Sigma-Aldrich is another B2B company that has harnessed the power of Facebook to drive bottom-line results.
Sigma produces chemicals and lab products that scientists use in their experiments. You can see their Facebook profile here. They created a fascinating campaign promoted on Facebook and through Twitter to get actual users of these products fired-up about the brand. They then use the end-users enthusiasm to act as a sales team to the key decision makers internally in those companies.
Sigma is using their online marketing campaign to solicit scientists to submit user-created testimonials of their insights and passion in advancing the frontiers of biology in the lab. Also, they use the social presence for contests to design t-shirts and other items that are low-cost branding aids. All of this combines to form a relatively inexpensive campaign to motivate end users.
Frequently, in a B2B world, the end user isn't a key buyer; in this case it is the lab manager or company executive. Sigma understands this. Their full time sales people work the buyer end of the equation. But they use social media to motivate influencers. This tactic is called "persona-based marketing" - they segment the typical buyer for one set of tactics and messaging; and another set of messaging and positioning for the end user. The websites directed towards these very different groups of people could not be more different. One is focused on products and ultimately prices; the other on the experience of being a scientist.
If you want to talk about your B2B marketing options, drop us a line!
Hubspot has an informative slideshare - here that lists 15 B2B companies that have enjoyed success through online marketing.
Steel Master USA, a maker of pre-fabricated metal structures has taken Facebook by storm. Here is a B2B with over 8,000 fans.
Their Facebook page gets a lot of attention and really generates excitement around something that a lot of people might not think at first glance is really "cool."
That's the whole strategy. Their energy and presence outside the normal building advertising ecosystem - certainly a high-touch sale, let's them reach customers who would never ordinarily consider one of their solutions. Pre-fabricated buildings are supposed to be purchased for convenience, cost, and a temporary purpose.
Yet, getting in the face of people who are generally in the market for a structure on Facebook, means that Steel Master will be considered with more scrutiny. Sending a 23 page color brochure (which they have) of their solutions might not sway someone as much as a interesting and light video on facebook - or a human-focused story.
Their strategy gets their offering in front of people who would not ordinarily purchase from them. That's a winning online marketing strategy. Great job @steelmasterusa!
You can read the post - here. We regularly check in with the @kissmetrics team to listen to some of their insights, and recommend you do the same. This latest post really drives home the fact that online marketing (including social media) are really enabling standard, offline businesses close deals.
While the examples they provide are all in the B2C realm, it is important for B2B marketers to really internalize the successes. Going after certain customer segments - especially long tail segments in the B2SMB space requires a web-centric sales process.
Sales teams, cold calling, and trade shows won't drive profitable revenue from smaller companies or niche offerings. However, properly served via online marketing, these channels can really drive impressive financial results.
In the coming days, we're going to highlight some traditional B2Bs that are really generating profits through a web-based strategy. Stay tuned!
The annual survey by Alterian has some interesting things to say about how marketers, and it certainly didn't pull any punches - click here
The reality is that too many companies fail to execute a rigorous social media strategy. Social Media has a unique ability to craft an opinion about a brand. This is due to the interconnectedness of the networks and the trust people have in peer-sourced input.
Most companies see 2011 as a growth year for their social media strategy, but don't really know how to execute one. Doing well in the social space isn't just about showing up. Success on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook comes from a disciplined approach. Social Media is an endurance race, so - not only do you need the right tactics, you need to keep them going for a long time. Ad hoc efforts never work.
If you want to review your social media strategy, drop us a line!
Marketing.co.uk shares some interesting date in their recent post - here. Online video usage is up 45% in the 12 months Jan 10 to Jan 11. The number of viewers, however, was not up much at all. So, the conclusion is that people are watching a lot more video.
Given that video is becoming more and more central to the standard web experience - how are you addressing this in your website?
It is important to use video - even just a slideshare with a voice-over to make your content more compelling. Users are simply not willing or interested to digest large amounts of text. Your customers absorb information in a video-centric way.
This is important in the B2B space particularly where product value propositions can be complex to explain. The folks at Dropbox have no text to explain their product. Instead they rely on a video to do all the talking. Dropbox must be doing something right, they have 4-6 million users. According to Forbes, virtually all of their paying customers are using the tool for work. So, Dropbox would have done better to target them specifically in the demo.
Drop us a line if you want to discuss how you can better reach your customers with an engaging web experience.
