Selling social media to skeptics final.pptx

Sametz Blackstone Associates

A Seven Step Scientific Method for Selling Social Media to Skeptics

MarketingProfs PRO Seminar - 2.24.11

Sound familiar?

Um… What’s a Twitter?

3

Oh, right! Facebook! That’s where I play Farmville!

4

People actually care about what you had for lunch?

5

Feh. Just a fad.

6

Can’t we get the intern to do it?

7

8 Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anderspace/

WHAT’S THE ROI?

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What’s really going on?

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/offthahook-two/

SCIENCE.

Image: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/33964154/The-Physics-of-Roller-Coasters

Well, homeostasis, really.


What’s that?

The property of a system, either open or closed, that regulates its internal environment and tends to maintain a stable, constant condition.

Folks are here:

And want to be here:

BEFORE

AFTER CHANGE

What’s happening…

BEFORE

(denial)

Or not.

It’s a process.

And it looks like this:

Or rather…this.

The Stages of Social Media Acceptance

Time

Energy

Adaptation of http://www.jobs.ac.uk/career-tools-and-advice/managing-your-career/381/career-crisis-3/

and http://nickisreef.blogspot.com/2010/09/renewal-abs-carnival-blog-post.html


1. Shock "There's no chance anyone cares what you had for lunch."

Time

Energy





2. Denial "Yes, and we all loved acid wash, too."

Time

Energy





3. Negotiation "Surely I can tweet from my rotary phone?"


Time

Energy





4. Depression Checking in @ "Valley of Tears”



Time

Energy






5. Acceptance "A door closes... but a Facebook chat window opens.”



Time

Energy







6. Experimentation “You always remember your first…RT.”



Time

Energy








7. Integration "Stop by our Facebook page and tell us what you had for lunch!"



Time

Energy



The Stages of Social Media Skepticism








Time

Energy



Your job?

Figure out:  Where they are  How to move them to

the next stage

Be we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vgm8383/

Or the process. (That exists, too.)

And it’s SCIENCE.


Well, the scientific method, really.


the method

0 Define the question

1 Observe 2 Investigate

3 Hypothesize

4 Experiment 5 Analyze

6 Retest

Here’s why this works:

SCIENTISTS =

SKEPTICS (always questioning)

41 © Sametz Blackstone Associates

SCIENTISTS =

SKEPTICS (always questioning)


Use it in two ways:  Making your case  Getting started

Let’s see how.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiless/

0 define the question

Um… What’s a Twitter?

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How can we best use social media in our business?

Is a Facebook page an effective way for us to increase awareness of our new products?

QUESTIONS REVEAL

FEAR

QUESTIONS REVEAL

(the nature of their) FEAR









Time

Energy



QUESTIONS REVEAL WORLD VIEW

© 2010 Altimeter Group

The ROI Pyramid

Role: Metrics: Specific Data (examples)

How do you get there?

Ask, “why?”

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markkeren/

A lot.

Why do we need to be on Twitter?


Why do we need to be on Twitter?


Why?

It's all anyone ever TALKS about!


It's all anyone ever TALKS about!


Why?

Well, they are our competitors. What if they're making connections we aren’t?


Well, they are our competitors. What if they're making connections we aren’t?


Why?

Because we're not there yet!


Because we're not there yet!


Why?

Because anywhere customers are, we need to be!


Because anywhere customers are, we need to be!


Why?

Because we need more business – right now.


So you want to know whether or not we can

use Twitter to generate new

business?


So you want to know whether or not we can

use Twitter to generate new

business?


YES.

Answer the question:  What am I (or they)

trying to figure out about social media?

 How do I frame it in a way that resonates?

Example

  Mid-size B2B services firm   Brand pros:

— 30 years old, well-established — Strong – and real – thought leadership in primary

practice areas   Brand cons:

— Shrinking traditional market — Reputation as conservative, expensive

  New business traditionally through word of mouth   In social media for two years (blog, Twitter)

— Awareness is up, but not new clients   Highly social media-skeptical CEO


Could a Web-based “talk show” help generate new leads?


