Maybe THE BEST Blog Post of My B2B Marcom Career (totally copied)

Posted by Rick Short on Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Being good at anything includes recognizing greatness. In this case, I just read an awesome post (thanks to @PaigeGroup) about design - which can be applied to B2B Marcom. Please COMMENT if you feel strongly.
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Source: http://www.swiss-miss.com/2011/02/10-lessons-for-young-designers.html
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10 Lessons for young designers

These are some insightful and thought-provoking lessons from Wieden+Kennedy’s Executive Creative Director, John C Jay: 10 Lessons for young designers.

Wieden+Kennedy’s Executive Creative Director, John C Jay

1: Be authentic. The most powerful asset you have is your individuality, what makes you unique. It’s time to stop listening to others on what you should do.
2: Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort.
3: Get off the computer and connect with real people and culture. Life is visceral.
4: Constantly improve your craft. Make things with your hands. Innovation in thinking is not enough.
5: Travel as much as you can. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to learn just how much you don’t know.
6: Being original is still king, especially in this tech-driven, group-grope world.
7: Try not to work for stupid people or you’ll soon become one of them.
8: Instinct and intuition are all-powerful. Learn to trust them.
9: The Golden Rule actually works. Do good.
10: If all else fails, No. 2 is the greatest competitive advantage of any career.

AMEN!

(via johnmaeda, via Edwin Himself)
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How To Be GREAT @ B2B Marcom (or anything else)

Posted by Rick Short on Friday, February 11, 2011
Remember back in high school? If you wanted to do great on your algebra exam, you put in the time. It didn't come naturally to anyone - it required hard work.

Same with business to business (B2B) marketing communications. If you want to be average, you can just plod along doing what everyone else is doing. If you want to be great, you need to set a tough goal, focus like a laser beam, put in the hours, earn the scars, and  live knowing that precious few people will understand how much blood, sweat, and skin went into it.

It's not much different than Dave Thompson's story. This vid is a story of passion, commitment, and the desire to be the best.



You don't want Dave Thompson as a B2B Marcom competitor! He sets his bar insanely high. Instead, YOU want to BE Dave Thompson. Every morning he walks out of the house knowing he will bash his shins, rip open his elbow, and fall on his face in front of his best friends and his critics. He doesn't seem to hang with the cool people, nor does he work in the impressive part of town. His focus and his goal don't allow that. When he crashes, he springs to his feet and rethinks things - then does it better.

Dave's not on the speaker circuit, he's putting a bandage on his leg. Dave's not sitting in refried seminars, he's laying on his back on a cold, gritty sidewalk, playing the experience through his mind - learning. Dave's not worried about what his boss might say, Dave is his own boss. Dave's not taking direction from any committee, Dave tells Dave what to do. Dave's not comfortable, Dave wakes up every day scared, brave, cocky, unsure, and totally certain. Dave doesn't want a plaque, Dave wants nothing less than a singular true measurable accomplishment and to see people standing with their jaws dropped in awe.

Things get nuts at the 4:00 mark. I don't see any people riding like this where I live - and I don't see too many B2B Marcom people approaching this level of performance either.

The formula is simple. Actually doing it is something altogether different.
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Keep Your Eye On The Ball in B2B Marcom

Posted by Rick Short on Monday, February 7, 2011
There is no doubt that Volkswagen's THE FORCE ad, aired during the 2011 Super Bowl, is cute, entertaining, and fun. Trouble is, the ad's theme, content, and hook are applicable to MANY products and services. The ad leaves the product in the dust.  As one Tweeter said, it is likely that more kids Darth Vader costumes will sell than Passats.

In my estimation, the agency and client took their eyes off the ball. The GOAL is not to make cute commercials, it is to sell product - or to build brand/image.

When creating your B2B promotional materials, be sure to emphatically keep all eyes on the ball - focus on the GOAL.

FINAL NOTE: I absolutely LOVE the acting in this ad. Spot on!

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No NUSE is Good News

Posted by Rick Short on Friday, January 14, 2011
Don't misues the news. No one wins with "nuse".I'd like to coin a term, "nuse". It means to use the news, in a bad way, to your benefit.

