Here is a social media situation where a business to business and a business to consumer company, United Airlines, is doing something incredibly well. That "something" is: using Twitter. Check them out at: http://twitter.com/UnitedAirlines

Every business has numerous goals - and numerous tools to achieve them. Interestingly, some companies use tools with no apparent goal in mind. They just "do things" because they can. Ever run an ad because you always have? Exhibited at a trade show based on little more than tradition? Yes, marcom can be part of the problem. But not in this case.

Today, when big businesses are crumbling, when the airline industry is in a shambles,  during the holiday season when travelers put a tremendous crush on the capacity and infrastructure, and during the winter (in North America) when Mother Nature randomly throws us all curve balls, does United Airlines crawl, sniveling, into a corner and hope it all goes away? Just the opposite!

I have NOT interviewed anyone from UA, so I do not know their goal for using Twitter. But I can tell you that MY goal for following @UnitedAirlines is to be a successful traveler - period. I don't want chatter, I don't need to develop the warm fuzzies, I don't hope to fall in love, I just want to get where I am going with confidence. UA seems to have made this their prime objective on Twitter - then they attacked.

The situation:

• Huge eastern North America snowstorm days before Christmas 2009.
• Travel disrupted.
• Thousands of flights canceled.
• Ground transportation interrupted.
• United Airlines unleashes a torrent of informative, helpful, linked, insightful, knowledge-based tweets that surely changed plugged-in travelers' experiences.

Here is an example (from minutes ago):
The link addresses the location, the situation, and the best way to tackle the issue. All from a United Airlines insider.

Here's another (one of several) very traveler-friendly tweet from The Friendly Skies: If a Twitter reader didn't know about UA's mobile text alerts, they do now! Compliments of @UnitedAirlines.

Travelling (especially during the holidays) can be very emotional and stressful. To address that, @UnitedAirlines offers Tweets like this:

Ticketed & flexible? Need to confirm for peace of mind? Knowledge=power, online=control: http://tinyurl.com/yjt4t7p

 

Remember, modern social media and marcom tools are very alluring. But they're not going to help your organization unless you use them properly and effectively.  United Airlines shows us an exemplary implementation of Twitter at just the right time.

Image: caribb

As business to business marcom practitioners, we occasionally sponsor events and may even hire a spokesperson to help us promote our products and services.  In hopes of improving our business we associate our brand with theirs.

So, what happens when we want to cut the connection (for whatever reason)? Sometimes it is a simple matter to let the relationship expire and disappear into the night. Other times it may not be that easy - or private.

Take the Tiger Woods situation. Here we have one man, several corporate partners, and several big, public decisions (as well as executions).  So, how is it being done? Here are two versions:

Version 1: ACCENTURE - aka "bridge burning"

In a statement Accenture said, "...given the circumstances of the last two weeks, after careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising."

Friend, fellow musician, and Online Strategist, Ryan Miller (Romanelli Communications) recently delivered an interesting and valuable set of advice to graduating Utica College Public Relations majors. He then summed it up in a blog post.

The post, titled "Read And Write Your Ass Off", is efficient and concise - a study in effective communications in itself. Take 60 seconds and make this message your own. As I read it I started nodding in agreement, thinking, "This is perfect advice for these students."

This whole topic rang true for me as I have recently been considering the skillset I would need in a potential new business to business marcom hire. I reminded myself of how unskilled and unproven many previous candidates have been. I have also been musing as to just how I would evaluate the candidates' claims and distinguish the best from the pack. This post brought things into focus for me.

Then, I started considering how this advice would apply to more experienced PR staff, and to marcom people in general, and to product managers, and to tech support staff ... and to all my bloggers and face-to-face-with-the-customer colleagues. CONCLUSION? Ryan's advice applies to us all - at all stages of our careers.

So, if you want insight into how you should prepare yourself for a job in B2B Marcom, how you can improve your role, or even how you should prepare yourself to evaluate and differentiate job candidates, read Ryan's post. Consider sharing it with your team.

Then, if you've got a minute to spare, listen to Ryan's music.

Image: The Hamster Factor

As I left the house this morning I heard a Canada Goose honk while flying overhead. Instinctively, I wondered what it was doing alone.

