by Miriam Hara | Oct 17, 2013 | Business Success, Latest, Social Media
B2B social media marketing strategies are not only viable but a must in today’s market landscape.
Many B2B companies opt for traditional direct mail marketing – that’s a good strategy to have. And I don’t want to suggest for one minute that direct mail is no longer a good use of marketing dollars. But what I am saying is that alone, the ROI will be less effective. A solid B2B social media marketing strategy must work cohesively with all other traditional marketing tactics employed. Many businesses are closing themselves off from social media and as a result, selling themselves short.
Social media is not only for consumer packaged good companies. There is also a strong case to be made for B2B social media marketing strategies for B2B. Although, many B2Bs are grappling with the decision about whether to jump into the social media foray… or not.
Well here’s an assessment of why B2B social media initiatives make sense:
The first question to ask is: What accounts for social media in the B2B universe? The social media channel is a strong proponent of niche marketing. What is B2B, if not niche? Traditional marketing and advertising channels have often been very cost prohibitive. With an e-marketing strategy, you can cast your net as wide or narrow as you need for your communications. Also, any digital marketing strategy should include a strong social media component.
Okay, it’s time to get over it and admit the fact that social media isn’t just about Facebook or Twitter. There are many other social media channels that are just right for B2B. LinkedIn is one that naturally comes to mind. However, social media strategies, or more specifically, B2B digital marketing strategies, should always employ a well rounded inclusive plan.
A bit about blogging – I can feel the collective rolling of the eyes! Blogs, or forums if you prefer to call them, are a great way to perpetuate creditability and increase visibility among your niche market. Because a social media marketing plan must include content driven communications. This task may seem daunting. However, with proper planning it can become as easy as writing newsletters or sending direct mail pieces. Building an online community has positive sales implications.
Which brings me to my next point: If B2B is about building relationships then why is B2B social media not on the radar of most B2B marketing plans? Pointing out the obvious: Social media is the new network. It’s the new way to gain, build and leverage business relationships, digitally. The need for businesses to “own” their digital space is increasingly important because the main influencers and decision makers are within the more savvy digital era.
For B2B companies to compete in todays marketing landscape, it is increasingly important that they have a social media footprint. If you need some quick and easy tips on social media, I invite you to download our ebook, Social Media Understood. It’s an easy read that demonstrates that social media isn’t all that complicated. You just have to start – strategically of course!
by Suzy Godefroy | Sep 24, 2013 | Branding, Latest
Your corporate brand and branding promise are both the most significant factors in running a successful and progressive business. No matter what size of company you run, own, and/or manage it is crucial that you invest your time into branding yourself and your business.
It is not surprising to see many business owners lose site of their branding and confuse a company logo and corporate slogan as their brand. Rule number one branding not a quick fix. Branding is all about discipline and a 
commitment to a long-term business strategy that you review on a regular basis and make changes and modifications where you see fit. A logo and slogan are tools to communicate your brand attributes and deliver your brand promise. Your brand promise is what your company stands by, how your markets relates to this positioning and how your businesses stands out from your competitors.
At the management level, the day-to-day strategic approach is a key success factor in building and maintaining a strong brand. If your business strategy gets lost in paper, things can quickly go astray very quickly, as the consumer messaging will become fragmented weakening your branding.
Often staff and management are not singing to the same tune. So take note! Just like your heart you must protect your brand and weigh your decisions extremely carefully so that you are confident that you are being true to your authentic brand identity and branding promise.
Brand strategists are the gatekeepers of your brands and look at the bigger picture on a daily basis. Reviewing how your staff is carrying out their day-to-day functions. Strategic Brand Management also reviews your consumer feedback to effectively deliver your brand promise.
How do you choose your branding promise? We recommend that you hire a professional branding company or marketing company and invest in some time and money and do it right. Do not rush the process!
Engage! Engage! Engage…Engage with your stakeholders, your staff and most importantly with your loyal consumers. And use this information to formulate your brand promise. This exercise is also a very effective way to integrate your brand internally across the board with all staff.