This term came to mind as I observed various factions behaving badly during our current tragedy in Tucson, Arizona. Each group attempted to use the event as a platform to further their point of view or cause. They attempted to use the news to their benefit.

I agree that, in some occasions, using the news can be neutral or even good. News of an impending heat wave can be used to remind frail individuals to drink plenty of water and to confirm that their air conditioner is working, etc. And, while it is less altruistic, this news can even be used to remind individuals to hurry down to the store and purchase a new air conditioner, if needed. One use is kind, the other is fair.

To me it seems unacceptable to use this tragedy (or any tragedy) to create "A Scramble To Control Narrative Of Tucson Massacre":

It is especially unacceptable when the gunman in this case is described as having no particular message or purpose. According to an article in The Washington Post,

One friend declared that Loughner had no political or ideological bent, likening him to the Joker in the most recent Batman movie: "There's no rhyme or reason; he wants to watch the world burn."

Forbes sums the current state of affairs up in an article titled, "Who Is Winning The Tucson Murdered Blame Game?"

As a B2B Marcom practitioner, I ask, "Who is LOSING The Nuse Game?"  The answer is three-fold. When people in our communications arena behave as badly as those cited above (I hope it is obvious that I am writing on topics of much smaller scale and scope than the tragedy used in this example) these factions lose:
  • the organization behind the nuse: it cheapens your value proposition when you use news to indirectly imply that your products or services are superior - or that those of your competition are inferior.
  • the media: when news is used to inflate readership and attention, it weakens the moral high ground that media could command.
  • the target audience: when the readership, the target audience, begins to distrust parts of the media, and the organizations behind the stories, they begin to distrust ALL that they receive.
Be very careful with your brand, image, and reputation. As a B2B Marcom practitioner, you affect the way your market perceives you, your company, your products & services, your shareholders, and your employees. I certainly don't believe anyone would use the news of the caliber that we are experiencing this week to further B2B endeavors - that seems outrageous to imagine. But there are numerous smaller events that could be misused. Don't misuse the news. No one wins with "nuse".
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Tremendous Changes In B2B Marcom

Posted by Rick Short on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
I have heard it said that there are only three types of people: 
  1. those who make things happen
  2. those who watch things happen
  3. those who wonder what happened
This concept is becoming very clear as our global economy improves and as B2B Marcom moves toward a "new normal". Let me share what I mean.

In B2B Marcom, things are frozen most of the time.Being from Upstate New York, where we enjoy weather extremes, I am all too familiar with frozen rivers. Most activities, including B2B Marcom, are like a frozen river. Things get stuck in a certain way and they don't change - at least not too much or too easily. When things are frozen, there is really very little that can be done to effect change.

Our window to change occurs when the river thaws. During that period things are fluid. Rocks clunk along the bottom, trees float away, and water charges downstream, sometimes flooding over river banks and occasionally carving new paths. We have opportunities to try new and fun things - to boat, to fish, and to swim. Then, the river freezes and everything is locked in place until the next thaw.

In B2B Marcom, like most things in life, our rivers are predominantly frozen. Under these predominant conditions, change is typically quite challenging. When we do experience our "thaws", when change is very possible, we are usually also confronted with numerous other challenges. In other words, the opportunity to change is often wrapped in a complex and confusing situation - like a global recession.

Our recent economic crisis was one of these "complex and confusing situations". It was also a tremendous opportunity for change. Our river thawed for approximately three confusing years. Yes, times were challenging, terrifying for some. People were sometimes dealing with corporate survival; seeking opportunities to change may have been the last thing on their minds.

To those who did not avail themselves of the opportunity I ask, which camp were you in?:
  1. those who made things happen
  2. those who watched things happen
  3. those who wondered what happened
Kudos to those who anticipated the thaw. These people predicted the future, made bold plans, took action, took risks, endured great stress and (often) criticisms. These people made great things happen during the brief time of change - the thaw.

TAKE AWAY:
Know that business is all about cycles. There will always be a next period of thaw. There is an opportunity for YOU to make things happen - and the next one is approaching. I can't tell you when it will happen, how long it will last, or how much change it will accept - but it is coming.

