by tradesmeninsights | Dec 22, 2009 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
Social media is obviously the hottest topic in most marketing circles today. You have people on both sides of the fence (some who will never use it and some who say it’s the savior of marketing as we know it). Unfortunately, both of these opinions are wrong. Too much or too little of anything isn’t good.
For those who don’t embrace or understand social media, I’d recommend you get your head out of the sand. Social isn’t going away and you’re better off understanding it and begin using it sooner than later.
For those that do embrace it and think the world will revolve around it, you should wake up and smell the coffee. When in the history of marketing and advertising have we had only one media source to get our message out?
Here’s a reality check. What are we trying to do here? Unless you work for the Government, I believe we’re ultimately trying to sell something. Let’s face it, no sales, no job! As marketers today, we’re faced with so many challenges to identify potentials and move them along the sales cycle. We need all the help we can get and we should know and understand the tools that are available and use them appropriately.
I try to use this blog to inform my audience of Manufacturers who are trying to reach the professional tradesman that they should start using social as one more tool in their marketing plans. I certainly haven’t told them to blow away the traditional ways of reaching their audience like print ads, PR and trade shows. We all can’t lose site of what our ultimate goal is…to sell something. Social can help identify potentials, but there are other tools that can nurture them through the sales process and we need to use them all!
What are your feelings on social and how it plays a role in your plans?
by tradesmeninsights | Dec 17, 2009 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
As we all look forward to 2010 in our planning processes, we’re all looking for ways to generate exposure and ultimately leads that turn into sales. Most marketing budgets will still be tight in 2010, and marketers are looking for ways to get the best bang for the buck.
According to eMarketer.com, 75% of small businesses (under 500 employees) plan to increase their e-mail marketing in 2010. 70% will put more dollars toward social media according to Vertical Response data.
B-to-B marketers are using these tools because they are inexpensive and generate quick measurable data. Campaigner and Hurwitz & Associates studied small businesses under 20 employees and found 28% of those that used e-mail marketing considered it inexpensive and an effective way to reach new customers.
Smart marketers will include both e-mail and social into their 2010 plan. That and some search engine marketing and you’ll have a winning combination.
I’d like to hear from you on whether e-mail and social are in your 2010 plan.
by tradesmeninsights | Dec 16, 2009 | Marketing Tools, Social Marketing
Manufacturers should not lose site that videos are a powerful informational tool when it comes to building credibility with contractors. Consider if you will that next to Google Search, the next highest search is YouTube. That alone should tell you something.
From case studies, testimonials and training, to new product info, videos are a unique way of telling your story and add another dimension to the story by engaging the viewer. According to eMarketer.com, rich media ads with video had a higher dwell rate than those without, and almost double the dwell time.
This translates into fewer impressions needed for the same results.
by tradesmeninsights | Dec 15, 2009 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Social Marketing
I tell everyone if they could only use one social media tool to generate new business, I’d use LinkedIn. While my blog is important (long term), and Twitter is very useful once you get your followers, LinkedIn offers you a way to be more proactive. Before you start utilizing it, you first have to make sure that your page is updated and as near to the 100% mark as you can get it. Once that’s done, dig in and have some fun.
Here are 5 ways I utilize LinkedIn:
- Ongoing program to increase your contacts – After going through your contact list, continue to add contacts each week by setting a goal of say 4-5 new contacts. It’s easy to do. When you’re at social or business events and meet people, when you get back to the office, see if they’re on LinkedIn and get connected. Every time you go to your LinkedIn page, it prompts you in the upper right hand corner to invite people that might be primary contacts of someone you know or a group you belong to. This should be good for 2-3 new contacts each week.
- Search company profiles – for niches/markets you’re trying to target. Get in and get involved!
- Search for groups – this allows you to search associations, buying groups or other folks who share common interests. I normally, once a week, take a recent post and put it on all the groups that I belong to. This is a good way to not only build credibility, but also drive more people to your blog.
- Search individual profiles – there’s a whole bunch of info on individuals that you target. Take some time to review their profile and see what kind of connection and groups they belong to. If you do your homework, you’ll know a lot about a new potential friend, and when you ask him to join your network, you can talk about some common interests in your first contact. This is a great way to get a conversation going quickly.
- Search by market terms – determine what questions or answers can be searched that will bring up like-minded people. By reviewing your findings, “experts ” in the field will be easily identified.
Once you have a system in place, then you need to start listening and contributing. These are the ways I utilize LinkedIn. I ‘d like to hear how others out there are doing using social as a new business tool.
by tradesmeninsights | Dec 10, 2009 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing
According to a recent survey by emarketer.com, B-to-B clients are going to increase their spending in the social media arena in 2010. It certainly makes sense that the ones who have tried various aspects of social must be getting some traction or they wouldn’t be spending more. It’s interesting to note that the 3 top areas they plan on increasing are web sites, e-mails and search. The three main reasons are:
- Thought leadership
- Lead generation
- Customer feedback
What are you planning for 2010?
by tradesmeninsights | Dec 9, 2009 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing
I think it’s safe to say that social media is here to stay. For those of us who have accepted that fact, we are moving on from adoption to trying to understand how businesses can take advantage of social in a work context today. A recent 2009 Business Social Media Benchmarking study (download a copy) was compiled from approx. 2900 responses and is an excellent overview of how businesses are trying to utilize this media. The report covers both how businesses are using social media to find relevant information and how they judge its success.
Of particular interest to our target audiences using social media as a business information resource, Constuction was at the top of the charts and Industrial was lagging a bit. The most popular media resources for businesses were webinars or listening to podcasts(69%), followed by reading ratings reviews for businesses, products or services (62%). The least popular were saving links on social bookmarking sites (28%) and participating in discussions on third party web sites (29%).
Social media is obviously the hottest topic in most marketing circles today. You have people on both sides of the fence (some who will never use it and some who say it’s the savior of marketing as we know it). Unfortunately, both of these opinions are wrong. Too much or too little of anything isn’t good.