by tradesmeninsights | Jul 10, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Social Marketing
Although the manufacturing sector usually lags behind in newer marketing tools, it’s time for you to embrace some of them, namely social media.
I’m not saying you have to be active in every venue, but in the B-to-B world there are certain elements like YouTube, SlideShare, LinkedIn. I’m also not saying that social media will be that silver bullet that will have customers lining up to buy your products. I will say that you probably won’t sell anything from being on social media. Then why waste your time?
The key to any tool is to know how and when to use it. Manufacturers are used to having control of the message and where it goes to which is fine. Social media is just a different way to gain exposure and increase traffic. A recent post by Heidi Cohen, 31 Actionable Social Media Marketing Tips Based on Research outlines the benefits of using social as well as tips that might help you. Here are some helpful hints from Heidi:
- share content across social media platforms
- make sure social sharing buttons are on blog and website
- write guest posts
- nudging customers to rate your products
- ask customers to share their photos using your products
- educate the market and continue to be a thought leader
What are you doing to maximize social media in your business?
by tradesmeninsights | Jan 8, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Social Marketing
SlideShare is gaining traction more and more and it’s not just for slides. SlideShare is averaging over 60 million visits a month and 120 million page views. That means great traction for your SEO and you can target buyers/influencers via tags and channels (customize content).You can also use it for lead generation and there’s a great post in social media examiner,how to generate leads with slideshare that you may find interesting
It’s now owned by LinkedIn and they are doing a great job making it easy to connect with your LinkedIn contacts and groups.
So if SlideShare is becoming so important, we should start paying attention to the details on what and how things should be put up there. I recently read an article by Roger C. Parker in the Content Marketing Institute’s daily updates on a to-do check list (you can download it here) to make sure you’re getting the most out of SlideShare.
He outlines 22 tips on proofing, uploading files and even tips on working with PowerPoint. Here are a few of his points that hit home with me:
- Are slide titles and text consistently placed and aligned?
- Other than the title slide, are they numbered?
- Does your presentation title appear at the top of each page?
- Did you add your firm’s name, URL and contact info at the bottom of each page of your handouts?
- Did you convert presentation files to Adobe Acrobat to preserve text formatting?
- Did you check each link after uploading to make sure they work?
- Did you create links between SlideShare and social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter?
I guess the point is the devil is in the details and if we all take some time, we’ll get more out of our efforts on SlideShare. Roger suggested if you want to learn more you could read The Marketer’s Guide to SlideShare by Todd Wheatlan.
by tradesmeninsights | Nov 20, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Social Marketing
According to a recent post from B2B online marketing, LinkedIn, Blogging and Facebook are the top 3. This is according to a 2012 social media study of B2B marketers that were asked to choose the most important method they use for social media outreach.
In a study conducted by Social Media Examiner of over 1,900 B2B marketers, results indicate that while B2B marketers are finding success in their social media efforts, they still see room for improvement. Whether you’re a large company or starting a small business, here are a few statistics that show why you should be using social media.
- Over 56% of B2B marketers acquired new business partnerships through social media.
- 53% of B2B marketers found social media helped them develop a loyal fan base.
- Nearly 60% of B2B marketers saw improved search rankings from their social efforts.
Each social media channel is different and should be approached that way. Here are some highlights from the post:
Facebook is more personal. Let them know what your business offers them.
- Create an online community that encourages conversations.
- Use photos and videos to make it more interesting.
- Engage by offering a strong call to action. You want them to start a conversation.
Blogging is a great SEO effort and link building.
- Become a thought leader in your area and gain credibility.
- Target each post to a specific audience for engagement and encourage folks to share your content.
- Use strong key words to improve site’s performance on search engines.
LinkedIn is a great way to connect with other businesses in your industries.
- Be active. Search and connect with individuals and groups that are relevant to you.
- Ask for recommendations from previous and current customers. These short testimonials will help prospects see why people like working with you.
Social media, if used right, can help generate leads, interact with customers and potentials and help you build your thought leadership.
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?