The take away is to prepare now to use the next thaw to make great changes in your B2B Marcom program. Expect it to come, imagine what it might be like, and embrace it. Begin with your goal(s), list your resources (available and needed), assemble your team (it is rarely done alone), and get people in the proper mindset to attempt to change your Marketing Communications program amidst a "thaw".

BONUS:
If you have a great goal, vision, guts, strength, and team it is ALWAYS the time for change. More on that soon.



Image source.
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Inject PERSONALITY Into Your B2B Marcom

Posted by Rick Short on Monday, December 13, 2010
Don't be afraid to inject your personality into your B2B Marcom.

We've all heard the saying, "People don't buy from companies, they buy from people." It's good to be seen as a personality. It builds trust, it speeds up relationship building.

I disagree slightly with the quote (above) because I feel companies have their own cultures and personalities. That said, they are driven by the personalities of the people within.

Going public with your personality has to be GOAL-driven. Don't just let us know that you like skiing and leave it at that.  Sharing your personality is best done when it reflects both WHO you are and WHAT you mean to your audience.

Here is an example that I created. GOAL: Humorously (because Indium people are fun) depict Indium staff as being REALLY into our technology (because we are and because our customers want a vendor that is).
  • Let me know how this works for you.
  • Share examples of how YOU are injecting personality into YOUR B2B Marcom.
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B2B Marcom Forecast: Mobile Devices

Posted by Rick Short on Friday, December 3, 2010
QR Tags will be seen everywhere in 2011.I generally disdain the annual trotting out of talking heads' pontifications on industry trends. #Boring! But there is one trend that all B2B Marcom practitioners ought to get hip to. Here I go becoming one of those boring guys I don't usually appreciate!

One critical trend in 2011 B2B lead gen will be the accelerated use of mobile devices. This is no "bleeding edge" , out on a limb prediction. This trend is about to explode in our faces!

HARDWARE:
Customers are increasingly equipped with smart phones, netbooks, and pads.

For "experienced" users, contracts expire, old phones get recycled, and the only available phones are getting "smarter" (read: equipped for mobile lifestyle). They're being forced into the mobile world.

For younger users, well, they are starting out in a mobile world. A recent survey by Opera Software reveals that 18-27-year olds browse the web more on their mobile devices than they do on traditional computers. This trend is global.

LIFESTYLE:
According to Comscore, "Access to Facebook via mobile browser grew 112 percent in the past year, while Twitter experienced a 347-percent jump." (January 2010). This portends the access of increasingly-"business" apps on mobile devices as a customary behavior. Additionally, it further enables and encourages the 24/7 nature of access and engagement.

READ THE HANDWRITING:
As our familiarity and skill with mobile devices ramps up, and as both the personal and the B2C worlds introduce us to the practices and benefits of a mobile lifestyle, we all will naturally expect and appreciate more B2B mobile experiences. Expect to soon hear customers COMPLAINING that an exhibit or a print ad DOESN'T contain a QR tag

B2B Marcom practitioners are well-advised to get on this trend and be one of the "first to market" in your space. That's one way to capture increased share.
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Planning Ahead For 2011: Marketing Programs

Posted by Rick Short on Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future. " ~Niels Bohr

Just because it's difficult, that doesn't let B2B Marketing Communications professionals off the hook.

A crystal ball won't help you. Hard work will.December 1st! How did it get here so fast? And, if it is December right now, then it will be 2011 before we know it. This is the time of year when we, as business to business Marketing Communications practitioners, must predict the future. Our colleagues are counting on us. Here's why it's difficult:

TECHNOLOGY CHANGES:
Customers (our target audience) gain access to new software and hardware. Software writers invent new ways to deliver messages. Add it all up and, today, we're not quite sure how our customers will be seeking info from us in 8 months.

PEOPLE CHANGE:
Existing staff and customers may, or may not, change their communications skill set and practices. An influx of new staff (yours or your target audience's) could shift the skill set and resultant capabilities. When might such a shift occur? Who or what do you design for?
 
PRODUCTS CHANGE:
Your company's product suite is likely to receive a few additions or extensions. When? How much of a change will occur? What market segment will it affect? You'll need to know all of this to design an effective communications program to share the good news.