Geese are iconic social creatures. They even inspired the famous, "Lessons From Geese." This short speech seems to apply, not only to everyday life, but to social media - at least to me.

The 5 goose facts contained in the piece are related to lessons in life. As I read them, I can find corrolaries to social media. For example (quoting from the above-referenced source):

As I drove to my office, anticipating flicking on my PC and seeing what B2B Marcom insight  TweetDeck had to offer, I felt like that solo goose - traveling in the dark, momentarily alone but seeking the strength of my network.

Image: Denis Collette

These "bold" words were published by Laurie Sullivan in Media Post Blogs' SEARCHBLOG today. In her piece, Laurie continues on and indirectly describes TEHAN's, a really cool old "catalog store" or "catalog showroom" that existed in the Utica, New York area for many years. You probably had something similar in your hometown. She writes:


Tehan's was way snazzier than a warehouse, it was a nicely-appointed retail store, with clean and orderly glass shelves, stocked with one each of the very same items that appeared in their thick catalog.  And everyone in the area possessed the newest issue of that catalog. We all pored over it, in search of medium- to high-end birthday presents, gadgets, or household appliances.

Once our selections were made, we went to the showroom to see and touch each item.  We then made our selection, filled out a form, and presented it to a clerk who went into the back warehouse. Minutes later, our item bounced along a small roller conveyor into the hands of the cash register clerk with whom we completed our transaction.

Well, Tehan's is gone. And you know what we do today. One reason Zappo's is so popular is that they offer free shipping (both ways) and free 365 day returns so we can see and touch each item with little consequence.

Tehan's "issues" were that we had to use only their (relative to the internet) limited catalog, and we had to drive all the way over there (can you believe it!?!?!?). The internet's issues are that we can't see and touch items (unless they also happen to be stocked in a local store, or a friend has the same item) and we have to wait several days to take receipt of the item (thank goodness for overnight delivery!).

Might we see the return of "catalog showrooms" to display items for sale by major internet retailers in the next 10 years? I guess that we will for really mainstream consumer items - maybe even a Amazon Store. And, in a reverse manner, some retailers might become catalog stores, supported by central distribution - in support of a new online retail model. But I doubt we'll see such a service for business to business (btob, b2b) shopping in the near future.

Give me YOUR comments on this.

Q (Erik): What is the "next big thing" in social media marketing?

A (Erik): The merging of search and social.

In my b2b marcom practice, it is very clear that my target audience needs information and answers immediately - as issues develop. They turn to search for the information.

Additionally, the common and accepted social media tools are excellent at getting my information out onto the internet in a way that is easy for my target audience to find and retrieve.

Searchal media ... did I just coin a new term? Regardless, it's the practice (and results) that count.

"Researchers at New York University's interactive telecommunications program have come up with a device that allows plants to tell owners when they need water or if they've had too much via the social network blogging service Twitter."  Reuters

I absolutely LOVE IT when someone (especially, but rarely, me) takes something cool, applies it to something wildly peculiar (seemingly at the time) , and creates a whole new concept.  Interestingly, AFTER the concept is understood, it all seems so obvious.  Having read the opening quote, a co-worker and I immediately thought of applying the concept to thermometers applied to your child or your geriatric parent ... or to a scale that monitors the weight of something (stock on a shelf) ... or to a sensor that measures your lawn (grass) height on your distant property.

 

Applying cool existing concepts in an unusual way in (b2b, btob) business to business Marcom is also a ton of fun.

 

Image: i, Timmy

Admit it. We’ve all said it: “No one will care about this. It’s mundane and boring.”

Well, here’s a real sleeper: a company moved their offices. How could that POSSIBLY be interesting?

Let's take it even further down that path:

• same staff
• same equipment
• same software
• same skills
• same email addresses
• same twitter account
• same website
• same phone numbers
• same coffee maker

... are you convinced yet? This situation is barely worthy of a press release, right?

Funny thing is, they made it cool & compelling – and turned it into a way to influence their customers’ thinking - maybe even their actions.

