As I was doing research for an upcoming presentation on digital branding, I came across some interesting stats that I believe have big implications for B2B marketers. First, JD Power’s “Social Media Benchmark Study” provided showed that 2/3 of consumers used social channels for customer support, versus 33% who used social media to access marketing information. This is a consumer study, but B2B buyers are people, too, and it’s not a big leap to expect their habits as consumers influence their behavior in B2B interactions. Second, American Express reported in 2012 that its research found social media users are willing …
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This monthly Social Media for B2B Branding column is contributed byJoellyn “Joey” Sargent. As principal of BrandSprout Advisors, Joey helps organizations dramatically improve the impact of their marketing efforts, creating vigorous growth and powerful brand presence. Drawing on more than 20 years of executive experience spanning start-ups to the Fortune 500, Joey offers fresh ideas to build brands, engage customers and increase market share. She is a writer and frequent speaker, presenting at conferences around the world on strategic marketing, branding and social media strategies.
Joellyn Sargent's Posts
I have to confess, spring is my favorite time of year. I’m a sucker for colorful blossoms as flower bulbs emerge from the ground, trees bloom and the weather warms up. All the signs point to new life when nature’s cycle comes full circle. As comforting as I find this annual rhythm, life in social media moves at a much faster pace. As a result, regular maintenance is required to keep the cobwebs out of your digital branding efforts, especially in your social media efforts. Here are a few quick spring cleaning tips to keep your B2B brand in tip-top …
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When I ask people about their B2B branding efforts in social media, the most common answer I hear is, “On yeah, we’re on LinkedIn.” As one of the oldest and best-known social networks, LinkedIn with its roughly 200 million users is the default starting point for many B2B brands. It’s an easy leap to go from personal profiles and connections to LinkedIn Groups and company pages. And that’s the extent of the effort for many B2B firms. Other more ambitious companies add Twitter and Google+ to the mix or maybe a Facebook page to round out their social media plans. …
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According to Duke University’s annual CMO Survey, just 7% of CMOs report that social media is “Very Integrated” into the corporate strategy. This highlights a huge opportunity for improvement in the way social media is addressed, and B2B brands should take note. Seizing the opportunity to take a strategic approach to B2B brand social media can give your firm a competitive edge. Design an internal structure for social media excellence that reinforces your brand through every interaction, and you’ll be well ahead of the pack. Start Somewhere Business-to-Business organizations take various approaches to implementing social media. The task often falls …
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In the fast-paced world of social media, it’s easy to assume that ideas from just last year are passé. The concept of AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) as a model for marketing success has been around for over a hundred years. AIDA is not even “so last century,” it is “so 19th century.” Given its age, you might be wondering why I’m even bringing it up. The answer? Some Things are Timeless Over the years, AIDA has served many marketers as an enduring process for constructing everything from sales letters to advertisements. Winning in marketing requires the ability to apply …
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Sometimes it seems like the consumer marketing folks have all the fun. They get the edgy campaigns, giant marketing budgets and freedom to bask in the social media spotlight while B2B marketers are stuck talking about features and ROI. But wait…there’s proof that B2C marketers aren’t the only ones enjoying the branding benefits of social media. In fact, there are some real winners in the B2B space this year, and they deserve a look. Rather than showcasing major social media businesses or app providers (we all expect them to be good), I’ve picked firms from industries you might not expect …
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There are two parts to every conversation: talking and listening. With social media, the former gets most of the attention, while the latter is really the secret to success. Social listening is the process of monitoring social streams for content and comments relative to a specific topic of interest. It is essential to engagement with the right people, as opposed to random conversation with whoever happens by. For B2B brands, social listening is a powerful tool to understand markets, trends and competitive issues – all factors that inform decisions about positioning and brand strategy. This is also a tool that …
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“B2B” and “brand personality” are two phrases one doesn’t often hear in the same sentence. Hardly as popular a combo as PB&J (peanut butter and jelly, for those of you outside the US), personality and business-to-business just don’t stick together. It’s time to change that. Maybe you work for a company that hasn’t even thought about its brand personality. Or perhaps your marketing team has gotten so caught up in talking about features and benefits that you’ve lost sight of the real essence of your brand, much less the story of how it came to be. In some cases, executives …
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As a long-time Business2Business marketer, I know that sometimes the world of business-to-business marketing can feel like the Sahara desert. No fancy consumer product launches. No product placements in blockbuster movies. No Super Bowl ads. It’s hard for something that started as “industrial marketing” to seem sexy or exciting in any way, shape or form. It’s all about the steak and not the sizzle. At least, that’s the superficial view. One thing I realized very early on in my marketing career is that whatever you’re selling, the decision to purchase it (or not) is going to be made by a human. …
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