OUR COMPANIES CHANGE:
Either through a decree, or by evolution, your company may shift its posture or position. This may be due to direction from the top, legislation, or from competitive activities. Whatever the cause, Marcom needs to plan and budget for this possibility should you need to communicate this to the public.
 
PRICES CHANGE:
For a variety of reasons (technology changes, competitive entries, new alternatives, customer preferences shifting, etc.) the prices we pay to communicate change. Sometimes the changes can be dramatic. What might have cost $50,000 last year may cost only $20,000 to accomplish in 2011. Or vice versa.

 
Etc.

So, what do we do? Here is what I recommend:

Marcom Programs:
 
Break your organization into logical "divisions" or segments and develop a formal Marcom Program for each. In small companies, a segment may revolve around a single product. In larger companies it may include a complete technology. Work closely with the leaders of each arena to learn the market dynamics, trends, and situations. You will need input from senior management, marketing, sales, tech support, and manufacturing.

A Marcom program includes definitions of scope, as well as fairly detailed treatments of all Marcom activities.  Don't be too deep and detailed or you will never publish your program. Don't be too vague and high-level or none of it will be actionable.
 
Mid-Course Considerations:
Use your Marcom Program(s) very frequently. Almost weekly there will be small revelations, changes in the landscape, and new input. All Marcom Programs should be reviewed quarterly for potential "Mid-Course Considerations". Feel great about making these considerations and possible changes - they prove that you are as alive and dynamic as the markets you serve. After all ...

Change is the only constant in life ~ Heraclitus

 

Yes, this is really challenging and difficult. Be thankful that it is - otherwise we'd all be fired and replaced with low-paid uneducated labor. This is a hard job - suitable only for those who truly love it.

Image.
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B2B Marcom Basics: Proper Writing Skills Matter

Posted by Rick Short on Monday, August 16, 2010
"You are a disappointment to me."

I can still hear her. Mrs. Hawkins. She had a well-earned reputation as THE toughest, old-schoolest, no-nonsense takingest teacher to EVER stalk the halls of my junior-senior high school. While she never told anyone that they were a disappointment, she did tell us many other things - positive things. I hear her singing out the dreaded, "-ly  -ly -ly.  It ends in -ly. It's an adverb. It modifies a verb." Only she didn't sing it like Julie Andrews, she sang it like she was just a bit tired of us students not putting in the time, not appreciating what she was handing us, and not understanding that it was OUR future that we were threatening.

Back in the day, in our small school, I "suffered" with Mrs. Hawkins in the worst possible way. Get this! One year I had her for homeroom, for "Basic Studies" (which was two periods in a row focused on English, Social Studies, and something else that I can't recall), and for Study Hall. Yes, she owned me in 9th grade. I had her for English in other years, Study Hall on occasion, we all passed by her several times per day, EVERY day, from 7th grade through 12th grade, and she even chaperoned our dances! She had us diagramming sentences, writing essays, reading aloud, walking "like good citizens" in the halls, and even behaving like gentlemen when we were with the ladies! It just about couldn't have been worse.

It couldn't have been worse until we graduated and got into college. I can't tell you how many classmates shared with me how easy college English was after the old-school drilling that Mrs. Hawkins gave us. We all seemed to be better writers, readers, and thinkers than many of our college mates. In fact, many of us were able to avoid freshman English totally because Mrs. Hawkins actually ran us through what was then called "Advanced Placement" English. Yes, just like all the other people we didn't like back then because they actually made us work, learn, and grow, we finally figured out that Mrs. Hawkins was one of the very best things that ever happened to us. I honestly think about her nearly every day - and I thank her.

I certainly am thinking about her today as I read the tantalizing teasers from a new B2B Marcom survey. Brought to my attention by @copywriter4u, the survey says, "poorly written content is the #1 disappointment for B2B tech buyers". WOW! THE #1 disappointment for my #1 target audience is the very thing that Mrs. Hawkins worked so hard to teach me to avoid. And, though Mrs. Hawkins never told a student that they were a disappointment, many B2B buyers tell us that every day. Maybe not in those words, but by NOT reading our literature, by NOT spending more time on our web pages, by NOT replying to our emails, and by NOT giving us the order.

