27 April 2011

Below the surface of B2B social media


I thought it might be useful if I scratched the surface on the recent social media events I have attended, and demonstrate I was listening.

Before I start, let me be clear, I not am going to cover consumer activity. 

Social media is evolving too quickly for me to summarise everything in a single blog, and there are many people closer to the evolution of consumer trends that have a better handle on its direction of travel. 

So for now, B2B is what I do, and on the whole, all I have done, and I guess, God willing, is what I will always do.

Clear objectives
Nothing-new there then. Well really, is there? Every management, sales, operations, project management, tactical or strategic marketing book, every book that tells you how to change your life, get fit, loose weight, find a life partner, plan a holiday starts with some cliché like “if you don’t know where your heading, then how will you know if you’ve arrived there?”

Setting clear objectives was a common theme at all the events, as if the audience needed help with that little gem. But having said that, it wasn’t until I had actually passed my driving test and become comfortable with having car as a teenager I could really appreciate what I could achieve with my new freedom, and I think the same applied with any potentially disruptive technology. I think just getting a corporate Facebook of the ground is challenge enough, without complication it further by setting corporate objectives that you have no idea how to test their reasonableness.

When we launched the www.planningportal.gov.uk to English and Welsh local authorities in 2002, we established a tiered level of engagement into the contracts. We didn’t expect everyone to start integrating back office systems such as document and workflow systems from day one. We recognised that our users, while informed professionals, such as architects, surveyors or planners, they had to get comfortable with the new way of working and experience it from themselves before they would fully adopt it. 

Taking this gradual approach has helped to create the most sustainable ecommerce site operated by the UK Government that has processed over 1 million planning applications since we launched it.

I call this approach test and learn; you may have heard it before. Instead of worrying about all that getting there business, it’s based on, let’s just get under way. As the Chinese say, “even a journey of ten thousand miles starts with a single step.” Or as Google say it 'launch early and iterate.'

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again
Social media’s role in business development, whether that is sales, service or marketing is augment what we already do. 

The very best of business developers build contacts, join networks to find opportunities, use their network to source referrals, they keep in touch with contacts, share knowledge, listen to what’s going on, develop insight and update everyone on what’s new. Tell me Linked In, Twitter, Facebook and countless industry specific applications can't add to that to that process.

Every successful business developer maintains the records of their contacts and uses this data to network with new people and source referrals. They don’t have to use Linked In for this, but it helps to have a massive online managed rollardex with potentially every professional contact you’ll need being there. But more valuable still, all of their contacts are in the same place.

All very logical, but not so social. 
The oldest adage in sales still holds true, people buy from people, and that’s where Twitter comes in. Combining the utilitarian nature of Linked In with the engaging nature of Twitter and we start to have a system. Yes, Twitter is fantastic for sharing your despair at what Joey has just said on The Only Way is Essex (#TOWIE) or telling everyone you had to have a bathroom break on the M4 for the third time, but this is how we signal our personality. 

The minutiae of our lives, our jobs, our past times are we talk about most in shaping our relationships, especially those relationships that count. It is also a platform for sharing important milestones like guess who has bought a shed load of stuff from us or look at our shiny new thing.

21 April 2011

Two ears and one mouth




I have to confess that part of the reason it has taken me so long to get back on top of my work post paternity leave is due to being in listening mode a seminars. In fact, the air in London has been rich with social media conferences during April.



30th March was the social Media Summit (#smsummit). A very consumer focused event, with presentations from some brilliant creatives we can overlook this. The most notable presentation from me was from doctors.net. I think these kinds of closed user group communities, like mallowstreet.com in my own sector are the future of b2b digital marketing in regulated industries.

5th April The Financial Services Forum had a bash at tackling how to establish the business case for social media (#socialmediavalue). A noble endeavour, but sadly, as they failed to differentiate consumer from B2B marketing this didn’t really match its billing. I think the metrics and values are wildly different so all the retail banking examples were wasted on me.

7th April and we moved from the West End to Canary Wharf to the Finextra bash at stunning event space in Thomson Reuters offices. An impressive venue and an event with a global line up to match. Content was based on a much more strategic approach than the previous events, but they had an earnest bash at separating tackling social media in B2B. The business case being a recurring theme for this event too.

12th April and my final outing for some time to come was a private breakfast function hosted by JLA at the venerable RIBA offices at Portland Place with Josh Spier (@joshspear), Alex Hunter (@cubedweller) and David Rowan (@irowan). Take away from this bash, a big smile. I wish I could bottle these 3 guys and release a little of their understanding of all things social into my colleagues atmosphere to absorb painlessly.

Back to work




I am pleased to say that I am back to wok after paternity leave, and finally back on top things. Rosie was born on 1st March and in a very short time has put the whole family into orbit around her and created more love than I ever thought was possible.



Within 30 minutes of being back at my desk, I had a call from my boss at the airport informing me I was being “offloaded” in order that he could expand his team. Predictably, with hindsight, my most successful projects have been redistributed and I been provided the opportunity to do lots of exciting new things.

Actually, just between you and I, I’m quite excited about re energising my marketing neural pathway that has been neglected over the past few years, in particular the links to my branding sweet spot. Wherever that may have been archived.

I have been a little old fashioned about my view on branding in B2B marketing for too long; holding on to the view that its role is primarily for generating and nurturing sales opportunities in the form of leads. However, the digital aspects of branding that have exploded more recently have helped me do 180 degrees on this, and the new challenge is about how we aggregate individual’s brands into a common corporate identity with a consistent and engaging tone of voice.