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lead generation

Awareness of Twitter Has Exploded: Great Way to Reach the Professional Tradesmen

by | Jun 8, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Twitter

Contractors are busy people, and the 140-character message is just enough to peak their curiosity and have them click through to your message.

Twitter is one of the social media tools that can be used as a tool for your company’s social media marketing strategy to generate online traffic and a pipeline for new business leads. Over the past year, the leading traffic generator to my blog has been Twitter.

Twitter Usage In America: 2010 is a new report derived from the Edison Research/Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Series. This report is derived from three years of tracking data on Twitter usage in the United States. It is filled with rich information that can help guide the use of Twitter for your agency and its clients.

Twitter is more of a broadcast channel than many realize. The majority of users never post anything…but they are definitely reading and clicking.

Here are some highlights from this comprehensive study and its untapped potential for marketing, advertising and your agency’s new business:

  • Awareness of Twitter has exploded over the past twelve months. The percentage of Americans who are familiar with Twitter has surged from 5% in 2008 to 87% in 2010. Twitter is a natural “companion medium” to other media channels – in particular, as an accompaniment to live TV.
  • Despite equal awareness, Twitter trails Facebook significantly in usage: 7% of Americans (17 million persons) actively use Twitter, while 41% maintain a profile page on Facebook.
  • Nearly two-thirds of active Twitter users access social networking sites using a mobile phone.
  • Twitter users split between habitual “Tweeters” and those who access occasionally. The majority of Twitter users are “lurkers,” passively following and reading the updates of others without contributing updates of their own but they are listening, reading and clicking.
  • Twitter users are far more likely to follow Brands/Companies than social networkers in general. Twitter users frequently exchange information about products and services.
  • 51% of active Twitter users follow companies, brands or products on social networks.
  • Most (70%) regular Twitter users do post status updates to some social networking service (likely Facebook). Twitter appears to be functioning as more of a broadcast medium compared to Facebook and many other social networking sites and services.
  • Marketing and business use cases for Twitter far exceed similar usage for social networking websites in general.

The full 49-page study, full of interesting graphs and data, is available for download: Twitter Usage in America: 2010 – Complete Report

If you like this post, you might find these interesting:

B-to-B Marketers: Tips on How to Optimize Twitter

What Kind of Twitterer Are You?

Twitter: How Useful is This Tool for B-to-B Marketers?

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Lead Generation: Focus of B-to-B Online Marketers

by | Mar 17, 2010 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing

Online marketers usually focus on three key major objectives: Customer Retention, Brand Awareness and Lead Generation. Not surprising given the state of the economy, lead generation is getting more attention according to a recent study by AMR International.

US B2B Online and Offline Marketing Budget Allocation, by Objective, Fall 2009 (% of total)

AMR International interviewed 1000 marketers and here are highlights of their findings:

• Annual growth in US B2B online marketing spend is forecast at 8% in 2010 and is set to reach 14% by 2012
• B2B advertising spend on social media and lead generation sites is forecast to grow at an annualized rate of 21% and 17% respectively to 2013
• Online accounted for 7% of the B2B marketing mix in 2008. This is set to reach 12% by 2013
• Two thirds of B2B marketers believe that online must be complemented by traditional marketing activities
• Only 50% of B2B marketers formally analyze metrics to judge ROI – but those that do find online marketing more effective

What’s the focus of your online marketing program for 2010?

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Lead Generation: Top Business Benefit for Small Businesses Using Social Media

by | Feb 4, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing

According to recent surveys, small businesses are going to spend more time and effort on social in 2010. Most are aware of social media but are lacking in education of how to use to benefit their business. This appears to be the biggest stumbling block in them using social.

I can concur when talking to contractors…many do acknowledge social, but don’t have a clue on how to use it. The biggest reason for push back on using social media is that small businesses have the perception that their customers don’t use it. The second biggest reason is that they don’t have time or the staff to manage it. Both of these obstacles can be overcome if someone took the time to show them how they could use social as a way to generate leads.

If you’re a manufacturer, trade association or buying group, this could be a golden opportunity for you to set yourself apart and teach these small businesses, whether they be distributors or contractors, how to use this medium. In the long run, as leads are converted into sales, you’ll all benefit!

According to a small business marketing forecast for 2010 from Ad-ology, lead generation is the primary reason small businesses use social media. Also cited was it was a way to keep up with industry news and monitor on-line chatter. Facebook was the most beneficial followed by LinkedIn.

Ways in Which Social Networking Is Beneficial to US Small Businesses, November 2009 (% of respondents)

What can you do to get your company, buying group or  trade association doing something to help generate new leads using social media? I’d be willing to help. I’ve done webinar’s, “Social Media 101”  for trade associations and buying groups. Contact me if you’re interested at jsonnhalter@sonnhalter.com .

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