While we are all scurrying around, trying to learn the hottest new social media skill, don't forget to also deliver the basics. Eventually, a customer is going to need to actually ingest your message. And, whether it is written, or delivered via a script that you prepared, it has to be built with proper structure, grammar, punctuation, and design, or you risk disappointing the very person you are paid to impress.

So, stand up straight, don't interrupt others, and please use proper grammar in your B2B Marcom. Yes, ma'am.

Terrifying Image source.
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B2B Marcom: NO Assumptions, Please.

Posted by Rick Short on Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Assumptions can help speed things along - when they don't kill you, that is.

CASE 1: I received an email (a B2B-type message, a stranger trying to sell me something) today. The person was trying to convince me to meet with them at an upcoming trade show. In the email was a list of clients (impressive names) and some vague mentions of achievements associated with each. Trouble is, the author never told me what their company does.

CASE 2: I received another email today. This time from an existing vendor. It was elaborate. In it, the salesperson was offering to enhance my relationship with them. It all centered around an acronym - a term that I just couldn't connect to anything.

In each case, the deal was dead in the water - because the seller assumed I knew what they were talking about. I didn't.

In business to business marketing communications (B2B Marcom) we are charged with the role of getting the message through. Sometimes its outbound, other times its inbound. At times the message comes directly from our department. Often, though, we are helping other people get their message out.

First step: Slow down. I know we're all busy. Skipping a few steps helps us get through our day. Trouble is, we start making assumptions. If we're getting a lot of poorly-done things accomplished, what are we doing to our companies? To our careers?

Second step: Make it a point to drastically reduce, or eliminate, acronyms from your Marcom vocabulary. See things from your target audience's perspective. They're as busy as you. They're skipping steps all day long. Don't assume they're totally ready, and prepped, for your message. Speak to them as if they don't know what you're talking about. Of course, this is critical the earlier you are in a relationship - and can be skipped if you are totally sure your customer DOES know exactly what you are talking about.

Third step: Set the stage for your target audience - in THEIR terms. Help them instantly appreciate what's in it for them. Once they get it - and see how they win, they will become interested. The catch is, they've got to actually understand what you're talking about.

Fourth step:  Sell this entire message to your Product Line Managers, Sales Managers, CEO, etc. When you're creating programs and documents for them, they'll want to sprinkle in jargon and acronyms. They'll be in a hurry. They'll want to skip a few steps and get right to it.  Heck, they'll try to bully you into doing it their way. Help them understand that it is very likely that their product is likely not the most critical thing to their target audience. Help them realize that investing a little time, up front, being sure that the customer is "with them" can make a huge difference. I've noticed that some engineers feel the need to impress people in all their communications. They throw in big words, complex sentences, and very sophisticated concepts to help them look really capable. There's a place for all that - just not in the early stages of getting noticed.


In my Case 1, I wasn't interested enough to invest the time trying to figure out what the person was actually selling. I deleted the message.

In my case 2, an existing vendor, I was forced to reply with the simple question, "What does that acronym (upon which the entire proposal was based) mean?" Frankly, the sales person should be embarrassed. I bet he won't be - he's too busy for that.


Image source.
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Vuvuzela, The World Cup, and B2B Marcom

Posted by Rick Short on Tuesday, June 15, 2010
June 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; A young soccer fans wears earmuffs to muffle the noise produced by the crowd and vuvuzelas during Group E play between Netherlands and Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium.My oldest son, Allen, walked into the house, heard a noise, and asked, "What is that? Bees?" My youngest son, André, and his buddy laughed - they were watching The World Cup on TV and had become accustomed to the sound of the vuvuzela. When the sound was mentioned, they were reminded of how they had blocked it out.

Vuvuzelas are interesting, briefly, when you get your hands on one, and when you realize that thousands of like-minded people are jamming on them. Then, not so much.

In a related article (brought to my attention by @ALittleHewlett - thank you) titled, How To Be Interesting, Jonathan Morrow offers some valuable tips - especially poignant now that B2B Marcom has heartily embraced the social media arena (where many overblow their own horns).