Brand Trust…In such a competitive marketplace trust, accountability and corporate leadership are imperative factors for a business to protect and hone. It’s the little things, like how you react and solve problems, what types of programs do you have in place to react and solve this issues immediately? How do you treat your customers? Is your pricing competitive? How do you support your staff? All of these corporate character traits relate back to your consumer and the markets that you are serving, so be sure to be vigilant.
Brand Values… What kind of value system and culture does your company have? You need to ask yourself this question, day in and day out to be able to assess your values and make sure your team is helping you stay true to the corporate vision. This is also where you can have some fun with your staff and get involved in non-marketing events and do some community relationship building to build your corporate public profile.
Your brand promise is really an extension of you! So at the end of the day, your brand promise is an extension of your business products and services and how your consumers truly relate to them. The big question is what does your consumer need? And this really means what is important to them and how do you differentiate from your competitors?
by Miriam Hara | Sep 13, 2013 | Business Success, Latest, Marketing, Miriamisms, Social Media
The proper definition of an ebook is: A publication consisting of text, images or both in a digital format. No longer is the publishing world restricted only to the print medium! In the business world, the launch of ebooks is a daily occurrence. They’re quick and easy reference tools that give a top-line view on various topics and channels, providing business managers with additional learning resources. Social media and Inbound Marketing (AB testing) opened the door to how-to ebooks for business. After all, as a business manager, if you don’t have the knowledge or understanding you need, then you can’t be expected to manage properly. Two of my favourite ebook resources are Hubspot and Optify. Both offer some good examples of ebooks that are quick, easy reads… and provide knowledge.
In today’s world, all you has to do is google “ebooks” to discover the potential for knowledge is just a click away! You’ll likely find a free ebook on exactly what you were curious about, just waiting for you to download and expand your knowledge base. From a business perspective, you can find ebooks on marketing, social media, design, sales, even human resources… they’re all out there! The proliferation of self published, free ebooks online is astounding. I get an email notification at least once every two days promoting another ebook of some sort.
Writing an ebook is no small task… so you need to ask yourself, “Why do it?”. Here are the reasons:
- Perception is reality.
Consultants, corporations and all types of businesses are out there promoting the services they offer to further establish themselves as experts in their industry. And, they’re providing the information freely. That’s a solid reason for businesses to consider writing ebooks.
- Gathering and generating leads.
It stands to reason that if that if a business is giving out knowledge and information freely, it can minimally ask for an email address, name, company name and coordinates. In cases where the business offering ebooks becomes reputable at providing good, sound information, sales questions can be added to the form that visitors need to fill out in order to download.
- Building on-site traffic.
Just creating and launching an ebook is not enough. You need to promote it. You can do that through LinkedIn by including it in your updates and in the promotions tab of the Groups you are following. Also, don’t forget to use your Twitter account or Facebook Page. Doing all of this and leading it back to your site, assists in building traffic, increasing the profile of your business and providing a good first impression to potential clients. And of course, you need to make sure that your website is up to par as well!
At the risk of sounding self promotional, we at 3H already have a complete “Understood” ebook series. And stay tuned, soon we’ll be launching the first ebook in our new series “re:design” – providing insight into the world of design. Do you have any favourite ebooks? Share them here!
by Miriam Hara | Aug 21, 2013 | Business Success, Latest, Management, Social Media
The echo generation is not a new story. We’ve heard about them for years. Those born in the eighties and nineties, they’re called the echo generation because they are the demographic echo of their parents: the infamous baby boomers.
We knew by their sheer volume the echo generation would transform our lives. And why wouldn’t they? They are a fast, quick thinking group with information at their fingertips. With mobile phones and unlimited access, no question goes unanswered for more than a few minutes. Arguments about facts are settled within a google second… there is no dispute over who is right or wrong. The ultimate multi-tasker. They are involved with everything. They talk, text, download music, post to social media accounts, take photos… sometimes simultaneously!. And they do it at all hours of the day. Their social circle reaches to all corners of the world. They can as easily talk, Facetime or Skype to Singapore at any hour of the day on a whim, at less than a moment’s notice!
