If you’re like me, you’re overwhelmed with the amount of marketing information being presented on an hourly basis. On top of that, keeping up with new technologies and terminologies is mind-boggling.

Quite frankly, my eyes have begun to permanently glaze over. So I was happy to hear that the marketing folks at Eloqua agree with me.

“You are correct,” says Joe Chernov, Director of Content for Eloqua, which provides marketing automation products and services. “People tune out when confronted with too much information. And, companies often use confusing concepts and jargon to explain what they do, especially when it comes to marketing automation. We wanted to turn our focus outward and get people’s attention through entertainment as well as substance.”

The result is Eloqua’s wonderful new Grande Guides campaign, complete with spokesperson Juan Eloqua, a “cheeky yet romantic” businessman who specializes in growing coffee — and revenue.

“Our CMO, Brian Kardon, came up with the idea for Juan Eloqua — it was one of those ‘lightning strikes’ type of ideas. Another idea was to film coffee barristas answering people’s questions, but we quickly realized that would be an execution nightmare.”

Campaign goal is more than just buzz

Casting, filming and editing the videos took eight weeks using a professional camera crew and a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) actor. Brian wrote the script; Joe was responsible for developing the Grande Guides.

“We had to go back and reshoot the videos because we wanted Juan to introduce the various Guides,” says Joe. “So that added to the execution time.”

The campaign launched August 24, 2010. “We put it out on various social media platforms and set it free,” says Joe. “However, we want more than buzz. We’re sending out over 100,000 emails asking people to subscribe to the content.

“And, because we’re always looking to add information to profiles in our database, we’ve put up forms to collect this information, which we’ll then use for our own lead scoring. We’re also hoping to reactivate inactive prospects.”

Grande Guides present one concept at a time

What I like best about this campaign is that Eloqua is seeking to educate people — the foundation of successful B2B marketing — while having some fun in the process. As such, the Grande Guides have been designed to look like a beloved moleskin notebook with valuable content . . . the kind you don’t want to throw away.

“The point with the Guides,” says Joe, “is to boil down complex concepts into a document someone can read in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee.”

The first in the series, The Grande Guide to Lead Scoring, for example, gives you a detailed overview of the topic, why it’s important, and how to do it. Information is presented in an easy-to-read format with lots of subheads, call outs, graphs — and coffee stains.

Be sure to check out the Guide. You can also follow Eloqua and the campaign via Twitter, Slideshare, and Facebook.

Dry cleaning as a service is a commodity. One dry cleaner is usually the same as any other. You take your clothes in and pick them up cleaned, pressed and wrapped in plastic a week later.

In my town you can find numerous dry cleaning businesses. Some are family owned, a couple of others are corporate chains.

Since I’m pretty busy running a small business and being a mom, I try to keep things efficient. I plan out my errands and group like-minded tasks together. So it makes sense to pick a dry cleaner in my town — saves gas, saves time.

Except I don’t use a dry cleaner located just minutes from my home. No, I do business with Rick, whose dry cleaning business is located 20 minutes away in Massachusetts.

This is because Rick has made taking care of his customers’ clothes a high art. And, as Seth Godin describes in his book, Linchpin, he’s made himself indispensable, to me and hundreds of people like me. In short, he’s a wonderful example of a Linchpin.

Don’t let appearances deceive you

The first thing you must know, when you walk into Rick’s establishment, is that it is *filled* with clothes and similar items. (That’s how busy he is.) You walk in the door and you get maybe 24 inches of space between the door and the counter.

You can’t even see the back of his establishment. Too many clothes in the way.

The counter is usually piled high with clothes people have dropped off.

You also see dozens of police uniforms hanging from hooks — all pressed to exact military standards.

But even better, you see money hanging from metal clips. I’m not joking. If Rick finds cash in your pockets, he’ll hang it on a clip with your clothing tag so that it can dry out. Then he returns it to you when you pick up your clothes.

One of his customers took a picture of the money, framed it and titled it, “Laundering money.” (ha!) Rick hung it above the counter.

Rick remembers people’s name and asks them when they want to pick up their clothes (as opposed to telling you when they’ll be ready). He also tells you when he’s going to be closed or going on vacation.

What I love best about him is that he’s *smart.* Last year I provided a proposal to a company that sells items to dry cleaners like Rick and started hitting him up for insider information. In just a few conversations I learned more about the dry cleaning industry and its challenges than I would have reading trade journals.

