prospecting

In the Business to Business (B2B) market, buyers are more frequently seeking out reviews and comparisons online.

Tradtionally, sales reps did quite a bit of hawking, vying for buyers’ attention and distributing loads of literature. But things have changed, and buyers are “actively using social media in many steps along the path of the purchase-making decision,” writes the author of “Social Media Affecting BtoB Buying Behavior.” Citing a recent study on B2B buyers, more than 20% of them connected with a supplier directly through a social networking channel. 37% posted information on social networking sites looking for advice for answers to questions. It’s because of this that companies marketing to other businesses can’t ignore the force of social media. While that avenue has become a spring board for marketing to consumers, companies need to be aware of the larger audience – purchasers looking for a solution. Having good content online is key.

The SSN Take: A solid focus on SEO, weblogs, and social media is integral to creating an alluring presence for purchasers.

Samuel Hartman, March 28, 2010

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Some believe that social media should have been a hands-off arena for marketing.

The Inquisitor’s recent article, “R.I.P. Social Media, it was a nice dream while it lasted” suggests that marketing has indeed tarnished the arena where relationships can be formed and visions merged to create great and permanent change. The author goes on to assume companies are pretending to care about their customers to create continued business. Though I wouldn’t put it past some less than honorable organizations to do such a thing, I believe the majority of companies truly want to build relationships from their customers to not only promote their product but gather feedback about how to make their products better.

The SSN Take: Don’t plan a wake for social media just yet. Users are consumers and they have shown they like this new relationship arena.

Melody K. Smith, March 26, 2010

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Back in January, to commemorate Data Privacy Day, Microsoft released a study of professionals worldwide with some interesting conclusions regarding online reputation.

“Online Reputation Can Cost Someone A Job” gives the biggest factoid: 70% of HR professionals turned down a potential employee based on data discovered about them online. And while many consumers are concerned about their online rep, less than half consider it when posting online. Fewer than 15% believe it would negatively impact their job hunt. Microsoft’s Privacy Strategist cautions that an online reputation is not something to be scared of, but “proactively managed.” Many of the HR professionals surveyed indicated that good information about a candidate online can help their chances. Clearly, companies are doing a little Googling when a new name comes under their nose, so it’s up to you to make sure those results are clean.

The SSN Take: Check out Microsoft’s Data Privacy Day website - as they say, “your reputation is ON the LINE.”

Samuel Hartman, March 22, 2010

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If you are planning a second career, these trends and projections in jobs growth over the next eight years can help chart your course.

Realonlinedegrees.com’s recent article, “The Future Trends of the Job Market” shares a chart of future employment projections based on current trends and data, and with no surprise, technical/scientific jobs top the list of expected job growth over the next eight years.  The chart goes on to compare employment areas that are expected to grow with the education required to reach the level of income you wish to earn. This trifecta of data can certainly lay out a path for those considering their education options fresh out of high school, as well as those looking to start a second career as an adult.

The SSN Take: Whether at the beginning of your career or starting over, these trends can help you make tough career decisions.

Melody K. Smith, March 19, 2010

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Valeria Maltoni’s ConversationAgent article disguises some good social media tips in a cryptic dialogue of top companies and their trump card: their reputation.

From “7 Social Media Behaviors That Won’t Win You Customers,” it says as we all know by now, setting up accounts on Twitter and Facebook is only the first step; a real conversation, a dialogue, must follow, and it can often create havoc when the company’s reputation is on the line. While some of her advice is solid: having a coordinated social media effort, being prepared to address potential issues in real time her other remarks are self-contradictory:  don’t push messages at specific users, but don’t be “all over the place.” She claims “all customers want is a great transaction […, so] put shopping carts everywhere” – is this the interactivity that social customers want nowadays? I don’t believe so. Her meta-speak touches on the importance of online brand reputation, but the advice is clouded in a verbose haze of abstractions.

The SSN Take: Cut to the chase – be professional on social media and interact with your customers.