The echo generation is plugged in
Like in the Matrix they are the totally plugged-in citizens of a worldwide community. The only difference is the plug is wireless and it’s not in their head. And with this connection comes the transformations that has changed the way we do business…. and the speed in which we do it in.
The echo generation extended our work day
You may not have noticed. It’s been a slow, insidious process. But the extended work day has seeped into our work culture and personal world. It’s not overtime that’s a few extra hours here and there at the end of the day. It’s a work day that starts you get up and ends when you go to sleep… if you go to sleep! Now that the echo generation is part of the work force they are keeping us up at night. I call it the No Place, No Time Rule. It doesn’t matter where you are or what time it is, as long as there is access, your work day is not over. I keep my phone by the side of the bed and listen for the tell-tale tone that informs me I need to respond. Think about it… when planning a holiday in whatever part of the world… one of the check marks about a place is whether it has WiFi… and if it’s free!
Did the echo generation create the new work order?
Who created this business landscape? Many say it’s the echo generation. I tend to give credit where credit is due… to those that have created the foundation of the technology and gave the echo generation the tools. Suffice to say neither Bill Gates nor Steve Jobs are from the echo generation! But, did the echo generation seize the technology and make it work the way they wanted? Regardless of who created this, the echo generation have paved the way to a work week without borders. No longer are weekends true weekends. It’s 24/7. Better get used to it.
by Miriam Hara | Aug 6, 2013 | Business Success, Design, Latest, Marketing, Social Media
In today’s corporate environment the vertical integration of all marketing facets is fast becoming the norm. The adage of “wearing many hats” that was once synonymous only with entrepreneurship, is no longer. Corporate marketing is increasingly becoming, in their own corporate space, a marketing hub for their brands, services or products.
If you’ve been following our blog 3H hoopla, you know that I have posted many times about the changes in technology and what that has meant to the advertising and creative field. Today I’m going to focus my perspective on what those changes have meant to corporations. Technological advancements, in terms of today’s computer and software systems, have allowed corporations to get “a handle” on their creative. Desktop publishing has given way to more sophisticated marketing and creative departments. Many corporate businesses have full internal marketing and creative departments, staffed with art directors, creative directors and graphic designers. Needless to say, this also means there is a greater need for full internet connectivity and monitoring of the way the corporation presents themselves to their target audience online, requiring a merging of the IT department with the evolved marketing department.
Over two decades after the launch of desktop publishing and the worldwide web, the business world is “a buzz” with social media.
Today’s corporate marketing departments are now finding themselves having to contend with all the social media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, to name just a few! Although the social media channel is nothing new, its platforms are relatively unchartered territory for corporate marketing. Many don’t know how to use them effectively, or evaluate and monitor their use.
As a result, many corporate marketing departments are becoming entrepreneurial adding yet another hat, social media to the number of hats they are currently wearing. Unlike entrepreneurs however, budgets are the not the motivating factor in initially taking on social media as a DIY (“do it yourself”) initiative. What ever the motivation is, it isn’t too long before corporate marketing is faced with the fact that to really run and maintain any social media property effectively, it takes a lot of time, focus, energy and knowledge.
Corporations are vertically integrating their creative needs and now, their social media needs.
On a theoretical level it all makes sense. At the surface, staffing for social media simply involves a good command of the English language with a strong understanding of social media properties. Right? Corporate businesses can now “own” all the layers of marketing, from product development, brand management, creative development, design and execution and now social media. The motivation of control and “owning” the brand voice is a real concern, but there are creative professionals and agencies that can be outsourced to provide this service seamlessly.
All this to say, social media isn’t a layer of marketing to be taken lightly. Social media entails strategy, investigation, monitoring, writing and engagement on a continuous (24-7) basis. At this point of the life cycle of Social Media, does it make sense for corporations to spread their resources too thin by including social media into their marketing layers? What are your thoughts on this, I’d like to hear about them.