Rick knew to the penny how much his attached laundromat cost him in terms of upkeep and water usage, what it would cost to convert over to energy efficient machines, and why he still used machines that accepted quarters rather than those new credit card type machines (which I hate).

What Rick does is magical

It’s not the fact that he has clothes ready when promised or that he doesn’t lose articles of clothing. Any dry cleaner can do that.

• Rick doesn’t have to return people’s money. If you’re like me, you have no memory of the money you leave in your pockets.
• He doesn’t have to ask people when it’s convenient to have their clothes ready. We’ve all been trained to have service people tell us what’s convenient for them.
• Heck, he doesn’t even have to remember people’s names. How many service people do you do business with that have no clue what your name is?

No, he doesn’t have to do any of this. But he does. And in the process, he’s turned his commodity business into an art, which is why I drive 20 minutes out of my way to do business with him.

Do you have an example of any business that’s indispensable to you? Is it because of one specific person and how he/she treats you? If so, please share it.

For a long time I had one type of bird feeder in my backyard, a feeder I kept filled with one type of food: black sunflower seeds.

The feeder attracted the typical birds you see in New England backyards: Blue Jays, Chickadees, and Cardinals, to name a few.

A few weeks ago, however, I added two new feeders, a nut feeder and a bowl feeder filled with millet in order to attract smaller birds.

Over night my backyard went from being the equivalent of a sleepy small town airstrip to a busy municipal airport.

Birds of all kinds flocked to my feeders — Woodpeckers, Titmice, Nuthatches, Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Grackles, Finches, Mourning Doves, Sparrows and others I have yet to identify.

In fact, the bowl feeder / millet proved so successful, I now have five to six Sparrows sitting in the bowl eating seed at any given time, others fighting for a position on the bowl and more milling around on the ground waiting for seed to drop.

Wow!

Attract more B2B buyers with multiple offers

Generally, companies offer people something in return for “raising their hand” to be identified. I ask people to give me their first name and email address in exchange for my monthly newsletter, for example.

Other companies ask for additional information when it comes to Webinars, white papers and the like.

Giving people free information is good. The problem, however, is that people respond to offers depending on where they are in the buying cycle.

• Someone just starting research will download white papers or checklists but definitely doesn’t want a sales person to call and isn’t ready for a demo.
• Someone who is narrowing down the vendor selection list has probably already read a half dozen white papers and now is now ready to participate in a Webinar and/or read case studies.
• And a team that’s ready to make a buying decision may want to talk to a sales person or have a demo.

Having just one type of offer, i.e. white papers, will attract some buyers, but these buyers will most likely not be ready to buy for months, which is why you need to include offers that attract buyers no matter where they are in the buying cycle.

Instead of attracting people who are “just looking,” you’ll also attract those who are serious about finding a vendor / partner and making a purchase.

As to my new found birding love, I’m now researching platform feeders. My buddy Mac McIntosh (who inspired this post) said to put out cut up oranges, grapes, and bread crusts. He also recommended suet feeders. What’s your recommendation?

(Photo credit: Liz Leyden)

August, 2010
Published by Dianna Huff
Volume 10, Number 8

Welcome!

I've been asked to speak about developing content for Search Engine Marketing New England (SEMNE) as well as to develop a course for the Online Marketing Institute on the same topic.

Coming up with content ideas is often an insurmountable hurdle for people. When I recommend that companies develop a content strategy, I often hear, "But what do we write about?!"

The first step is to develop a "beat" in much the same way a reporter or journalist covers a certain aspect of an industry (think Walt Mossberg of the WSJ). I first wrote about developing a beat in 2008 -- and have updated the original blog post for this month's newsletter.

In addition to attending SEMNE (for those of you in the greater Boston area), don't forget to join me on my Facebook page. I've been adding examples of B2B Pages -- many of which are *very* good, including the one by Grasshopper.com.

Regards,

Dianna Huff

B2B Content Marketing: Think Like a Reporter

When I talk to my clients about developing content for their B2B Websites, I often hear, "But what will we write about? We're a [insert description here] type of company. We make widgets. We have nothing to say. Waaaa!"

First off, you don't want to write about your company and its products (or at least not all the time). Instead, you want to develop content that gives people information they find interesting and can actually use.

This is why white papers, e-books, guides, reports, and blog articles are so popular.

