www.dfk.com© 2009 Souter Consulting Ltd

Introduction to Social Media

aka Kipling’s Six FriendsJustin Souter

© 2009 Souter Consulting Ltd

WHAT?

nolifebeforecoffee

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How to sell Social Media to B2B executives

• social media = contemporary web strategy

• social networking = online forum

• blogging = regularly updated website

• microblogging = active listening

• Twitter = next phase of online engagement

• social bookmarking = shared favourites

• LinkedIn = LinkedIn• social media

newsroom = interactive information centre

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What is it?

• Also– Ratings & Reviews– Document & presentation

sharing• N.b. importance of using

tools together• Yes, so what is it?

– Technology– Social Movement– Mindset

• Computer-mediated world• Web 2.0 – users created their

own content

• “This is about determining a future online customer communications strategy”– Chief Executive I was

talking with recently

– “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” - Isaac Newton (i.e. under-lined links)

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Overwhelming amount of tools :’(

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Stats – give you an idea of the trends

• Blogs– 96.6 million US Interne

t users read a blog at least once per month, representing 48.5% of the Internet population.

– By 2013, 128.2 million people, or 58% of all US users, will take part.

• Facebook– > 300 million active users– Fastest growing

demographic is >= 35• Twitter

– Film star Ashton Kutcher has 3,669,148 ‘followers’

– Jack Welch has 880k, Davos has 1.2m

– Projected to have 18m users projected for end 2009

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WHY?bitzcelt

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Value of Social Media according to US Executives, July 09 – emarketer.com

Enhance employee morale

Be a customer service tool

Be a viable recruitment tool

Build our company's brand

Enhance relationships with customers / clients

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

46%

64%

69%

81%

81%

© 2009 Souter Consulting Ltd

Reasons that US Executives use Social Media, July 09

Other

Research

Sales prospecting

Competitite monitoring

Sharing work-related project information

Customer service

Networking

Brand-building

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

19%

19%

21%

25%

26%

32%

60%

82%

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emarketer.com

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Reasons that US Executives do not use Social Media, July 09

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emarketer.com

© 2009 Souter Consulting Ltd

Measurable gains from ‘Web 2.0’ - McKinsey

No measure effects/benefitsIncreasing revenue

InnovationsReducing prod dev costs

Reducing supply chain costsReducing time to market

Increasing stakeholder satisfactionReducing travel costs

Access to external expertsReducing comms costs

Access to knowledge

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

7%16%

19%20%

23%24%

37%40%

42%49%

51%

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Why does it matter?

• It's the idiom of our Youth• Interactive vs. Broadcast• You've got a Website

– Now you need a Web Presence• "Open the Kimono" at the pace *you* choose

– Embrace the Now; the Future is already here– Influence, because it's happening already

• Get closer to the Customer in this age when they’ve already Googled you before you speak / they come into the shop etc.

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Social Media effectiveness - Twitter

• Representatives from Dell said, at a Twitter for Brands event hosted by New Media Age in London on Friday, that it has seen tangible uplifts in sales which can be directly attributed to marketing on Twitter.

– The brand’s Twitter account has driven $3 million in sales since it began operation in 2007, Dell said.

– @DellOutlet is in the top 100 Twitter accounts (over one million followers, increasing ~6K per day)

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Social Media effectiveness -

• Rozmic – 1 tweet led to 60 sign-ups for new service (60 x £8.50/mth)

• Your business & your Customers’ businesses– Business to Business– Business to Consumer

• McKinsey Quarterly vs. a set of blogs

• Part of a wider trend– From Push to Pull– Motor industry example

• Social Capital– Creating the right

environment for buying / choosing your firm

– Create relationships online

– Become a Social Capitalist!

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What can it be used for?

• Recruitment– Ernst & Young careers

Facebook group• Marketing

– West Midlands Police– Recruitment /

‘plodcasts’– PC TV; YouTube,

Twitter, Facebook

• Focus group– GM’s Fast Lane blog– “we are gaining insight

about how to optimize not only our communications, but the brand itself.” Ruder Finn PR

• Collaboration– RMT extranet– Reuters example at

Fujitsu

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What can it be used for? (2)

• Customer support– Dell Hell & turnaround

• Early warning– Domino's example

• PR– Ford & The Ranger Station– Social Media news release– Social Media news room

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Business to Business Scenarios

• According to Dan Sears, you might consider the following:– Listen and monitor the

online conversation– Gather product

requirements and feedback– Alert customers of new

product features, upcoming events

– Introduce products to prospects

– Develop advocates and Industry influencers

– Reposition products and brands

– Share information during tradeshows and events

– Align and connect communities of interest and practice

– Generate awareness and exposure (press release)

• Social Media in a B2B context blog post

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B2B Examples

• ArcelorMittal– To help achieve

successful merger– Videos & blogs

• Scania: Social Media News Room– Present SM content in

one place

• American Express– social media forum /

social network connects with small business owners

• Pitney Bowes– uses forums for B2B

customer service

• Thanks to Social Media B2B

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Case Study – Social Media disaster

Original ad

• http://www.youtube.com/v/BmykFKjNpdY

Spoof

• http://www.youtube.com/v/TpqpAGLS2t4

Props to Neville Hobson:http://www.nevillehobson.com/2008/11/18/the-motrin-storm-breathtaking-speed-and-scale/

© 2009 Souter Consulting Ltd

Motrin: Twitter

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Downsides

• Motrin (as we’ve seen)• Dell Hell – turnaround to @DellOutlet & $3m

sales• Copyright issues – sharing gets abused• Phishing / spam / identity theft• Time wasting• Time consuming

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Introduction to Social Media

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WHEN?sea turtle

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sea turtle

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When?

