – make sure mobile site looks like your regular site (look and feel).
- Avoid Flash and Java – Apple products don’t Flash and many phones don’t support Java.
- Reduce the amount of text entry – use dropdowns, checklists or prepopulated fields when possible.
- Use mobile redirects – make sure your site has the correct software so it can identify a mobile user and send them to that version of the site.
Have you made sure your website is mobile friendly?
