B2B [Cloud] Inbound Marketing

Don’t ask for permission, just do it !

Loic SimonLoic_simon@fr.ibm.comhttp://clubcloud.blogspot.com+33 6 76 75 40 71

Part #3 – Blogging: how to?

Social Currency

Does talking about your product or idea

make people look good? Can you find

The inner remarkability? Leverage game

mechanics? Make people feel like insiders?

Triggers Consider the context. What cues make people think about your product or idea? How can you grow the habitat and make it come to mind more often?

Emotion Focus on feelings. Does talking about your product or idea generate emotion? How can you kindle the fire?

Public Does your product or idea advertise itself? Can people see when others are using it? If not, how can you make the private public? Can you create behavioral residue that sticks around even after people use it?

Practical Value

Does talking about your product or idea help people help others? How can you highlight incredible value, packaging your knowledge and expertise into useful information others will want to disseminate?

Stories What is your Trojan Horse? Is your

product or idea embedded in a broader

narrative hat people want to share? Is

the story not only viral, but also

valuable?

STEPPS

Employees are the brand

Les contributeurs de “Thoughts on Cloud – Français” sont des SMEs [Subject Matter Experts] Cloud francophones d’IBM et de nos Partenaires…

• Diversité des types d’expertise et d’expérience Cloud

– conseil, – architecture, – mise en oeuvre, – exploitation, – vente, – écosystème,– marché...

Additional visibility & credibility through Guest Blogging… using Posts from owned Blogs

Types d’articles (no limits!)• Point de vue d'expert, • Témoignage de mise en oeuvre ou d'exploitation de

technologies/services/solutions cloud, • Compte-rendu de conférence/évènement cloud, (également,

annonce d'un évènement cloud présenté par un SME)• Cas d'usage, avec ou sans témoignage(s) clients • Mode d'emploi - "How to"• Trucs et astuces (par exemple sur l'utilisation d'une technologie,

d'un service, etc...)• Traduction d'articles parus sur Thoughts on Cloud WW (par

Marketor ou autre), introduite par un SME référent francophone• Curation d'un article écrit par un autre (même en anglais) avec

quelques phrases du SME référent pour introduire• Introduction à la mise à disposition d'une présentation ou d'un livre

blanc disponible sur Slideshare, Scribd, un site IBM...

• Instructional: Explain how to do something or how something works• Informational: Explain the definition of a term, or a Cloud 101 topic• Reviews: Review and give your take on a new product or offering, or

something you checked out for the first time. Weigh the pros and cons.• Lists: 10 things I hate about, or 5 things I learned, or 15 mistakes you’re

making…etc.• Interviews: Interview an expert or colleague.• Profiles: Profile someone who you know (maybe a boss or colleague) and

explain what you think makes them successful or interesting• Link post: A list of links you’ve found interesting lately and a description of

why.• Contrasting two options: Perhaps you’ve seen this customers, or maybe in

your own job—but there are two roads that can be taken, and you can provide input on the pros and cons of each

• Inspirational: Forward thinking, describing possibilities you see.• Research: Do an analysis of something and present the facts.• Predictions and review posts: We saw a ton of these at the end of the year,

and they’re always ppopular• Critique posts: Can be beneficial if done in a gracious manner.• Debate: Perhaps partner with another blogger and present two opposing

viewpoints. Could end up with a very interesting balance and discussion.• Hypothetical: The “what if” factor is very compelling and you can get

creative with this.

As of MAY 2012, 300.000 pages had been viewed on : «Club Alliances*» and now «Club Cloud des Partenaires» Blogs

Thanks to SaaS/Cloud focus, repetition, relevant content, word of mouth, networking,

With a few 0 cost mailings, 0 paid search, 0 paid advertising, 0 paid content, 0 specific marketing resources, 0 POE costs, 0 agency costs…

and with 9 SaaS & Cloud Forums [event, content, buzz, traffic…]

* First blog was started mid 2008.

B2B [Cloud] Inbound Marketing

Don’t ask for permission, just do it !

Loic SimonLoic_simon@fr.ibm.comhttp://clubcloud.blogspot.com+33 6 76 75 40 71

Next: Part #4 - Slideshare !