I'll start with his last point (#21): Put Your Readers First.  Do you think the vuvuzela blowers are thinking of the people sprawled on their couches back in the USA? Or the FoxSports technicians and marketers, seeking to produce a palatable program? No. This is why something that seems good (to the purveyor) has gone bad. Jonathan admonishes us (B2B Marcom practitioners) by saying, "The one and only thing of consequence is your reader. You can rail against this fact for as long as you like, but as long you do, you’ll never be interesting."

#4 is also powerful: Do Something. He advises, "If you want attention, dare not to just give advice to others, but to live that advice yourself. Then blog about it."

The other 19 points are equally valuable - if we put them into practice in our B2B Marcom practices.

So, tune into the exciting soccer - football - futbol - FIFA action, turn the sound down, and enjoy the spectacle. When you return to work, leave the vuvuzela behind.

EARMUFF IMAGE:
Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via US PRESSWIRE ORIG FILE ID: 20100614_jla_ao3_073.jpg

VUVUZELA IMAGE: bild.de

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Align Your B2B Marcom Claims With Your Performance

Posted by Rick Short on Monday, May 3, 2010
It is critical for your B2B Marcom materials to align with the performance and capabilities of your products and services - as well as with the expectations of your customers (which you help create). If they don't you will disillusion your customers (internal and external).

If you are fortunate enough to be a truly meaningful part of people's lives, and if you disappoint your customers, their wrath may be quite serious - as in the case of "Mousetrap Never Works". This is a B2C example of just how motivated a disappointed customer can become - and how easy it is for a customer to do an excellent job of both expressing and sharing their frustrations. In essence, Hell hath no fury like that of an enthused customer disappointed.

Our jobs do NOT require us to underpromise and overdeliver, nor do they demand us to "puff" each of our claims. We really need to focus on accuracy, honesty, and integrity. In the end, the choice is yours ... and your customers'.
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Differentiate On The CUSTOMERS' Issues in B2B Marcom

Posted by Rick Short on Monday, March 29, 2010
Last week I read an excellent post on FREIGHT DAWG: The Logistics Blawg, written by Eric Joiner. The post, titled, "Pure Genius: Southwest Airlines Baggage Strategy" discusses the reasons behind SWA's recent promotional project titled, "At Southwest Airlines, We Love Your Bags!".

The post leads with a 30-second video commercial depicting SWA baggage handlers expressing their love (maybe 'obsession' is a better word) for our checked baggage. In the spot, these people simply can't understand why other airlines: a) don't LOVE our bags, and, b) charge us to ship our bags.

While the ad is VERY amusing - and while it truly makes a compelling statement - it is the ensuing discussion (comments) that is really valuable. The reason WHY the discussion is valuable is because it reveals some of the stuff BEHIND a differentiation campaign. It shows us how it is easy for smart people to get bogged down in all sorts of corporate gunk. It depicts how we, as business, and business to business marcom, people, can lose sight of the customer and their experiences, feelings, needs, fears, hopes, and desires.

As an MBA, I can appreciate the detailed thinking, the educated perspectives, and the keen analyses within each comment to that post. But, as a frequent flyer (consumer), I simply LOVE the fact that an airline expresses the same feelings that I do with regard to my luggage. I LOVE my baggage (why else do I struggle to schlep it with me all over the world?). I care about it. I don't want to pay for it to be mishandled, mangled, and misplaced. I want baggage handlers to care about my luggage and treat it with respect. This gets to human emotion - and THAT is powerful stuff.

I know that this ad doesn't reflect reality (no, SWA baggage handlers don't really wave at my bags and call out, "See you when you get home!")  ... and still .. the ad makes me want to fly with Southwest Airlines. This is simply because they are differentiating based on MY issues.

In essence, the SPIRIT of the campaign permeates both the consumers and the SWA staff. Now the baggage handlers know what is expected of them. The company is leveraging a capability against their customers' issues and telling everyone (employees and customers) what they strive to do.

When developing your BtoB marcom projects, never lose sight of your customers' issues. Address them and you will be hitting the hot buttons.
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B2B Blogs: A Big List!

