social media for sustained export growth
DESCRIPTION
Slides for our presentation at the SCDI/FSB National Business Conference, Murrayfield stadium, 1st October, 2011TRANSCRIPT
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Social Media for Sustained Export Growth
Dr. Jim Hamill Alan StevensonVincent Hamill
www.energise2-0.com
October, 2011
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Background
30 years International Management Development Experience – mainly Export Marketing and International Business
Since 1995 – focus on e-Marketing
Passionate about the potential of social media
for SME internationalisation
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A 10 Minute Agenda
Used effectively, Social Media can help to overcome many of the ‘traditional’ barriers to SME internationalisation
Focus on 4 main areas: ‘Listening’ – Social Media and International Market
Research, Knowledge, Insight ‘Hub’ sites – knowledge based and e-marketplaces (for
selling)Making the right connections/ building a quality online
networkPractical advice – ‘next steps’
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Important Policy Implications
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www.energise2-0.com
More detail on our blog - ‘Topic Index’ – ‘Internationalisation’
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The Social Media Revolution
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How Big Is It?
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Social Media Monitoring Tools and SME Exporting
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SMM and SME Exporting
• Lack of foreign market knowledge and limited resources for export market research/country screening are two of the main barriers to SME internationalisation
• Used effectively, Social Media Monitoring tools can help to overcome these barriers
• Online conversations are already taking place relevant to your business, your brand, your industry. Are you ‘listening’?
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Are You Listening?
NOT a broadcast medium. Its about listening to and engaging with customers, partners, your community, your tribe
This is something we are not very good at doing. We prefer telling people how good we are
We have two eyes, two ears and one MOUSE for a reason
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Monitoring the Conversations
Use Social Media Monitoring Tools to develop ‘actionable insights’ from the online conversations taking place relevant to your brand – also for measuring ‘online brand buzz’
No or low cost tools such as Google Alerts, Yahoo Pipes, Social Mention, Topsy, IceRocket, Blogscope, Blogpulse and ViralHeat
More expensive and sophisticated tools such as Radian6, Alterian SM2, Sysomos Heartbeat and Infegy SocialRadar
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Social Media Monitoring
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You can develop a customised Social Media Monitoring System to meet your
own needs
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Quick Example
Where are the Conversations taking place about ‘Organic Foods’?
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4,000+ Mentions per Month
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Should You Be Involved?
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Useful?
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Use of Export ‘Hub’ Sites
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Export ‘Hub’ Sites
• Participation in export support sites, e-marketplaces etc can help to develop a more global ‘mindset’, generate greater awareness, enthusiasm, confidence and sales
• Can help to speed up the internationalisation process leading to quicker ROI
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Export ‘Hub’ Sites
• Very large number of sites......
– General export support– Online Markets– Industry specific
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General Export Support Sites
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UKTI - Britain Open for Business
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General Export Support Sites
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General Export Support Sites
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General Export Support Sites
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globalEDGE
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Online Markets
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Good Article
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General Marketplaces
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General Marketplaces
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General Marketplaces
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Industry Specific Communities
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BioSpace
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Food
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Drink
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Fashion
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Make the “Right” Connections
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Building a Quality International Customer Base/ A Quality Network
Quick Example from Linkedin
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The Company
• A new business start-up
• Supplier of hi-tech solutions to the neurotechnology and optogenetic sectors
• Project Task– Identify most attractive potential international customers
and a communications plan for engagement
• Who, Where, How?
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Quality Customer Growth Programme
• Start with a ‘Customer Mapping Exercise
• Identified 3 main customer groups– Individuals in neuroscience– Neuroscience/optogenetic institutes, firms and clusters– Individuals in optogenetics
• Used Linkedin for building a customer database.....• Then position on the Customer Value Matrix• Communications strategy emerged from this.......
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Linkedin Research
• 39,666 neuroscience profiles on Linkedin• 100 neuroscience institutes, firms, clusters• 246 neurotechnology companies• 22 individuals in optogenetics
• Further filtered to identify the Top 50 ‘best sales prospects’
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39,666 Neuroscience People
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246 Neuroscience Companies
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22 Optogenetics People
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Society of Neuroscience 2,889 Members
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Practical Adviceand Next Steps to Avoid the Road to Nowhere
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Next Steps
• Web 1.0: Audit your web site and web site marketing to ensure that they are fully aligned with and supportive of agreed business/export goals/objectives
• Set up a Social Media Monitoring/Listening System to develop ‘actionable insights’
• Search, join, lurk, participate in ‘external’ ‘hubs’, forums, groups etc
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Next Steps
• Develop your own social media channels:– Blog – for ‘telling the story’ and helps with SEO– Twitter– Linkedin– Youtube where appropriate– etc
• Make sure that you have agreed Objectives, KPIs, Targets etc and a procedure in place for monitoring social media performance, business impact and ROI
Social Media Planning Pays
•
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Policy Implications
• There is a very important public policy dimension to our thinking in this area
• Given the importance of SME internationalisation to future economic growth, there is a clear need for a ‘Social Media Supported SME Export Programme’ to complement more ‘traditional’ support measures in this area
• But then again, I would say that wouldn’t I