1 observe

Listen Watch

Grow bigger ears – and eyes.

Paraphrase of Chris Brogan Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rollercoasterphilosophy/

LISTEN: IF

WHAT

WATCH: WHERE HOW

 Run searches for relevant keywords

 Establish accounts on the major social networks

 Document what you learn

Example: Listening

  Searches for practice-area conversations on — Blogs — Twitter — Facebook — LinkedIn

  Findings: — Plenty of potential customers — Interest / needs focused on two of three practice

areas


Example: Watching

  Searches for and listens to relevant — Podcasts — Webinars

  Findings: — Plenty of podcasts and webinars on one practice

area, very few on second — Most webinars are 45 minutes – 1 hour and weekly — Most podcasts are 20-30 minutes, also weekly — Interactivity mostly limited to hashtag chats on

Twitter — Several are supported by email newsletters


2 investigate

Scope Audiences Content Resources Outcomes Measurement

Scope

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justbcuz/ /

What’s the scope?   The whole organization?   A department?   A specific product?   An individual?

Example: Scope

  Company decides initial scope would be the two practice areas customers seem to be looking for — Heavier focus on “underserved” area, to the extent

content is possible


Audiences

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/manyone/ /

  For your scope, which audience(s) make the most sense?

  What do they care about?

  How do they perceive you?

Example: Audiences

  Mid- to large-sized companies: — With established social media presence — Embarking on next phase of operation — Expressed (or evident) need in one of three main

practice areas — Interest from or access to C-level executives


Content

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrbill/

  For your scope and audience, what’s the best content?

 What already exists?  What doesn’t?

Example: Content

  Company can take advantage of pre-existing relationships with well-known social media figures as guests — Could set topics based on person’s area of expertise

or desired area of promotion   Desired interactivity means content can come from

listeners (and prospective customers) — Best to “preload” to ensure full agenda — Opportunity to take “live” questions could

differentiate


Resources

Image: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6508179-0-large.jpg

  For your scope, audience, and defined content, which tools are most appropriate?

  What resources do you need?

  How will you get them?

Example: Resources

  Currently under-utilized marketing manager could be assigned to this as primary project — If other projects come of his list

  Bi-weekly schedule is more sustainable   New, interactive platform is on offer – and is

differentiating   Can tap into social media and professional networks for

guests   Need to actively seek prospect questions and live

audience — So, need time to build awareness


Outcomes

Image: http://www.barcelonaphotoblog.com/2007/06/amusement-parks-roller-coaster-panic-at.html

© 2010 Altimeter Group

The ROI Pyramid

Role: Metrics: Specific Data (examples)

Are you trying to achieve:   awareness?   comprehension?   participation?   loyalty?   support? (choose one)

Example: Outcomes

  Skeptic = CEO, so this needs to be about — Money in the door — How that relates to social media efforts

  Participation is key — Participation = increased # inquiries (including RFPs) — Inquiries need to be trackable from social media


Measurement

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericsbinaryworld/

99

Goals drive metrics, metrics drive results

Adapted from K.D. Paine & Partners, kdpaine.com.

Reputation / relationships

Get the word out Sales

Relationship scores

Rec’s

Positioning

Engagement

% hearing

% believing

% acting

Engagement index

Cost per customer acq.

Web analytics

Sales leads

Marketing mix modeling

GOALS

METRICS

100

What do you need to measure?

Did you get the exposure you wanted?

Were your messages communicated?

Did your relationships improve?

Did audience behavior change?

Did the right people show up?

Did your relationships change?

Did sales, revenue, or profits increase?

Impact (Outputs / outtakes)

ROI (Outcomes)

Adapted from K.D. Paine & Partners, kdpaine.com.

  What does success look like?

  How will you measure it?

  How will you tie it to concrete business results?

Example: Measurement

  Impacts — + Blog traffic — + Blog-to-website clickthroughs — + Invitations to speak / present — + Inquiries about appearing on show

  Outcomes — + Inquiries — + Sales presentations — + Lead-to-sales conversions


3 hypothesize

Feeling scientific yet? Image: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/33964154/The-Physics-of-Roller-Coasters

For {scope}, {content} from {sources}, used across {tools}, will produce {measured} {results} with {audiences}.

