B2B+social+media


 * B2B and Social Media**

See a whole portal on the topic at http://socialmediab2b.com/ with many samples Google Social Search allows you to see custom search results based on the people in your social circle. By connecting with customers, prospects and others in your industry on the social web, B2B companies can discover what topics are important to those audiences. It’s also a great way to find content from your trusted sources Check the vdo at media type="youtube" key="BlpTjP6h6Ms" height="340" width="560"

A more indepths Webinar on many aspects of B2B and Social Media is here

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or the book and more information by Forrester Research Group at []

What is the 2nd most viewed page on your website? For most business websites, the second most viewed page is the About Us page, if there is one. If you are not sure what your highest viewed pages are I suggest you get your hands on your Google Analytics and check it out. Your About Us page is so popular because people want to know who they are doing business with, where they went to school, their expertise and what they look like. Curiosity is part of being human and knowing these details lowers your personal risk in the buying cycle. Here are some easy updates you can make to this popular page. 1. Add photos of your staff 2. Add a link to each employee’s LinkedIn profile 3. Update staff bios to accurately describe their expertise and cut out the gobbledygook Start an informative blog about your industry There are so many benefits to blogging – targeting long tail search terms, establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry and more. Regardless of whether your company is B2C or B2B, people are searching for more information, product demos, and answers to questions related to what you do. Be there when they are searching and find a way to close that lead. 4. Write about things your next business partner, customers, or members are searching for. 5. Update your blog regularly – at LEAST once a week 6. Make sure the design of your blog matches the design of your company website Taking Social Media Seriously The most important part of social media is defining a strategy. Find communities that matter to your industry and own them! Don’t spread yourself too thin by trying to be a part of every social networking site. Just like a person who has 10 business titles, it can show a lack of specialization and dilute your message if your company has too many profiles with little depth. You provide a product or service that other companies need for their businesses to thrive. Put out good content related to your offerings so people with that need will find you! 7. Be the best you that you can be. Don’t try to be someone else 8. Generate good helpful content and not a constant sales pitch 9. Recommend vendors and business partners on social networking sites 10. Add links to your social media sites in the footers of your outgoing email – let people know where you are available to connect The internet is social. Users can more easily produce content, comment on that content and share the information they find most entertaining and useful. Your business’s internet marketing strategy needs to have a social aspect to it. These were just a few ideas on how to get started. There are lots of more ways to be involved but the formula that will work best for your organization is based on your goals. Your strategy is not determined by what you are ready for, but by what your customers and prospects need. Read more: []


 * B2B using Twitter**

Take a look at these B2B brands that are representative of the diverse levels of sophistication of companies using Twitter

IBM events @[|ibmevents] Usage for events. This is a potentially huge real time awareness tool. Events allow Twitter to flourish. It allows people to connect via a “back channel” and allowing followers to participate in the event remotely.

Sun Microsystems @[|SunMicrosystems] Good example of Twitter usage: They engage and provide links to web events that are happening on real time. Sun was social by nature by being one of the first companies in the Valley to allow their employees to freely blog on Sun’s dime. Even Sun’s ex-employees have a house where [|they can submit their feed].

Or then as well on B2B Twitter success stories like voted B2B Twitter success story of the year 2009 by b2btoty

Fusion B2B [] A Award winning business-to-business (B2B) marketing communications agency. We tweet creative, strategy, ads, SEO, social media, B2B+++

more at []

from 2008 winner

[|United Linen & Uniform Services] ([|@unitedlinen]) of Bartlesville, Oklahoma is a 73-year old family run business with 120 employees and 20 more across Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas. The company cleans 15 million pounds of laundry every year, from uniforms to napkins and welcome mats. They also have a [|blog] and a Facebook [|fan page]. United Linen, a regional company, was chosen as "B2B Twitterer of the Year" in 2008 in recognition that it seized a promising tool and applied it to their world. Most business communicators have certainly never heard of them, but it's not about being the "bon vivant" of the digital crowd, it's about someone trying new things to grow a business and foster dialog their customers.
 * Scott Townsend**, United Linen's Marketing Director and a 10-year employee, is the brain and brawn behind **@UnitedLinen** and is sitting on the judging panel for this year's awards.


 * CROWDSOURCING for B2B**

[] and more at []


 * FACEBOOK for B2B**

As Facebook continues to grow, now over 350 million users worldwide, more and more B2B companies are setting up Facebook Fan Pages. These pages give a business a home on Facebook and allows their content to be shared with their fans, in the same information stream with updates and links from their friends. Studies have shown that many people follow brands on Twitter looking for special deals, but Facebook is different. People become fans of companies and brands on Facebook for two different reasons. The first is that they want to keep up with the company and learn more about them. The second is they want to associate themselves with the company. That is they want to express their love of the company with others. The origin of the word fan, after all, is fanatic. While many large B2B companies and brands do have their fans, and we will see some below, why would someone become a fan of company they don’t love? The reasons are no different than connecting on other forms of social media. These are building relationship with the company, getting value from the content, customer service, and yes, opportunities for special offers. So below are 10 examples of B2B companies using Facebook Fan Pages in a variety of ways.

Read more: []


 * SECOND LIFE for Businesses**

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