9 things i wish i'd known about b2b social media before i started - scot mckee

9 ThingsI wish I’d known about B2B Socialbefore I started

Scot McKeeManaging Director, Birddogwww.birddog.co.uk @scotmckee

© Birddog Ltd. Dec. 2013

• Scot McKee• Managing Director, Birddog.• Author: ‘Creative B2B Branding (no, really).’• Author: ‘Business Marketing Face to Face.’

• Connect• @scotmckee• [email protected]• @birddogb2b• www.birddog.co.uk• #9things

Introduction

Presentation Context

It’s Not About Lunch

1.

“Who cares what you had for lunch…?”

4,783 people when I tweeted this pic of an inconsiderate train companion.

Businesses use the ‘lunch excuse’ to avoid joining social conversation.

It’s a poor excuse because they’re all missing a BIG opportunity!

It’s not about lunch

How BIG exactly?Well, 225m LinkedIn users, for a start.


B2B social media isn’t just about ‘work’ though.

Because that would be really… really… really… boring.

B2B social media is about life.


Which is a lot more interesting.At work, you don’t just talk about work.You talk about…


Your husband.


Your kids.


Your husband and kids.


Your weekend.


Your family Christmas.


Actually, just about anything. And you talk about work. Social is no different.


As part of my social world, I am… The Author.


I blog.


I produce videos.


Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/BirddogB2B/videos

I share slide-decks.


Source: http://www.slideshare.net/birddogb2b

But, it doesn’t matter what I think or do.


The thing people remember, are my Waterloo Bridge Reports. #WBR


Source: http://www.pinterest.com/scotmckee/

A weekly ‘view from the bridge’.


Shared and commented on, worldwide.


By people who also like my B2B work.


And tell their business networks.


I wish people had told me that this kind of communication…


Could have more impact, than this kind.


Old School Marketing Sucks on Social

2.

In the bad old days, mailers or emails were enough.

Tactical decisions based on materials and widgets were easy.

But you can’t just ‘push’ sales messages through social channels.

Old school sucks

Because nobody cares anymore.

Old school sucks

Old ROI measurements don’t work.

Content has to have value. Yeah. Oops.

Value is measured through community.

Old school sucks

In a social space, it’s the only thing that has value.So old, short-term tactics, need to be replaced.With long-term, strategic, social planning.

Old school sucks

How many business people use DM/ads to research a product/service?

How many people attend a trade show to research a product/service?

How many business people go online to research a product/service?

How many people clicked a link from a friend to research a product/service?

Old school sucks

Source: http://is.gd/ListenBlog

How many business people use DM/ads to research a product/service?

How many people attend a trade show to research a product/service?

How many business people go online to research a product/service?

How many people clicked a link from a friend to research a product/service?

Old school sucks

2%

Source: http://is.gd/ListenBlog

5%

100%

95%

Is that engagement behaviour reflected in your non-existent Social Strategy?

Is that buying preference reflected on your shit website?

Old school sucks

Is that engagement behaviour reflected in your non-existent Social Strategy?

Is that buying preference reflected on your shit website?

Old school sucks

No

I wish I’d known to invest where the market was… not where it wasn’t.

Old school sucks

100%

2%

Sharing Stuffis a Job

3.

Sharing valuable content achieves social objectives.

Sharing stuff is a job

The 80-20 Rule translates online as the 99-1 Rule.Source: Bradley Horowitz - http://blog.elatable.com/2006/02/creators-synthesizers-and-consumers.html

Online Consumption = 99%Content Creation = 1%


http://blog.elatable.com/2006/02/creators-synthesizers-and-consumers.html

http://blog.elatable.com/2006/02/creators-synthesizers-and-consumers.html

You’re already a content consumer.


But what about content creators?

Content planning, recycling, distribution

That’s where the action’s at.


Clearly, dicking around is no longer a viable option.You can learn online, but…you’re at least 5 years behind.


FIVE YEARS BEHIND.


You might like to think about where that leaves you 5 years from now.


Social isn’t ‘Free’

4.

“It’s the ‘Social Revolution’ baby.”“Peace, free love and share it all, man.”“Conversation is free, brother.”-They said.

Social isn’t free

So, if social is all so ‘free’…

How come it’s so f*cking expensive?

Social isn’t free

Well, partly because it requires investment.Planning the plans takes time.

Social isn’t free

Talking to the world, 24x7, takes time.