How? I don't know the details, but it clearly involved a cadre of individuals that feels responsible for enhancing its company's brand and image. The project was clearly crafted by people who are pretty cool - and who want to be known as such. These professionals are obviously enthusiastic about their craft - and they applied creativity to tell their target audience of their news.

Ask yourself these questions: 

• Does Bars & Tone seem to be energized?
• Could they make YOUR next press release reverberate throughout your industry?
• Would your customers listen when they help you speak?
• Do you recall their competitions' last project?

Bottom line: don't talk yourself out of a potentially influential BtoB Marcom project by thinking that your news is boring. Instead, find yourself some committed, enthusiastic, creative, raving lunatics and ask them to impress you. They're out there - and you deserve it.

Props to the Slash Barshinger blog, "the shortest distance from b to b", for making me aware of this story.
 

I've posted on the topic of telling a story in B2B Marcom. Twice, actually. Like many good ideas, the question becomes, "how?"

Here is one example - shared by PetaPixel. A tool called an Audio Slideshow. PetaPixel points to an absolutely awesome set of examples on the NY Times website, called ONE IN 8 MILLION.

Using fairly simple tools, an imagination, and basic editing skills, it is easy to imagine creating audio slideshows for your products, your staff, your services, and other things that your customers might care about.

Imagine how this might work in a meeting where the other presenters are stumbling all over themselves to cram the coolest technology into their presentation while others are dunning the audience with 1990's PowerPoint clip art. It could be captivating!

What are your thoughts on the potential effectiveness of this simple yet potentially powerful tool in B2B Marcom?

People say that dogs sense fear. I wonder if dogs say that PEOPLE sense fear. Of course, we do.

A good friend, Barry Matties of EMS007.com, just posted some thoughts on his recent participation in productronica - the largest exhibition in our electronics assembly industry. Held every other year, the show is expensive, of critical importance, and exciting.

Barry discussed "energy" at the show, saying things like:

• "The energy in your company is noticeable"
• "it was easy to see the companies that have negative energy"
  
• "the positive companies had a much better show"

I believe energy in B2B Marcom is driven by our emotions, our knowledge, our confidence, and our attitudes. And that our energy comes through in our work.

Be careful when you plan a project; Initiate all projects with hope and high spirits. Your staff feeds on your style, as do your vendors. Be careful as you lead the implementation of a marketing communications project; Your finished products influence everyone from the people rolling them out, to the people weilding them, to the people receiving them. And the effect cascades.

We've all seen dull data sheets and exhibits that appeared to have been exhumed. And we've all been lifted by ads and brochures that were infused with positive mojo. You KNOW which ones you want to produce.

Barry concluded by saying, "In the end, as you plan for your next show, make sure that the energy you send is the right energy--it makes a difference."

This is a guest blog posting, filed by a career-long friend of mine, Nancy Pattarini, President & CEO, Paige Marketing Communications Group, Inc. The Indium Corporation and The Paige Group have been doing B2B Marcom business together for about 30 years (longer than I've been at Indium, ~26 years). Whenever I have questions I turn to them for their sound advice. This issue is no different. Here are Nancy's thoughts:

 

 

Q: Should one maintain separate personal and professional identities in the social media environment?

 

Nancy: After study, discussions with colleagues, working on a few client initiatives, and an initial personal experiment, I’m convinced that separate identities are a must. And it is best captured in Rick Short’s own philosophy – "begin at the end". If one starts with the premise that our first responsibility is protecting and advancing the corporate brand, then we must avoid any blurring or distraction and create every possible opportunity to promote a unique value proposition and point of view.

Social media is just the latest of many cluttered environments that marketing communications professionals have wrestled with for decades.

Except trickier. Here are certain truths I ascribe to:

• People who say social media is not a proper environment for corporate communication are wrong. No business has the luxury of ignoring new avenues.
• Social media is the (latest) toughest environment for a business to apply properly because it started at the personal level. (A colleague of mine aptly refers to Social Media as “So Me.”)

When we mix personal and corporate identities in, for example, one Facebook account, I think the corporate info can enhance the personal profile but the personal can distract from the corporate. And I don’t mean just the things we choose to post about ourselves.