Posted by Rick Short on Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I am proud to say that this blog was listed in the
2009 BIG LIST OF B2B BLOGS.

But don't click the link just to see my name in print, use it to tap into the myriad other resources for your B to B marcom needs.

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Talk With Your Customers Where THEY Want To Talk

Posted by Rick Short on Monday, March 22, 2010
In the old days, business to business (BtoB, B2B) Marcom professionals would utilize the (relative to today) few media channels to talk TO their target audience(s). The customers had to comply (succumb) and follow the companies and media.

Today, things are shifting strongly. The customer is clearly in control. Modern Marcom professionals need to communicate with their customers on the CUSTOMER's terms. This means when and where the customer chooses.

This is why the Indium Corporation blogs are available in multiple places. You can follow our blogs in many simple ways:

1) within our Facebook fan page (the postings are interspersed with our other Facebook comments): http://www.facebook.com/indium
2) at our main blog website: http://www.indium.com/blogs
3) through Networked Blogs:http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/indium_corporation
4) via RSS subscription (available at http://www.indium.com/blogs/)
5) via email subscription (sent directly to the customer's email account) (available at http://www.indium.com/blogs/)

I 'll bet there are options that I am missing, and I'll add them as soon as I become aware of them.  The point is, the customer is now in control - and we have many options for supporting our customers' desires and preferences. The old school way doesn't cut it any longer.
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B2B Marcom Tip: Converse WITH Your Customers

Posted by Rick Short on Friday, March 19, 2010
Don't know how I missed this excellent ad when it was released two years ago, but I did. If you see YOUR practices being lampooned, then make the move. Enough said.

Thanks to MARKETING 2.0 author, Bernie Borges, for tipping me off to this gem.

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The "LEGO® EFFECT" in Business to Business Marcom

Posted by Rick Short on Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Today I had a very rich discussion with a man who has the experience, wisdom, and intelligence to earn the respect of any B2B Marcom professional. While talking with John Favalo, Managing Partner - B2B - at Eric Mower & Associates, regarding the rate of change occurring in our practice, I brought up a topic that I have been ruminating on for many months. I call this topic, "The LEGO® EFFECT".

We Know: In today's blistering-fast world of newly-evolving software, hardware, tools, trends, topics, concepts, and practices, we are now unable to know of, experience, and master many new tools. There are simply too many. These days, we seize upon resources that offer promise, knowing that, while we take the time to learn these new tools, other potentially powerful tools will get past us. It's a given.

We Know: Our collection of resources does not likely match that of our competitors. We live knowing, while we are preparing to launch our next awesome salvo, that our competition may be unleashing something more powerful, using a tool that got past us.

We Know: Getting beaten is unacceptable. We don't get paid to be average - and we certainly don't get paid to get beaten.

So, what do we do?

We also Know: Rarely does a Marcom team do EVERYthing themselves. Most of us rely on consultants, vendors, and other topical experts from time to time.

With the increasingly abundant new tools, and the existence of highly skilled specialists, we need to become very comfortable adding and removing specialized consultants to and from our teams. Enter "The LEGO® EFFECT". You know, snap a piece in and enjoy what it does for you, then snap it out and replace it with something better.

Traditionally we've relied on long-established relationships with a small number of vendors (eg: an agency) who "got" us and who knew the (relative to today) simpler ropes. I contend that, in some cases, we now must feel very comfortable snapping in a highly capable specialist for a temporary, contracted assignment, then, upon completion, thanking them and moving on.

Good agencies still play a valuable role. I believe that retaining an overall agency may still be valid for most Marcom programs - especially if the agency is truly a leader in adopting effective skills. Even then, it is now increasingly necessary to snap in certain topical experts from time to time.

Step 1: Admit it. There is simply too much good stuff out there for any one person or team to master.

Step 2: Determine how you want to dominate your space - then find experts to snap into place, giving you the immediate expertise that you need. Work together using an achievement-specific contract.

Step 3: Be good to these specialists. Respect them and compensate them properly.

Step 4: Feel good when it is time to end the relationship and move on. It's the new way.