Teaching the stupid people takes time.

Social planning, resourcing, content creation, distribution, engagement…

It’s a strategic business commitment, not an optional add-on/afterthought

Social isn’t free

Social needn’t be expensive of course.You can/should use the ‘power within’.Just don’t leave it too much longer, because, remember, you’re already…

Social isn’t free

FIVE YEARS BEHIND.

Social isn’t free

‘You’ Don’t Control Shit Anymore

5.

I wish I’d learned how to let go earlier.We all ‘let go’ in life.

You don’t control shit

We let go of fashion for example.


We let go of friends and family.


We even let the kids go, eventually.So what makes you so reluctant to let go of your brand?


As Jimmy Lee, Vice Chairman of US investment bank JP Morgan discovered.


The brand isn’t yours anymore. It lives, breathes and evolves online.

During deep public resentment towards the JP Morgan brand.


JP Morgan announced a Twitter event in November

last year: #AskJPM .


Jimmy was going to talk to the people…


Which created a bit of a stir…


The people decided to ask questions…Just not the ones Jimmy was expecting…


So, the people decide social agendas…


Not, the brand.


Respond.Always Respond

6.

I wish I’d known about the power of social amplification.

Always respond

At a basic level, it’s just good manners

But in a business brand context, it’s also the difference between…

Always respond

Love and Hate.

Always respond

Evidence suggests hate travels further.

Always respond

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228433

So it’s always better to have a plan.

Always respond

A plan that has measurable goals.That, unsurprisingly… you measure.

Always respond

Responding makes the arrows go up.

Always respond

7.

Listening is notDoing

Listening used to be a strategy.I used to say that. I used to believe it.

Listening is not doing

I believed in a lot of things.Disbelief slows corporate engagement.


Pressing your nose up against the social window is not engagement. 95-100% of business decisions are made or influenced online. Remember?


Listening provides a short-term, tactical snapshot.Social engagement is a long-term strategic goal.

Listening is not the same as doing.


Dude, Everyone’s Watching

8.

Social is global.Worth mentioning, because you all seem to be in denial.

Everyone’s watching

Everyone has spent years trying to ‘refine’ a global social audience.

• Profiling• Grouping• Segmenting• Blocking


That’s old school thinking.Your audience is now ‘The World’.


Assume that everyone’s watching.Try to find something interesting or valuable to say.Targeting a crap message doesn’t make it any better. It’s still crap.


Some people will stick around.They may even tell their friends.And their friends tell their friends.That’s how you build a social audience.


Your database doesn’t select them. They select you.


Social Media is not the Goal

9.

Social media is a tool.That’s it.

Social is not the goal

For social to have any value, it needs to fulfil a purpose. A mission.

B2B social isn’t just about being social online.

It’s about creating commercial opportunities offline – in real life.

A clear goal at the start makes it easier to know when you’re succeeding.


For example – My social activity online


Led to a conference presentation IRL.


Which led to social connections online.


Which led to beer IRL.


Which led to a general, eh, ‘chat’ online.


Which led to further meetings IRL.


Which led to deep literary insights online.


And led to this presentation IRL. Which I’ll post afterwards online.Social creates commercial opportunities online and IRL.I wish I’d known that before I started.


And where will it lead to next…?I wish I knew.


1. It’s Not About Lunch

2. Old School Marketing Sucks on Social

3. Sharing Stuff is a Job

4. Social isn’t ‘Free’

5. You Don’t Control Shit Anymore

6. Respond. Always Respond

7. Listening is not Doing

8. Dude, Everyone’s Watching

9. Social Media is not The Goal

9 Things I wish I’d known…

[email protected] @scotmckee

Scot McKee

Contact

http://www.birddog.co.uk

http://www.slideshare.net/birddogb2b http://www.youtube.com/user/BirddogB2B

https://twitter.com/BirddogB2B

https://twitter.com/scotmckee

http://is.gd/mckeebooks

Further Resources

http://www.birddog.co.uk/

http://www.birddog.co.uk/

http://www.slideshare.net/birddogb2b

http://www.slideshare.net/birddogb2b

http://www.youtube.com/user/BirddogB2B

http://www.youtube.com/user/BirddogB2B



https://twitter.com/

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9 things i wish i'd known about b2b social media before i started - scot mckee

Social Media

buying preference

dont control

engagement

school marketing

existent social

social isnt

shit website

social media