Think about developing content this way: a trade journal doesn't publish information about how to publish a magazine month after month (which is its specialty when you get down to it). Instead, it gives its readers industry news that's of interest to them.

When developing content for your Website, you need to think of yourself as a micro-publisher, not a manufacturer or developer or whatever else you are.

It also helps if you develop a "beat" in much the same way a reporter has a beat or niche industry / news focus he or she covers.

Just as Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal covers all things relating to personal technology, you'll cover a slice of your own industry.

Developing a beat helps narrow your focus, which in turn makes it easier to come up with content ideas.

Instead of being overwhelmed by the sheer breadth of information out there, you cull sources and experts down to only those that relate to your topic area and then begin reading / following them.

By narrowing your focus, you're then able skim content for those items within your beat -- versus reading the publication (online or off) start to finish, which takes waaaay too much time. You'll also begin to generate ideas for blog posts, white papers, reports, articles and other information (not to mention you'll learn how your competitors position themselves).

As an example, here is my daily / weekly / monthly beat:

Print Media

I read the Wall Street Journal just about every day -- focusing mostly on the Marketplace and Personal Journal sections plus any relevant business news on the front page.

I like to read articles about companies and their successes and failures and anything about Google, Facebook, Twitter, Apple, P&G, Steve Jobs, women in business, technology, and social media. I also carefully study the B2B ads -- which often become fodder for blog posts.

I also read Fortune magazine, Inc., Fortune Small Business, and Fast Company and will often retweet items of interest (Hootsuite makes this easy as it has a built-in URL shortener).

I'm also constantly on the lookout for articles / news that pertain to my clients' industries. Because I have a client who works with high network individuals, for example, I read articles about changes to tax laws, investing, and anything else that pertains to their audience. (This is how I'm able to come up with content ideas for their blog, which I ghostwrite).

Google News / Twitter

I log in to Google News and/or Twitter several times a day to see what's new. I find lots of interesting information this way, such as the fact that the hugely successful Old Spice social media campaign has lifted sales by 107%.

E-newsletters / Blogs / Google Alerts

I have a few blogs I follow religiously plus those I read as time permits. I also read a number of e-newsletters from companies and individuals.

I keep an eagle eye for any new reports, data, surveys, etc. that I can use in my presentations, blog posts, etc. For example, I recently posted about a terrific white paper that Silverpop published for B2B marketers.

I run a number of Google Alerts for specific keywords and as time permits, cull through any interesting items.

Broadcast Media

Although I'm not a heavy TV watcher, I do like to watch weekend sporting events occasionally -- but only for the commercials as B2B companies will often advertise. In addition, listening to the radio is a great source of ideas, especially when it comes to how companies pitch themselves.

That in a nutshell is how you develop "a beat." It sounds like it takes a lot of time, but for the most part, it's pretty easy to maintain. The secret is to skim for items of interest -- and cull items for future blog posts, newsletter articles, and e-books / white papers.

SEMNE: Content Marketing for SEO Professionals

In one of his talks, Google’s Matt Cutts said that SEO professionals have to start thinking like marketers. That’s because the name of the game these days is content. Content that educates, content that entertains, content that drives purchasing decisions and sales.

To add significant value to client relationships, SEO professionals must now give recommendations for creating content that gets found in the search engines and passed around via social media. In this presentation, I'll be discussing:

• Answering site visitors’ unspoken questions through content
• Using Google Analytics, Alerts, and social media to develop content ideas
• Recommending the types of content that helps drive conversions

Event details

Content Marketing for SEO Professionals

Location: Crown Plaza Hotel, Natick, MA

Date and time: Wednesday, September 15, 2010

6:30 – 7:30 Networking

7:30 – 9:00 Talk and questions

Reach Close to 3,000 B2B Marketers

Finding and reaching the right target audience is difficult. Now you can reach over 3,000 B2B marketers by sponsoring my blog and newsletter.

Each week I'll run a custom ad about your company and feature it on my blog. This ad will live "forever," driving traffic back to your site. In addition, you can opt to sponsor this newsletter.

Either way, you’ll reach an audience of hundreds of highly targeted B2B corporate marketers and consultants, PR professionals, CEOs, and other industry experts.

For more information and rates, see my Blog Sponsorship page.

What's New with DH Communications?

