The great Social Media experimentApproaches to Social Media in B2B

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Agenda

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1. Are my peers using Social Media?

2. How much time and money do they invest?

3. What challenges are they encountering?

5. Twitter: Defining ‘good performance’

4. What channels are they using?

33

Summer 2011

274 client-side B2B marketers

Plan or execute social media

4

Majority now engage in social media marketing

4

Nu

mb

er o

f n

ew a

do

pte

rs

Time

InnovatorsEarly

AdoptersEarly

MajorityLate

MajorityLaggards

June 2010: 23% say social media

highly relevant

August 2011: 78% engage in social media marketing

5

But approach is very haphazard

5

Of B2B marketers have clearly defined STRATEGY25%

Describe approach as INTEGRATED20%

48% Describe KNOWLEDGE as “average” or “weak”

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Is Social Media worth pursuing?

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1. Is it relevant to me?- Are customers or prospects there?- Are opinion formers there?- Will they be and/or does SEO matter?

2. Am I welcome?

3. Do I have something of value to say?

4. Do I have the time to make it a success?

7

The primary investment is time, not cash

7

0% 1-4% 5-9% 10-14% 15-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-59% 60-69% 70-79% 80-100%

17%

39%

17%16%

5%

2% 2%1% 1%

22%

25%

19%

10% 10%

7%

3%1% 1% 1% 1%

Budget allocated to social media Time allocated

Allocate >10% time53%

Allocate <10% budget to social media73%

Marketing resources

8%

Generating enough content

8%

3%

5%

Unsure what’s

effective8%

3%

No unified strategy

7%

Ensuring consistencywith brand

7%

Governance8%

Measuring/ proving ROI

9%

5%

Engagement with audience

9%5%

2%

8

Finding this time and buy-in primary challenges

8

Unsure if relevant for organisation

or in B2B

Limited budgets

Internalinexperience

11%

Co-ordinating across territories

Integrated approach

16%

Reaching target audience

Generating quality,

relevant content12%

Regulation/ compliance

Monitoring criticismTime

management19% Internal buy-in

22%

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Five steps to gaining internal buy-in

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1. Show target market / influencers are there

2. Show it has a ‘real world’ impact

3. Show the impact of not engaging

4. Have a clear plan and strategy

5. Demonstrate clear results

Q4: Who is responsible for the management of your

organisation’s social media marketing activity?

41%

6%

40%

2% 9%

One person - as 'sideline'

One person - only role

Collectively

Outsourced

No one formally responsible

Is outsourcing the solution to the time challenge?

67%

66%

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90% of B2B marketers use social networks in mix

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CORE

SECONDARY

NICHE

77%

85% deploy

20%

16%

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A performance benchmark: Twitter followers

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Low number of followers

High number of followers

High number of B2B accounts

Low number of B2B accounts

Risingstars20%

B-list12%

A-list12%

Dabblers43%

<250 followers

250 - 500

Niche attraction

18%

500 – 2,000

2,000 – 7,500

7,500 +

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Three golden rules when using followers as benchmark

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1. BE REALISTIC – compare within your niche

2. USE A PINCH OF SALT – followers can be manipulated

3. Focus on QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

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An aspiration: 70+ Klout score

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> 44 = outperforming 50% of Top 200 B2B Superbrands

> 50 = outperforming 75%

> 70 = outperforming 90%

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The Seven Twitologies – visit circle-research.com/blog

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Are you a ‘Philosopher’... …or a ‘London Bus’

www.circle-research.com/blog@andydalg