Thanks, John, for the thought-provoking discussion, and for keeping me on my toes.

"LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site".

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BtoB Social Media Target Audience: Hunters or Farmers?

Posted by Rick Short on Thursday, February 4, 2010
Seth Godin has authored ANOTHER excellent post (when HASN'T HE?), titled, "Hunters and Farmers."  In it he posits that some people are "hunters" while others are "farmers." Each is good, valuable, and desired - but they are different from each other in important ways.

As business to business marcom practitioners, we are warned, in the post, to know which type of person we are targeting in our efforts. The wants, needs, and styles of each type of person is critical to the way they perceive input, and act on it (or don't).

Give it a read. It makes very good sense to me - hope it helps you.

Images:
Hunter: Mila Zinkova
Farm: Frank Vincentz

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Transparency In BtoB Social Media

Posted by Rick Short on Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Toby BloombergThere is a lot of excellent discussion occurring these days regarding transparency in business to business (BtoB, B to B, B2B) social media. I particularly like the efforts being put forth by my friends Toby Bloomberg and John Cass. Their recent report on AGENCY transparency in social media offers 30+ diverse opinions on the  matter (Toby's report - John's report). I posted on this report yesterday. And speaking of transparency, I am proud to say that Toby is my (and Indium Corporation's) "blogmother", giving me my start back in 2004. THANKS, Toby!

Well, there is more to transparency than keeping agencies in line. WE, as B2B marcom professionals, have to keep ourselves in good order, as well. It gets complicated in social media, especially when you have blog posts feeding into Facebook posts and Facebook posts feeding into Tweets (and on and on). Looking at these posts from the customer's point of view, it can often appear "vague" as to who is the author.  At least two questions can arise:
  • who, from the company, authored this?
  • did ANYONE from the company author this, or is it ghost written?
I am very proud of the fact that all of the content published by our company is authored by our staff or by technology consultants hired expressly to create specific content on our behalf (working closely with our staff). We make every effort to clearly state the author and their position. My position is that this is the way it should be in a technology environment, and in today's social media climate. That said, there are cases where our social media program publishes items that have no author stated.

For example, every time one of our technologists posts a blog entry, that entry is automatically fed into our Indium Corporation Facebook page. The problem is that the blog post contains no author data since that info appears surrounding the post. Only the content gets sent over. If you follow the link from Facebook back to the post, it is all there. But, I always try to think like our customer - and they might not want to follow the link, might not notice the situation, might be too busy, etc. I feel it is my job to go out of my way to be transparent and make the authorship information clear and readily available.

To this goal I have just added this TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT to my Facebook page (see the section outlined in red in the image):

TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT:
Our Facebook content source includes blog postings, Tweets, data sheets, etc.

The authors are 100% Indium Corporation staff.

Author info appears in original content or like this (rick).

Questions? Please ask.

It may not be the perfect solution, but it clearly addresses my company's style, intentions, and respect for our readers. I believe I still have a long way to go to be as transparent and thorough as I'd like to be.

I hope to learn some helpful tips and get some advice from you. Please comment and share your views.
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Toby Bloomberg & John Cass Survey: 30+ Diverse Opinions On Social Media Agency Transparency

Posted by Rick Short on Monday, February 1, 2010
How to handle social media transparency?

Well, we first need to understand that there are precious few concrete rules with which to comply. We each need to develop our own practice.

Notice that each of these light bulbs is transparent, but different. I see each B2B Marcom professional crafting their unique brand of transparency. Transparent (not always!), and different.

To help us learn from each other, John Cass and Toby Bloomberg tapped their extensive network, solicited expertise and opinion, and shared it with us. Review the 30+ Diverse Opinions On Social Media Transparency for yourself in Toby's blog or in John's blog.

In this piece you'll find several views, from many perspectives. There's even some input from yours truly, Rick Short.

Anyone involved with Marketing Communications will find something interesting, maybe even valuable, in this collection of thoughts, opinions, and firmly-held beliefs. Rather than tell you what to think, I suggest you dive into the party, then form your own opinion and practice. Ultimately, put it to good, ethical use and let your bulb shine brightly.
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