2010 – Social Networking for Communications Professionals

Julian BradderUC Expo

10 March 2010

Who am I?

• 15 years on ‘supply side’ of multi-channel and document communications

• Founder of numerous blogs• Founder of CCCToday.com; Social Network &

Content Publishing for communications pro’s• 3 years experience practicing SMM• Advising numerous communications companies

on social media marketing strategies

Agenda

• Review B2B activity research• How B2B SM supports The Decision Cycle• The relevant, targeted network• Purpose, relevance & collaboration• SM Action Plan

Review B2B Activity Research

Social Business 2010

• ITMSA Survey of Directors– 55% B2B Technology Buyers used Social Media

during 2009 (37% 2008)– Executives in large organisations are using social

media more than in small organisations

Source: ITMSA (www.itmsa.com) . Survey of over 355 business & IT execs US & Europe

Social Business 2010

• Response to recession– Early 2009 – 44% shifting marketing spend online– Oct 2009 – 77% shifted marketing spend online– 77% to increase online spending in 2010

• Online Marketing is fast becoming biggest single budget spend @13%

• 79% Executives conduct 3 searches per day• Executives under 40 – 50% blog / tweet /

similarSource: Google / Forbes

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORTS THE DECISION CYCLE IN B2B

How social media supports the decision cycle in B2B

• Enables unprecedented connectivity and knowledge sharing that is– Non-interruptive– Without boundary– An efficient way to communicate with large and small

groups of people– In public or in private– Accelerates discovery...– Collaborative, consultative engagements will become

much more normal.

B2B Decision Making (Purchasing)Embryonic Creeping Crawling Standing Walking Competent Experienced

What are my opportunities?

Are they right for us?

Who can help me better understand the better opportunities

These are the people I think I want to work with

This is what we want & we are implementing it

We’ve Implemented

We’re help ing others to do the same.

What are my risks Let’s start connecting with people

Who can I trust, what is their attitude towards me. Who are my peers whom I can go to for advice?

Let’s build the criteria. Lets focus as group(s) on the criteria. What are the impacts on the business the pro’s the con’s

What extra skills do I need? Let’s validate some of the issues we are encountering.

We’re doing it on our own. Now we know where we want to go next

Because we’re helping others, they are helping us as well.

Research, early connectivity (who to follow), analysis, opportunity / benefit identification.

How others have found it. Start asking questions and getting answers

Who else is working with them, Do I like these people. Do they understand my business, my issues

We’re addressing and solving the problems. Let’s formalise an agreement

Beginning to become an advice agent to your partner

We’re extending functionality, We’re integrating and we’re sweating out the benefits. But we know what we wouldn’t do next time!

We (I) have become and are seen as a leading light in this subject now.

THE RELEVANT NETWORK

What is the relevant network?

• Communities that have additional management layers– Relevance– Markets itself to niche audiences– Policy– B2B Agenda – B2B Processes– People, Expertise– In context with wider Social Media

What is the relevant network?• People 1st, Brands later

• Content

• Special Users

• News

• Jobs, careers

• Variety of communication tools

• Marketing, Research, Engagement

Policy

• Ethics differ – B2B has clear commercial purpose

• But the principles should not differ• The environment must be safe• The ability to control privacy an imperative• Those who market must adhere to

engagement rules• Dedicated areas with commercial purpose

Policy - B2B need a focal point

• Smaller more relevant communities• Same high degree of connectivity• Active buy and sell side participation• Content that is oriented to buyer needs• The mechanics of social media but condensed

to work for a specific community• Various communication methods

B2B Agenda

• Accelerate learning and opportunity

• Reduce Risks• Improve Co-ordination• Reduce Costs• Identify specialist skills• Ask Questions, Get

Answers

• Improve opportunity identification

• Make research and criteria definition easier

• Improve Communications

• Improve trust

B2B Social Networks will target

• Marketing• Sales• Service & Support• Innovation• Collaboration• Customer Experience

Identify / Recognise

the problem

Create Criteria

Search for providers

Evaluate Options

Test Solution

Procure Solution

Communications B2B Buying process 1 Year Before Social Media

Outside influenceInternal

InfluenceCompellin

g Event

Wish listThings that would be

good

B2B Trade Magazines

Web Search for

companies

Suppliers visit.

