ASK THE EXPERTS: Social Media in

Business DevelopmentBrad Douglas

Shipley Associates, CEOMitch Pendleton

Shipley Associates, Director

Nelson AltamiranoGuest: Digital Marketing

Professional

Follow On Our Live Twitter Feed

2

@shipleywins

Use: #shipleysocial

Input and Information from Experts

3

How to use Instagram stories to drive your bottom line

4

Germany looks to revise social media law as Europe watches

How Social Media in Changing the Way Government Does Business Google Puts $300M Toward Fighting Fake News

The NRA faces a new kind of opponent: Kids who understand social media

Twitter's Taking More Action to Remove Bad Actors, Which Could Signal a New Industry Shift

New Report Finds Consumers Respond Best to Entertaining Social Ads, Not Discounts

Best Practices for Cross-Posting on Social Media Correctly

The Rising Importance of Influencer Marketing –Statistics and Trends

Facebook's Latest Controversy Could Fundamentally Change the Platform - and Social Media Itself

Today’s Agenda

Definitions

Why social media? Are there benefits?

What are the (best) options?

Keys to success in social media• Metrics

• Know your audience

• Be current/be relevant

Do’s and Don’ts

Questions5

Definitions

6

Social Media Social media is the collection of

online communications channels dedicated to community-based

input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Business

Development Business development

is the creation of long-term value for an organization from

customers, markets, and relationships.

Business Development Lifecycle and Social Media

7

Research Potential Markets

Monitor Trends

Identify Key Players

Business Development Lifecycle and Social Media

8

Publish best practice

Make initial contacts

Promote success stories

Business Development Lifecycle and Social Media

9

Monitor competitors

Track solicitation news

Investigate teaming partners

Business Development Lifecycle and Social Media

10

Explore and publish value proposition

Expand customer contacts and network Think win themes and messaging

Ultimate Goal of Social Media

11

High Level Benefits of Social Media

“It is high time to seriously think about monetizing from social media through carving out digital strategies involving a clearer and more comprehensive social media plan that will surely benefit your business.”

12

Source: CMO IT Services Firm

Connect Business to Target Market Boost Marketing

Increase Brand Value and Awareness

Benefits of Social Media in Business Development1. Boost brand awareness and loyalty (stickiness)

2. Validate claims (success stories, past performance)

3. Increase visibility and potential opportunities

4. Improve search engine optimization

5. Increase conversion (win) rates (from positioning to contract)

6. Satisfy your customers (curiosity and validation)

13

Source: https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/importance-social-media-business/

Use Social Media to Promote Content

Real-time way to distribute content

• Best practices

• Discussions

• Announcements and news

Sharing of user/customer success or testimonials

The best platforms for storytelling

Good content will go viral

14

Application of Social Media

Internal Applications

Recruiting – Most recruiting begins online

Internal communication

Employee engagement and satisfaction

Education and learning

Research

Competitive intelligence & assessment

External Applications

Positioning for future work

Providing evidence and success stories

Establishing a relationship

Networking

Advertising or promotion (events)

Thought leadership

15

Your Digital Strategy

16

YourWebsite

(Hub)

LinkedInRelationships;Connectivity;Share information

YammerInternalCommunication;Planning

Blog PostsBuild credibility;Inform

FacebookVisibility;Awareness

InstagramSharing;Informative

You Questions

What are the best platforms and type of posts to reach or gain the attention of potential customers?

17

Your Questions

Strategies for increasing brand engagement with customers on social media?

How do you pick the most appropriate social media?

How do you determine which social media platforms are right for your company?

18

Your Questions

What's the best way to leverage LinkedIn's Company Pages?

19

Should my messages vary per channel? LinkedIn posts are more “business” vs. my Twitter posts being more “conversational”?