It's been a busy summer with lots of new and ongoing marketing projects for clients such as:

Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties -- Complete Website overhaul (read the case study)

Thermo Scientific -- Marketing collateral copywriting

NetLine Corporation -- Lead generation email campaign

Litigation Solutions, LLC -- Marketing Opportunity Audit and case study

Veterans Development -- Complete Website overhaul

Nashaquisset - Nantucket Rental Homes -- SEO / local search

Brooks Brokerage -- Ongoing marketing, PR, and social media

New Rise Investments, LLC -- Ongoing marketing and social media

Inca Gold Products -- Ongoing marketing consulting

Helaine Smith, DMD -- Complete Website overhaul

To see how I can help you drive leads and sales through B2B marketing strategies that work, give me a call at 603-382-8093 or send email to info@dhcommunications.com.

Contact DH Communications

Telephone: 603-382-8093
Email: info@dhcommunications.com

Keep up with the latest B2B marketing news at Dianna Huff's B2B MarCom Writer Blog.

“Our customers already know who we are.”

This is a line I’ve heard since starting my business 12 years ago this month. The reasons for the statement vary with the company and the product / service offered:

• “Our known universe of customers is small. They all know us and we know them.”
• “We’re a big company with a big name.”
• “We’ve been doing this for decades.”
• “No one else does what we do.”

But what “Our customers already know who are we are” really means is this: “We don’t want to go to the effort and cost of changing our marketing approach.”

This is why you see B2B Websites filled with hyperbolic fluff that says nothing and little in the way of high-value content that educates people (leads and prospects) on how the company can solve their business challenges.

It’s why B2B companies (large and small) continue to rely on marketing tactics from decades ago . . . the “old boys’ network,” the expensive print ads, the fruitless telemarketing calls.

Yes, yes, I know. These tactics still work somewhat. But what would happen if a B2B company approached its marketing this way:

“Lots and lots of men and women out there need our services / products but they don’t know who we are. How do we get the word out?”

• All of a sudden, marketing becomes an imperative, not a cost center that can be cut at whim.
• The Internet now becomes a tool for reaching many, not something to be feared.
• Marketing analytics and marketing automation become must-have tools that give knowledge and insight versus keeping a company in the dark.

Over time, the company increases sales and as sales increase, it hires someone fulltime to develop marketing campaigns and write content and use social media tools more effectively . . . which gets the word out even more . . . which increases sales.

Rinse, repeat.

In the old days, markets were relatively local. A business owner or marketer would might do business with people he or she knew outside of work. You found customers and vendors through your local Yellow Pages, Chamber of Commerce, or maybe even your Rotary meeting.

Now markets are “global.” Your competitor is no longer in the next town or state. Your competitors live and work all over the globe — and trust me, they aren’t resting on “Our customers already know who we are.”

No. They’re making sure your customers and prospects know who they are by pitching them. Every. Single. Day.

Thanks to the Internet, I can find and do business with a company in New Zealand just as easily as I can a company that’s a few towns over from me.

In fact, it might be easier to find the company in New Zealand.

Which is why B2B marketers and business owners really need to stop saying, “Our customers already know who we are.” Yes, yes they do because they’re doing business with you. Duh.

But what about all those people who don’t do business with you? Do they know who you are? No, they don’t. But they do know your competitors.

I have never forgotten the last paper I wrote in order to finish my Masters in English.

I wrote about Austen’s work, Emma. After being five years in the program, I had “good” writing and grammar down pat.

In fact, I strove to hand in error-free papers. I’d type and proof, retype and proof again. It took me days to write a simple five page, double-spaced paper.

I remember my Emma paper because the professor found a mistake.

When referring to Emma and Mr. Knightly, I used an apostrophe “s” after Mr. Knightley’s name only to denote they owned something in common.

The professor wrote, “A glaring error in an otherwise perfect paper.”

I can still feel the rage that welled up in my stomach when I read that comment.

I was so angry, I looked up the grammar rule and sent my paper back with a note to show that I was right.

The professor wrote back, “I stand corrected.”

A bad experience in an otherwise wonderful time in the Masters program.

In his book, Linchpin, Seth Godin writes:

Read someone’s resume, and discover twenty years of extraordinary exploits and one typo.

Which are you going to mention first? We are hired for perfect, we measure for perfect, and we reward for perfect.

So why are we surprised that people spend their precious minutes of self-directed, focused work time trying to achieve perfect?

I am not perfect.

Especially when it comes to writing typo-free content. When you get something written from me, it might have a typo in it. Or two. Maybe even three.

This is not to say I don’t care about my work. I do care. Deeply.