• "As I've said many times, the future is already here. It's just not very evenly distributed.“ - William Gibson

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HOW?

kevindooley07/04/202325 Introduction to Social Media

26Entire contents © 2008  Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved.

The four-step approach to the groundswell

POST

People Assess your customers’ social activities

Objectives Decide what you want to accomplish

Strategy Plan for how relationships with customers will change

Technology Decide which social technologies to use

27Entire contents © 2008  Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development

Support

Sales

Marketing

Research

Groundswell objectivesRoles

Listening

Talking

Energizing

Supporting

Embracing

Key roles and their groundswell objectives

© 2009 Souter Consulting Ltd

What to do – practical steps

• Put together business case & get sign off?

• Form team of interested parties & subject matter experts

• POST exercise• Divvy out tasks &

responsibilities• Measure before & after• Set up blog, twitter, photo, &

video tools• Integrate with website

• Follow other people, comment on blogs, create interactions

• Start slow, experiment, fail fast, learn quickly

• Consider phased approach• Manage the Change internally• Keep stakeholders informed &

happy• Think long-term & keep at it

• Hire a social media specialist!

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What to do - strategy

• It’s unlikely to be you doing this, so find someone who is doing it already

• Get someone in your team to read Groundswell– POST approach– 5 ways of using social

media– Demographics

• Tech– Depends on existing

infrastructure– Often, exploit what you

already have– Combine

• Tools are most powerful when used together

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Social Media Panel Outlines Tips for Accountants

• Protect your name• Establish goals &

revisit them often• Commit• Find fans & potential

employees• Consider multiple

personalities

• Act professional• Highlight area

expertise• Ask questions• Don’t abandon face

time– http://

www.journalofaccountancy.com/Web/20091830.htm

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Social Media & QuickBooks

• Do Social Media Users Benefit?– By answering each other's

questions– Influence the development and

design of products they us– Power users can build

reputation– Accountants can gain access

to prospects in the social media community

– Users can network– Link

• Other platforms used– LinkedIn and Facebook to

bring together QuickBooks experts

– Other Intuit community websites

– Meetup – find a QB consultant nearby

– Also, blogs, wikis (to create a Tax Almanac), YouTube to showcase new release, Twitter, even Second Life!

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10 ways to measure social media success

1. Traffic2. Interaction3. Sales4. Leads5. Search marketing

6. Brand metrics7. PR8. Customer

engagement9. Retention10.Profits

Props to Econsultancy

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WHERE? AND WHO?

sighmon

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Walt Jabsco

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Where?

• Context– Internal– External– Stakeholders

• Online and offline• “Top 2 inches”

• Size matters– Large firm

• Got the resources– Small / micro firm

• Punch above your weight

– Medium?• Dip your toe

– Medium / small• Do you really have

time?

© 2009 Souter Consulting Ltd

Who?

• Leadership sets the tone and example• Front line delivers• Management monitors, encourages, reports

upwards

© 2009 Souter Consulting Ltd

Accountants who use Social Media

• Dennis Howlett - @dahowlett• Mark Lee - @bookmarklee• Philip Woodgate -

@philipwoodgate• Richard Murphy -

@richardjmurphy• Glen Feechan -

@glenfeechan• AT Accounting -

@ataccounting• Stephen Slater -

@cyberaccountant

• Phil Richards - @bfcauk & @philrichards

• Toni Hunter– @ToniHunter

• The accountants’ guide to Twitter

• Brought to you by:– Emily Coltman -

@Ask_M

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AND FINALLY…Sister72

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PHIL RICHARDS

“If you come from the "intention" just to get business, then its more difficult to take part ( IMHO ), if you come from the intention of sharing, helping, community etc.. then whilst business does come, its not the primary intention, and getting involved has more meaning.”

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Why accountants should blog

• Sharing what you know through a blog shows you care and provides the enabling medium that provides the context for collaboration among other professionals. – As the world becomes more

specialised, I see collaboration as an increasingly important part of the professional landscape.

– Gain a reputation for sharing knowledge and like minded people WILL come to your door.

• The biggest benefit though comes through your ability to show your human-ness. – People deal with people

and if they see authenticity expressed through your blog efforts then they are far more likely to identify with you as a person.

– Given the professional reputation for being stuffy, that can't be a bad thing.

– Agree? Dennis Howlett

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Again, Dennis Howlett

• […] think more about communications, internally at first and how sharing information might better serve the practice.

• Professionals should be looking for ways to better collaborate both internally and among their communities. We’re starting to see that at ion.

• And it’s not about using these tools as direct marketing tools or gimmicks but about the indirect effects that arise out of your efforts at supporting those around you through the stories you tell. [my italics]

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Military of Millennials article - Conclusion

• “Most generations have a way of challenging their elders’ fundamental assumptions and ways of doing things.”

• “Gen Y is poised to do the same — and in potentially constructive and original ways.”

• “The job of today’s captains, majors, and colonels is to encourage and guide millennials and protect them from the senior officers who may not appreciate their unique qualities.”[!]

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CALL TO ACTION

Sister72

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Please sponsor me!

• Action for Children– “tackle the root causes

of youth homelessness– gets thousands of

children and young people off the streets

– into secure accommodation with education and training opportunities”

• Byte Night– Sleep out of doors –

tonight!• Go to

http://justgiving.com & search for Justin Souter

• Would love to get to £750

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Souter Consulting Limited

• What can I do for you?• Please contact me to see how we can work

together!

• Justin Souter– http://souterconsulting.eu – Justin.souter@souterconsulting.eu– 07717 725504

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