7 Success Pillars of a Digital Strategy

1. Know what your company needs. Exposure, leads, reputation, validation, sales, and/or awareness.

2. Know who are you trying to reach and with what message.

3. Be realistic about your internal capability to execute a strategy.

4. Be consistent with your brand.

5. Determine your metrics – What is your expected ROI?

6. Stay current and relevant.

7. Leverage multiple platforms. There is no one-size-fits-all.

20

Most Common Platforms

21

LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram

Excellent for organization and

individual. Add onsavailable: (Sales

Navigator, Recruiter, SlideShare)

Excellent way to convey real-time

information. Good customer and

competitor intel tool.

In the news. Strong reach for viral content distribution.

(Be careful – know the latest.)

Often viewed as promotional platform.

Excellent way to showcase product or

features.

Question

What seems to be the most successful social media outlet in the Federal marketplace (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Linked In) and why?

22

Which social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is most beneficial in business-to-government space?

What is the appropriate digital media strategy to reach non-DoD federal clients?

Questions

Are government-focused businesses seeing social media generate demand or improve win probability? Any metrics to support?

23

24

Winning Social Media Strategies by Government Contractors

“We all know that social media in the government contracting sector has grown tremendously over the past 4-5 years. Whether to support corporate communications or enhance sales and lead generation, social media is a prime tool for influencing the right decision-makers.

However, not every contractor is fully realizing the benefits of social media. Budget, human resources, and time are often the biggest hurdles for contractors to overcome, often resulting in contractors merely running a Twitter feed that pushes out their press releases.

Strategic use of social media comes down to providing compelling content and engaging with key influencers and decision-makers who can enhance business growth.

So, which contractors are doing it very well? …” - Monica Mayk Parham, Marketing Director, Market Connections, Inc.

Social Media in the GovCon Market

25

Question

How can we measure return on investment?

26

Determining Social Media Impact (ROI)

27

To determine ROI, understand your business goals that can be influenced by social media. Typical objectives include:

If business goals are identified, you can establish key performance metrics and determine how social media can influence these.

Increasing Revenues Reducing Costs

Improving Customer

Engagement

Strengthening the Brand

Possible Metrics to Track

Customer Engagement

• Twitter followers

• Number of retweets and mentions of your company

Number of followers on LinkedIn

Number of times people respond or share a post

Website analytics (frequency, return visits, length of visit, referrals to site)

28

Example of Website Analytics

29

Tracking Inbound Traffic as a Metric

30

Source: https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/importance-social-media-business/

Tracking Inbound Traffic as a Metric

31

Source: https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/importance-social-media-business/

Monitoring Traffic – What Happened Tuesday?

32

Question

What are the do’s and don'ts for using LinkedIn and other platforms in Business Development?

Do

Take it seriously

Establish clear objectives

Publish clear policies

Your homework – 7 pillars

Keep it current – commit

Make it (content) relevant

Observe others33

Don’t

Rely on a single platform

Over-step your customers’ boundaries

Expect overnight success

Target all markets with the same approach

Underestimate the power of viral marketing through social media

Be afraid to change

Why Companies Fail at Leveraging Social Media

34

There is no value in the message or

content.

The platform doesn’t align with

the objective.

The strategy is not kept current and managed.

SummarySocial Media in Business Development

Develop a digital strategy – don’t fly by the seat of your pants

Research, observe, and model what works

Be flexible and adjust quickly

Don’t wait – get started

Know your customer

Leverage social media as a “touchpoint”

Knowledge is power!35

Sample References

Social Media Marketing Workbook: 2018 Edition; Jason McDonald– Workbook explains how to use social media to market your business

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die; Chip and Dan Heath

– Why some ideas survive and others die

Winning at Social Customer Care; Dan Gingiss and Jay Baer

– How top brands create engaging experiences on social media

36

Questions

37

Follow Shipley on social media:

ShipleyAssociates

@shipleywins

Shipley Associates

Shipley University

Thank You!

38

Brad DouglasShipley Associates, CEO

bjdouglas@shipleywins.com

Nelson AltamiranoGuest: Digital Marketing

Professional

Mitch PendletonShipley Associates, Director Business Winning Services

mpendleton@shipleywins.com