Sam Hartman, March 13, 2010

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Speaking of odd couples, it seems that Generation Y has an attraction for banks—that offer their services online.

A survey by Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group says that the thirtysomethings (and younger) want to use online tools for budgeting and savings. In “Cisco Study Finds Social Media is Key to Winning Over Gen Y” in USBanker, Glen Fest reports, “Gen Y’ers are professing high levels of trust in financial institutions that deliver professional advice… through interactive or social media.” The downside is that banks are largely unprepared. “Other than pilot projects in online personal financial management, most banks are still not adequately speaking to Gen Y’ers,” says Fest. So, will this be another case of unrequited love, or the start of a beautiful—and perhaps, for the banks, fruitful—relationship?

The SSN Take: Banks need to catch up or they’ll be left behind.

John Sniffen, March 12, 2010

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John Sniffen

Brand recognition was the topic at one of the key note talks during the Search Engine Strategies conference in London this past week.

As reported in the SearchEngineWatch.com blog article, “Jim Sterne tackles social media metrics at SES London 2010,” Jim Sterne, the “godfather of online marketing” and author of six books addressing internet marketing, advertising, and customer service, was the keynote speaker. No longer in the commerce days of trading sheep for chickens, he points out that “Internet marketing makes one-to-one interactions possible again and social media makes it necessary.” This resonated with me on a new level. Though I drank the social media Kool-Aid ages ago and believe that it is the ultimate customer service tool available, the aspect of building relationships on a one-to-one basis is not just possible, it is truly exciting. More and more organizations are finally seeing the light and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

The SSN Take: Social media makes one-on-one interaction possible again.

Melody K. Smith, March 11, 2010

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Real estate brokers and homebuilders take note: social media is an excellent way to get exposure, build relationships and sell more homes.

Social media outlets, according to Carol Flammer in “New book from NAHB provides strategies for building a Social Media presence and selling more homes,” will assist companies in building a strong brand name and interact with current and potential customers in addition to selling more homes. Many home builders and real-estate brokers haven’t taken full advantage of the social networking sites, so the NAHB book will walk them through the process, answer questions, and hopefully take the fear out of marketing on the web. This format will allow them to build relationships, promote their product, and answer questions in real time, gaining followers, and trust within their company along the way.

The SSN take: In today’s economy home builders and real-estate brokers need all the help they can possibly get.

Belinda Sissom, March 8, 2010

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“A Healthy Dose of Social Media” discusses a new “health literacy training intervention through social media” project in California.

The pitch? See if using social media can help teenagers utilizing healthcare. As the author remarks, the younger Generation Y are more likely to be receptive to new technologies and products, and from an insurers standpoint this can be a great way to attract potential clients. The study plans to use randomized controlled testing to determine the effectiveness of a web-based social media intervention versus a “usual care” intervention. The goal is to help teens best use their healthcare system as they transition into adulthood, and interacting with them on the familiar landscape of social media might just do the trick. While the merit here is vast, at the end of the day, it’s another example of businesses selling their product and campaigning through the rich avenue of social networking.

Sam Hartman, March 7, 2010

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Some excellent words of caution are listed in Dave Fleet’s article “8 Questions to Ask Your ‘Social Media Expert.” As more and more users flood onto Twitter and Facebook, and it becomes easier to amass thousands of followers quickly, many feel they know the ropes quite soon. But Fleet outlines some key questions to ask a self-proclaimed expert; including giving examples of social media work they’ve actually completed (instituting an online campaign would be a good start). Also covered is the idea of pretending to be someone online (a no-no, Fleet says), and that ghost-writing someone’s blog is a bad idea. Social media has value in transparency and honesty. Lastly, social media gurus need to monitor responses and measure results through more than blog responses and “website hits.” There are deeper analytics out there, and the people familiar with the social landscape will know about them. Before trusting the advice of a social media “expert,” make sure they’ve been around the social block a few times.

Sam Hartman, Feb. 26, 2010

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