Example: Hypothesis

  For our primary and secondary practice areas, we’ll produce a biweekly web “talk show” featuring our service providers and guests from our social and professional networks talking about and taking questions from prospective and current customers in a live format that takes advantage of a new, interactive webinar platform.

The web talk show will increase inquiries from manager- and C-level staff by 100% (to an average of 2 per week) and conversions by 50% (to 50% of inquiries).


4 experiment

Design Execution

Observation ≠ participation.

You have to do it. 109 Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seanettles/

  Outline the steps of your experiment, with start and end dates

  Execute your plan, while documenting significant events, impressions, and ongoing results

Example: Experiment

  Design — 3-month experiment, 6 episodes — Determined baselines — Set editorial calendar — Designed promotion plan

> Awareness > Content

  Execution — Went as anticipated – met deadlines — Unexpected coverage of experiment in traditional

press


5 analyze

Numbers Sentiment Actions

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwi2/

  Collect metrics   Overlay results onto

experiment steps and significant events

  Note alignments   Draw a conclusion

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Step 1: Establish baselines

Before social media After social media

8% YoY growth

Adapted from Olivier Blanchard, thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com. Used with permission.

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8% YoY growth 60% YoY growth


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8% YoY growth 60% YoY growth

Is something happening here?


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Step 2: Create activity timelines


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week 32 week 33 week 34 week 35 week 36


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week 32 week 33 week 34 week 35 week 36


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Step 3: Track key metrics

Revenue


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Net new customers


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Transactional precursors

negative mentions

positive mentions


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website visitors

blog-to-website clickthroughs

blog comments blog visits

Transactional precursors


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Step 4: Overlay all timelines

activities

social data

web data

transactions

loyalty metrics, etc.


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Step 5: Look for patterns

uncertain impact impact

impact

impact

no impact


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Step 6: Prove relationships

How was this group touched by social media?


Example: Analyze

  Results: — Increased show “attendance” week over week — Underserved practice area resulted in more inquiries

than primary practice area — Inquiries up 100% — Conversions unchanged — Waiting list for on-air prospects to help — Blog traffic up — Website click-throughs virtually unchanged


6 retest

It takes practice.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nfalsey/

Hypothesis confirmed?   Define a new question

and start again

Disproven or inconclusive?

  Revise hypothesis   Design new experiment   Retest

Example: Retest

  Revise hypothesis: — Tighten focus on underserved practice area — Add talk show landing page with call to action — Add supporting newsletter — Add blog posts to support SEO — Increase links back to main website from blog — Etc.


Pros & Cons

  Not necessarily suited to the “dive right in” types   “Experimental” and “iterative” can be a tough sell   There needs to be at least a willingness to try   (or a culture of forgiveness)

Limitations

  Time-tested method   Can be time-bound – low-commitment   Documented   Thus, repeatable   And measurable   Shows, rather than tells   Iterative

Benefits

Back to the ride...

Remember that feels like this.

And not everyone’s a fan.

Identify where your skeptic is








Time

Energy



141

What to use, with whom, and when

© Sametz Blackstone Associates

Stage of Acceptance What they need What to use or highlight

SHOCK Reassurance Whole method

DENIAL Commiseration Incognito method

NEGOTIATION Low-commitment Experimental nature

DEPRESSION Consolation Steps and limited timeframe

ACCEPTANCE Planning Whole method

EXPERIMENTATION Practice Experimental nature

INTEGRATION You, needing them Success

the method

0 Define the question

1 Observe 2 Investigate

3 Hypothesize

4 Experiment 5 Analyze

6 Retest

Most importantly?

  Tamsen McMahon   [email protected]   @tamadear

  Sametz Blackstone Associates   www.sametz.com   www.sametz.com/roundthesquare   @sametz

  Brass Tack Thinking   brasstackthinking.com

Who I am

Selling social media to skeptics final.pptx

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