Propose Solutions. Identify

Favoured

Pilot Solution, Vendors parade

PurchaseImplement

How have others

addressed the issue?

Internally focused

and researched. Takes time

Limited availability

of information

. Lengthy discovery

Often rushed,

staged; both sides may lack access to critical

information

Communicate&

Collaborate

Extending the ValueBuilding

cross-company

teams

Process

Source

Limitations

Identify / Recognise

the problem

Create Criteria

Search for providers

Evaluate Options

Test Solution

Procure Solution

Communications B2B Buying process Sometime soon after Social Media

Outside influenceInternal

InfluenceCompellin

g Event

Wish listThings that would be

good

B2B Trade Magazines

Web Search for

companies

Suppliers visit.

Propose Solutions. Identify

Favoured

Pilot Solution, Vendors parade

PurchaseImplement

Connectivity with industry

TL’s. Read about others experiences.

Ability to confer, ask questions,

review content; get assistance in definition of

criteria

Review, Match and

Connect with suppliers

Early stage qualification

Ongoing dialogue, peer -

peer content referenced, continuous

collaboration transparency

Reduced workload

Facilitating communicatio

n and assessment

Document Sharing

Enhanced communications

Process

Source

New Position

Content aligned to decision cycle stage

Relevant networks extend the value of other elements of the learning mix

• Activity value extension e.g. User conferences

• Consultant Meetings• Conferences &

Networking• Remove the blinkers it is

easy to research and connect with others

• Peer to peer connectivity much easier but remains aligned with project

• Continue discussion and debate online

• Validate opinion with others, meet people with other viewpoints and approaches

• Extend networking online, deepen those relationships, make content referrals and debate the engagement

People, Expertise

CommunicationsCustomer Communications Management

Unified / Call Centre Digital Online

Email Transactional Unified Communications Email MarketingPaper Transactional Social Media Social MediaTranspromo Email Online AdvertisingDirect Marketing Mobile Mobile MarketingPrint SMS AdvocacyInserting Live Chat Content MarketingMail ... etc CEBP ....etc Search Engine

Optimisation

Planning, Quality, Execution, Measurement, Control

Planning, Quality, Execution, Measurement, Control

Planning, Quality, Execution, Measurement, Control

There are many disciplines in communications – Companies do not necessarily

organise themselves around Gartner quadrants.Customer Experience measurement determines a view of the whole.

UC

PhysicalDigital

Process, functional and resource overlap exists across all major communication channels

...whilst the dialogue should be consistent across all of these channels

UC

PhysicalDigital

Process, functional and resource overlap exists across all major communication channels

...whilst the dialogue should be consistent across all of these channels

DataCustomer

Experience

PURPOSE, RELEVANCE, COLLABORATION

Purpose

• Cross functional

• Objective oriented

• Drive business processes

• Knowledge

Collaboration

• Lines between companies broken down– The ‘transparent organisation’– The best people for task– Greater vendor collaboration– Better industry resource availability– Reduced Costs– Shorter project cycle times across business processes– Better discovery, better negotiation, better

implementation, better business, better innovation.. just better.

Content

• Sellers will– Begin to render content on basis of

• The reader• Place in decision cycle• Needs of individuals on buy side• Highly connected• Buyers will begin to express themselves

• Get more support– More opinion– Accelerated

High Relevance Content Driven

Network

facebook twitter LinkedIN

Content OutTraffic In

Adjacent High Relevance

Adjacent High Relevance

Corporate Websites

In context with wider social media environments

A SIMPLE ACTION PLAN

Get connected• Sign up to twitter and follow

– @UCEXPO– @CCCTODAY– @MikeEng1and– @jowyang

• On LinkedIN Join– UC Expo Group– CCC Today Group

• Sign up to www.ccctoday.com– Read my blog, connect with me. Happy to help guide you

• Start talking about the things that interest you• Listen to what your new online connections are talking about join in the

conversation and say what you think!• Watch your business network and opportunity grow