Like most writers, I proofread my work. I print out reams of paper, edit and proof, edit and proof. (I print out so much paper, I’m on a first name basis with A1 Datashred.)

For years I struggled to produce copy that did not have one typo. I firmly believed these truths:

• Typos show a lack of attention to detail.
• Typos reflect poorly on you and your work.

But given the nature of my work, I find it incredibly difficult to produce typo-free copy. I write all day long. I type a million miles a minute. My eyes glaze over from staring at the computer screen.

Given that 99% percent of what I write is digital content, it’s pretty easy to fix mistakes.

But here’s the big idea (you knew I’d get there at some point): I’m not writing so much as I’m creating content that will help my customers grow their businesses.

I’ve been working on my DH Communications Facebook page and found myself writing this little description about myself:

“Dianna Huff is an all around B2B marketing expert who has been in the trenches since . . . forever. My passion is helping my clients grow their businesses through marketing. I ‘woot’ when this happens. Woot!”

I love, love, love when a client emails to say, “Dianna! Someone found my Website via search and I just got a huge order that will keep me busy for the next two months.” Woot!

These are the clients that “get” that I’m on their team. Not just rooting for them. Trying to hit singles, doubles, and triples and maybe if I’m lucky, a home run.

So a typo or two just isn’t that big of a deal.

“Here’s the problem [when we measure for perfect],” writes Godin. “Art is never defect-free.”

What it means — which is the thesis of Godin’s book — is that measuring for perfect won’t get you anywhere. If you’re a business and you want to grow, you need to start looking for the “remarkable.”

Are you a business owner or marketer who relies on local or regional business? If so, you may be frustrated that business has fallen off and that traditional marketing efforts no longer seem to work.

Added to that, your business is buried in the Google, Yahoo, and Bing search results — meaning few people are visiting your Website.

You may not know, however, that you can propel your business to the top of the search results . . . through Local Search. With the right tactics, your business can be listed — sometimes ahead of your competitors — in the coveted Google Maps listings.

I’ve been doing local search for a couple of years now — first for myself and then as a “value add” for my clients who needed it. I now make my expertise available to small and growing businesses.

With my new Local Search Pack, you get the following:

1. Complete listings in all three search engine Business Centers that adheres to your branding.

2. Submission to the major directories that Google, Yahoo and Bing use to pull in their local search results.

3. Recommendations for getting online reviews as well as tactics to help improve your local search results over time.

This is a great “baby” step for those of you whose head is swimming from trying to figure out SEO, social media marketing and everything else.

To learn more:

Web: www.dhcommunications.com/local-search-services
Phone: 603-382-8093
Email: info@dhcommunications.com

(Want to see your product or service in this space? See my Blog Sponsorship page for more details.)

Social media gurus tell you to have a strategy. “Not having a strategy” was the #1 marketing mistake people listed on the survey Mac McIntosh and I did (the upcoming e-book will list the other nine).

I’ve parroted this advice from the gurus. “You must have a strategy before you begin social media,” I say at my talks.

But here’s the deal. I’ve been wrong. Yep. Dead wrong.

Strategy, when it comes to social media, is overrated. Strategy makes it sound like the water is deep. Jump into the lake from the diving platform and you’ll need to figure out how to reach the shore. You need to know how to swim.

The social media lake is pretty shallow. Step in and you’ll get your ankles wet. Maybe. The water might only reach your pedicured toes.

In shallow water you can easily walk to the shore using what you already know – how to put one foot in front of the other.

Social media isn’t anything radical. It’s simply this: talking to other people. Some of them you know already. Some of them you don’t. That’s what makes it fun. It’s like being at a really cool cocktail party without the bother of dressing up and driving.

Social media strategy keeps you from being authentic. “We’ll cover all things relating to [insert topic here],” you think.

Strategy is important. It’s the first step in developing a new Website or a direct mail campaign or something of that nature. I’ve seen lots of marketing failures due to lack of a well-thought out strategy.

But sticking to a social media strategy is stifling. What if you have a terrific insight about something that has nothing to do with [insert your topic here]? Do you post it – or ignore it?

Ignore it and you lose authenticity.

You hear a lot about being “authentic.” Posting your location at some restaurant none of us have heard of isn’t authentic. Posting what you’re eating for dinner or that you have a headache isn’t really authentic either.

What is authenticity? It’s posting who you really are. It’s all the parts that make up who you are: your family, your interests, your pets, your likes, your dislikes.

