b2b social media

www.rlfcommunications.com

Ideas. Strategy. Service.

B2B Social MediaHow Social Media Means Business

(or, this isn’t your teenager’s Facebook account)

Presented by RLF Communications and First Citizens Bank

The BIG picture

• Company newsletter• WebsiteOwned

• Print, online, broadcast, outdoor advertisingPaid

• Promoted tweets• Facebook promoted postsPromoted

• Media coverage• Blog coverageEarned

• LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.Shared

Why Social Media?

50%of B2B buyers said social media played a major role in their research when choosing vendors. Source: Demand Gen Report B2B Buyer Survey, 2012

53%of B2B buyers use social media to follow group discussion threads related to their vendor research.Source: Demand Gen Report B2B Buyer Survey, 2012

24%of B2B buyers connect directly with potential vendors over social media.

Source: Demand Gen Report B2B Buyer Survey, 2012

Social media boosts search results

Social media’s superpower: The more social mentions of your brand and your website, the higher you’ll likely rank in search results.

79%of B2B buyers said web search influenced their selection process.

Source: Demand Gen Report B2B Buyer Survey, 2012

These numbers will only go in one direction over the next few years: Up.

What can it do for

me?

• Establish and protect your brand online.

• Make your company easier to find online.

• Identify and correct things that threaten your brand.

• Turn customers into advocates.• Position your company as

subject experts.

1. Boost Your Brand

• Help customers find you.• Help you find customers.• Generate traffic to your

website.• Send phone calls to your

business.• Help people find your

location(s).• Drive referrals.• Help make the sale.

2. Drive Sales

• Customer service after the sale.

• Tech support.• Research competitors, new

potential products, new potential services.

• Provide information to clients.• Reduce other marketing costs.• Increase efficiency in sales &

marketing activities.

3. Lower Costs

Can you measure

this?

• Web traffic• Numbers of phone calls• Reach in your social media

channels• Activity in your social media

channels• Cost reductions• Sales increases (before social,

after social)• Search engine rankings• Etc.

Yes, It’s Measurable

How do you create

a plan?

1. Decide on goals.2. Determine what to measure.3. Develop strategy :

• Sharing useful content?• Contests & promotions?• Crowdsourcing?

4. Choose platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.)

Elements of a Plan

How do we get it all done?

• No. 1: Commit to it! • No. 2: Focus! • No. 3: Measure, assess &

optimize• No. 4: Use tools

Commitment, Tools & Best Practices

• Hootsuite• Google Alerts• Google Analytics• Tools built into platforms (ex.

Facebook Insights)

Free & Cheap Tools to Start with

• Complete profiles for sales people, key employees.

• Complete your company page.• Share content regularly

(original and others’).• Have key people participate in

groups (build relationships; don’t spam).

• Consider LinkedIn advertising.

Takeaways - LinkedIn

• Complete your bio and photo.• Follow people to get followers.• Use lists to manage followers,

target subgroups.• Share content, be helpful, don’t

spam.• Consistency and time are key.• Lots of tools out there.

Takeaways - Twitter

Q&A

RLF CommunicationsMonty Hagler(336) 553-1801mhagler@rlfcommunications.com

Mark Tosczak(336) 553-1808mtosczak@rlfcommunications.comTwitter: marktzk

First Citizens BankHeather WittVice President, Manager Retail Bankingheather.witt@firstcitizens.com(336) 412-4108

Get in Touch