 

My experiment was to start a Facebook page with content that was entirely business-oriented with the goal of carefully friending and networking to keep the focus where I wanted it. But, true to the roots of social media, I’ve been getting deluged with family, friends and tons of network-seekers who (respectfully) have little relevance to my goal for a Facebook business presence. So, I’m in the process of setting up a separate personal account and am advising my clients to do same. I will have to gracefully transfer some family members and a few others and then commit to managing it, as Rick points out in his commentary.

To sum, businesses should not be afraid to wade into the waters, but a good social media strategy will have a specific, intentional goal and communication plan. I think it’s an exciting challenge to our ability as communications experts to manage our brand.

According to a website I just visited (to remain nameless), "A good customer is your most valuable asset and giving them free promotional pens is a way to show them how much you appreciate their business. Also, this act of kindness may end up with that company doing more business with you or referring you to other companies."  Really?!?!?

Right up front, I need to say that I am very biased against low-cost, commodity-type, non-product/service-related items, or gifts, as a way to earn or retain business. Maybe it's my 30 years in technology industry talking, but I just don't see the value. Honestly, I can't imagine how a M.S. Materials Scientist, or her staff, could be swayed by a pen. And, honestly, does anyone need another coffee mug?

I know that such giveaways are a big part of business to business (B2B) marcom - and that a lot of these items are exchanged every year. Admittedly, I do purchase and dole out a very limited number of such items. Many people believe in the value - or maybe just the practice. I just don't get it.

I'd love to hear some very sound, logical, proven, fact-based information supporting the concept. I just may be missing something.

And how about this? The best COMMENT receives a free INDIUM CORPORATION pen. ;)

A recent post of mine is titled TELL A STORY: EVEN IN B2B MARCOM. I really am committed to this concept, so here is some more on that theme.

My friend, John Waire, is an incredible photographer (and husband, and dad, etc.). He recently tweeted regarding another photog who emphasizes storytelling with his images, Daniel Kevorkian. In a recent post, titled THE ART OF VISUAL STORYTELLING, Daniel says, "We all live among stories ...  but we sometimes forget that we are storytellers".  This reminder is so poignant and eloquent that I feel compelled to share it - and to remind myself of this important fact.

John also directed me to the COLD NOSE PHOTO BLOG (dog lovers - beware - this is very moving). One post, titled, RESCUE: A BUSY PLACE, tells several tiny little stories that are anything BUT tiny. With one excellent image, and a few well-chosen words (sometimes only two or three), the author almost had me adopting a dog - about SIX TIMES!!!


So, what does this have to do with industrial B2B Marcom? How can this sell your product? Can I show you the money? This is easy!

Remember, few customers are surfing the net, walking a trade show floor, or making phone calls to your customer or tech service teams because they have a general interest in your products or services. These days, people fire up Google, jump on a plane, or pick up the phone because they have a real problem, or a hot opportunity. Most things are urgent these days. Add to that the fact that our global economy is really stressing organizations and individuals. In other words, these situations contain a lot of emotion. Yes, I am talking about industry, about business to business situations. And remember, if you are one of the few who are addressing these emotins - with truly valuable and compelling content - you're going to get attention.

When you can see the true VALUE that your information, services, or products deliver to your customer, when you can see how you can reduce the pain - or accelerate the implementation of a hot new idea - then you have the beginnings of a very exciting story. When you can get truly psyched about how you can help your customer, then you've taken the next step. And, when you can wrap it all up in a compelling story - and tell it in the right way, at the right time, in the right place - you just might get a hard-bitten industrial engineer to adopt a puppy.

Watch this video and see how creatively Kseniya Simonova tells us a story. People are literally moved to tears. Then ask yourself - is a brochure the right way to inspire your customer to consider YOUR product or service?

 

I get the occasional push back, or questions, from some colleagues who fear that INDIUM CORPORATION is inserting itself into peoples' personal lives - when it comes to our B2B Marcom social media program (blogging, Twitter, Facebook). Understand that this coin has at least two sides. One fear is that we are pushing into our customers' space - the other is that we are invading our own employees' space.  Both concerns are very fair and important.

In my experience, this issue is THE largest challenge of our social media program. The hardware and software stuff can all be learned - it's just mechanical.  The human side is quite another beast (as usual, right?).