Most of all it’s your unique insights.

Only you have your own perspective on what’s going on around you. Sure, you can read someone’s blog post and Tweet your “unique” take on it or post your Foursquare location – along with dozens of other people.

I won’t remember where you ate dinner or which blog post you read – last night, last week, last year.

Or, you can pull into your work parking lot and take a minute to enjoy the fact that a wild turkey is standing on one leg in your parking space — and tell your followers about it.

Personally, I’d rather hear about the turkey. I’ll remember the turkey and that you stopped to enjoy a gift from the universe because let’s face it – how often do you run into a wild turkey standing on one leg in your corporate parking lot?

It happened to me once. I’ve never forgotten it and always look for him now when I pull in. He hasn’t graced the parking lot since.

Being “social” on social media doesn’t require too much “strategy” or knowledge. You already know what to do.

Be nice to people.

Answer their questions.

Respond to what they have to say.

Post your own take on what is going on around you.

We’re all stuck in front of our computers pecking away all day – peck, peck, peck. It’s refreshing when one of us breaks loose.

People recognize authenticity and like moths, want to hover near the source. Maybe you won’t have 20,000 Twitter followers or be known as a “guru.”

But you’ll be true to yourself and your followers. And as Shakespeare said, you then can’t be false to anyone.

Over the weekend, my automatic garage door sprung a spring — meaning I had to pull the red emergency cord to get it to close.

Because I’m a handy-with-tools kind of woman, I could see how to fix it, but given that the pulley / cable combination had broken too, figured it better to call in the pros. (Plus, my garage door, which is solid wood, is *heavy.* As buff as I am, I couldn’t lift it to the open position.)

Going online, I searched for “garage door repair Plaistow” and was presented with the Google map pack.

Read the one review for Cass Shumsky Overhead Garage Door Corporation. The customer was very happy with her garage door repair. Bingo. Called the company on Sunday afternoon and received a call back from Cass Shumsky himself Monday morning.

I told Mr. Shumsky I had found his site through Google and he said, “They say now the yellow pages no longer work, so I’ve been working hard to make sure I show up in Google.”

Even better, to get people to leave a comment on his Website, he entices them with a $5 gas card — an enticement I read about on his Twitter feed. How cool is that? (I left my own comment.)

The entire experience of dealing with Mr. Shumsky was wonderful. Eric, his repair person, showed up at my house at 12:15 and because I had a call scheduled for 1:00, he had my door working again by 12:50. I was very impressed.

Small companies like Shumsky’s call me regularly because business has dropped off and they’re scrambling. I explain about why they need to be online, but I get resistance.

Here’s why being online — with just a simple Website that’s not even optimized — worked for Mr. Shumsky:

1. Because he has a Website and has claimed his Google Places listing, his business appears in the Google map pack.

2. He encourages people to leave testimonials, ensuring future business.

3. Simple site shows what he does — fix and install garage doors.

4. Phone number is on every single page making it easy to call.

But there’s more to it than that. Mr. Shumsky succeeded with me because he treated me with courtesy and respect (I can’t tell you how many male tradespeople have treated me like I’m an idiot), he had his repairman out when he said he would, and the repair was done quickly and cost-effectively.

Yes, the Internet has changed all the rules with regard to marketing. But some of the rules haven’t changed — as seen in my experience with Mr. Shumsky. As he said to me on the phone, “My name is on my business. That means I stand behind my word.”

Thank you, Mr. Shumsky, for reinforcing this “traditional” way of doing business, and thank you for fixing my garage door. It works better than it did before it broke. And, you’ll definitely get my order when I’m ready to order a new garage door.

July, 2010
Published by Dianna Huff
Volume 10, Number 7

Welcome!

Due to vacation and a flurry of new projects, this newsletter is a few weeks late.

My son and I traveled to California for an eight day "tech tour": We toured Google and visited the Apple campus and the Intel museum, all of which were a blast. We also met a few founders from local Silicon Valley start-ups as well as tech interns. My son, who is a geek and an Apple fan boy, was in heaven!

For this month's issue, I interviewed Facebook expert Patti Fousek, Principal of Creative Mind Search Marketing, for her advice on how to use Facebook for B2B.

To join the conversation, leave your comments below or visit my DH Communications Facebook Page.

Regards,

Dianna Huff

How to Use Facebook for B2B

For a very long time I had a hate - hate relationship with Facebook.

In my limited use of it, I felt very uncomfortable posting personal information to people I didn't know as well as mixing business and personal relationships.

Nor could I see any real application for B2B -- although I do see that Facebook is the perfect medium for B2C.

So I stayed away from it -- that is until I heard Patti Fousek, Principal of Creative Search Marketing, speak at the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce (where I also spoke on SEO for small businesses).

Patti gave lots of great tips on how to use Facebook and suddenly, I could see how I could use the platform without having to friend dozens of people I didn't know.

Respect your comfort level

Here's how I make it work for me: I'm only friends on Facebook with people that I have actual conversations with in real life, whether face-to-face or by phone/email/IM. And, I'm only friends with people that I don't do business with.

That narrowed down the Friend list considerably -- and made me feel much more comfortable.

I also set my privacy settings to the equivalent of a chastity belt.

I then developed a DH Communications Page (aka Fan Page) where I can connect with people from a business perspective.

Facebook Pages and business

According to Patti, this is how businesses should be using Facebook as it's against Facebook's terms of service (TOS) to use your personal profile to conduct business. (I could not find this exact wording in the TOS but Facebook does say you can't use your personal profile for commercial gain.)

When I asked Patti if Facebook is applicable to B2B, she said it is but "it's a little trickier. B2C and really big brands do well on Facebook," she says, "because the audience is much more receptive. They're not really thinking, 'business application.'

"It takes longer for a B2B company to build a following, but once you have one, that's when you'll begin seeing real benefit."

Content strategy is key

Businesses fall flat when it comes to Facebook because they don't have a content strategy -- or any kind of strategy. "They open an account," says Patti, "and then don't know what to do with it."

To gain followers, you must first determine what you'll share and then as people begin to "Like" your page and leave comments, you'll then need to build relationships with your Fans.

Incorporate your blog posts

So what should you share? Patti suggests that you begin with your company's blog posts (if you have one).

This step is a little tricky if you're managing your own Profile plus a Business Page.

To import your blog, go to your Page and click the "Edit Page" link in the left corner. At the new page, scroll down and click "Edit" under the "Notes" application, and then click the "Import Blog" link in the shaded box on the right. Follow the directions from there.

Your blog content will then be automatically posted to your Page's Wall.

One thing to note: Pages cannot "Like" Pages or post comments on Page Walls. You can do this only through your Profile. So if you're trying to keep a strict separation between business and personal, this might cause you to hesitate. (This is why Facebook is tricky for some people as it does definitely blur the lines between business and personal.)

Post "expanded" tweets

If your goal is to drive traffic back to your Website, Patti recommends that you periodically give little blasts of information, such as promotions or answering people's questions or concerns.

"Think of these posts as expanded tweets," says Patti. (I've been doing this with Google Buzz and have found it much more satisfying than limiting myself to Twitter's 140 characters.)

Whatever you do, says Patti, don't use your Page to push hard-hitting sales content or press releases. You want to engage with people -- i.e. have real conversation.

In addition to sticking to a content strategy, you'll also want to establish a goal or two for your Page. Patti advises that you not use your Page to address all marketing objectives. She uses her Page, for example, to drive attendance to her workshops.

Keep up with Facebook changes -- and use it!

And lastly, Patti advises that you keep up with Facebook and its constant privacy changes. If you find the privacy settings overwhelming (which is very easy to do), she recommends that you hire a consultant who can explain and set the privacy settings so that your personal information isn't seen by strangers.

"Companies are afraid of Facebook, which is why they don't use it," says Patti. "The platform definitely has a learning curve. My advice is to continually use it. I'd also spend time researching how other companies use Pages to engage with followers and customers.

"Give it a shot for three to six months and if you still don't like it or it's not working for your audience, delete your Page," she says.

Patti, thank you for your time and your excellent advice!

Do you have a B2B Page you'd like to share? Post it to the DH Communications Page. So far I have Patti's page, ExactTarget, and Silverpop listed.

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“In my search for Internet marketing professionals, I found many that had niche specialties, but NONE had expertise in all the programs my business needed the way Dianna did. Not only did she make my job easy, but all of my programs were consistent with our master strategy and delivered the same message.

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Brooks Brokerage

Contact DH Communications

Telephone: 603-382-8093
Email: info@dhcommunications.com

Keep up with the latest B2B marketing news at Dianna Huff's B2B MarCom Writer Blog.