INSIGHT: 
Many who feel that we are pushing into our customers' personal lives don't quite grasp the "opt in" nature of social media. Interestingly, most people who feel this way have little or no social media experience. Still, they can slow things down. I try to help them understand that individuals choose to allow us in, or not. It's that simple. Getting non-participating people to really understand "opt in" is a challenge. And it can be a show stopper if it is the boss.

The other side of the coin presents my greatest challenge of the moment. Is a corporate social media program intrusive on an employee's personal life? The answer is YES. I am dealing with this personally as we roll out our corporate Facebook and Twitter programs. My question is, should I participate as the 'Rick Short' who already exists on Facebook and Twitter, or should I create a new presence?  I've been advised both ways and have both good and bad vibes about either position.

Some say that my (anyone's) "real" personality is a plus as it paints me as human, and multidimensional (not just electronics assembly materials). Of course, I immediately wonder if my Indium Corporation audience really cares that I just helped my wife bake cookies, and I then have to censor anything I might write that may not reflect well on my company. Additionally, I have to hope that my personal life social media friends don't drag me into anything unsavory (a tagged image from a 1977 party, a reference that includes my name, etc.).

The simple answer is to create both personal AND a professional identities on Twitter and Facebook (LinkedIn doesn't seem to have the same personal-life issues since it is intended - and used - as a business environment). But, friends find your professional identity eventually. You've got to be prepared to reject their invitations of friending and direct them to your alter ego. Additionally, you've got to be on your toes - keeping your accounts straight - all the time. And, with this strategy, you now have DOUBLE the accounts.


RESOLUTION:
So, how to properly address this? I don't know the best answer.

Currently I have only one identity each for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn - and am strongly considering creating professional identities. I know that, either way, I will have problems. I believe that the problems I will have with "multiple personalities" will be fewer, and less damaging, than the problems I will have with one big identity throughout my personal and professional existence.

As this is a potentially problem, I would LOVE to know your take on this issue.

"Companies and organizations that both understand and react to the latest in consumer expectations are well positioned to offer beneficial goods and services to customers as well as financial stability to their stakeholders."

An intriguing quote from an article with an even more interesting title, "Advertising Is the Price You Pay for Not Being Creative," from MarketingProfs.

I really believe in this position and have strived to put this philosophy into action over the past few years.  It's easier said than done, and the obstacles can appear daunting. That said, it's also fairly easy to start small and grow your cost saving B2B Marcom program.

If done well, you can cut your "dependency" on ad spending while enhancing your meaningful connections with your target audience.

Image from: api.ning.com

Social Media in B2B Marcom, business communications, and all things industrial is today's reality. We are all dealing with it today. Even if your Marcom program includes no social media, your competition's does, and your customer's does.

This video is from Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics.

Share your comment.

Sometimes our B2B Marcom videos depict concepts, other times processes or materials performance. In most cases we include an expert introducing and describing the information - or performing an interview.

Once people become involved, we have to deal with egos, expectations, and performance. Everyone wants to do a great job - and to look good in the video. We've got tons of movie stars to compare ourselves to, so we frequently disappoint ourselves.

I am surprised at how few people have actually seen themselves on a formal video - so expectations are rarely based on actual experience. To address this issue, I suggest that we all give our team mates as much video time as they need to get themselves comfortable with what they look like - and how they come off - on video. This is critical now that video is becoming a normal way to depict information.

With the low cost of basic equipment it is practicaly free to record hours of practice video. At a minimum, this will give your team a realistic sense of what they look and sound like - and help them reconcile their ideas of what they THINK they are doing with what is actually happening. So many times I've heard people say (after seeing themselves on video for the first time), "I had no idea ...".  People have no idea that they say certain words so frequently, or that they move in a peculiar fashion, or that they stare at the camera, ignoring the other person on screen.  Once they see/hear themselves in action, they have a chance to correct things.

You would correctly say that this is really important for your top executives. But it is true for everyone. So, help yourself, help your company, and help your target audience, by creating loads of practice/feedback opportunities. This will not only address performance but will make your real video projects move faster.