Most companies assume that using Social Networking sites doesn't apply that well to the promotion of B2B (business to business) web sites. While it is true that they have a less obvious application when compared to B2C sites, there is much to be gained from the following basic suggestions.
Step 1. Make ODA someones job. Our Online Digital Asset Optimisation Framework (ODAOF) states that best practise is to establish a small team (possibly part-time) who monitor and manage the projection of the organisation into the digital space. But we're still working on the ODAOF so for now just make it someones job to be in charge of co-ordinating the exploitation of Online Digital Assets (ODAs).
Step 2. Create a simple ODA Register - in other words - a list of places that the organisation has a digital presence in. E.g.
- The organisations main web site
- The Marketing Directors blog
- Organisation Twitter account
- CEO's Facebook page
And make a note of who controls it, how often it is updated, what particular audience it is aimed at, what messages it carries, etc.
Step 3. Engage your ODA Activists. Find out who is active in Social Networks and Bookmarking sites. Who uses Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Bebo, Digg, Delicious, etc.etc. And who is prepared to put some effort in to helping promote the organisation in these places (not everyone wants to plus the organisation via their Facebook page alongside images of them asleep on a bar in Soho!)
Step 4. Engage your technical team. Talk to your technical staff and partners. Find out what is possible with your existing technology - particularly in the area of feeds.
Step 5. What are your Digital Assets? What do you have in digital form that is of any value, merit or interest to on of your potential audiences? They may be online already, but more realistically are buried away on a server somewhere. e.g. Presentations, Video, Images, Papers, Surveys, Articles, Announcements, Product Information, Job vacancies, Events, Press releases, etc, etc. These should all be evaluated and considered for controlled distribution.
Step 6. List the ODA possibilities. This is just a tiny example of what you could do;
- Twitter - have a Organisation-wide Twitter profile that manually (updated by an ODA Activist) or automatically (takes a feed from the web site) lists all new products, services, news items, jobs and/or whatever. Have more than one. Publicise the Twitter profile(s) on your About Us section of your web site. And everywhere else you have a relevant ODA. Here is Jake Holloways Cockney SEO feed on Twitter
- Facebook -create an Organisation profile and add your Web site feed(s) or Twitter feeds to it. Encourage internal and external friendly Facebook users to share it or become friends. Use the events function to publicise important events and cross-link to any events listings on the web site. You can also create profile 'badges' (views of specific content from your profile) and embed them in your web site. Or you can simply create a Facebook page. See Chilli Digital's page on Facebook. Do the same with MySpace and other social networks.
- Ning - start your own social network using Ning - with the objective of connecting together your business customers, thought-leaders, staff or affiliates or any other group or sub-group with some shared interests. You can have links back to your other ODAs through-out the social network.
- LinkedIn - encourage any staff using this to link to your web site. Use LinkedIn for posting vacancies. Create a Company profile - like this one for Chilli Digital - Again, link from your web site to your LinkedIn pages. Maybe instead of having an about us for individual staff, link to their LinkedIn profiles? See Jake Holloways profile on LinkedIn
- Bookmarking - use the Addthis service or any other social bookmarking script provider (or write your own) to make it easy for any web site visitor to bookmark your content on News sites and Bookmark sites. These can create a large number of links and visits very quickly - IF you have some content of interest to a wider community of web users that is!
- Video and Image sites. For example YouTube and Flickr. These are not social networks but are other types of ODA. However, it is very good practise to use them to store and distribute video and image content widely. For example, 'how to' and 'top tip' videos. Product images. Media images. News release clips, etc.
- Blogs. Provided they are updated regularly and stay on topic, one of the most powerful ODAs are blogs. Blogs can be hosted on your web site, or be hosted on 'off-platform' blogs on places like Blogger. They can be driven by feeds from other ODAs and vice-versa. They can be fed to other blogs and feedburners to reach wider aidiences. Blogs that work well in B2B are about your business domain and expertise. For example, your Chief Strategist could blog about their view of the next few years in the market place you operate in.
Step 7. Get on with it. Just make sure you have the correct Analytics and measurement in place so that you can see what works.
Step 8. Talk to an Expert! If you would like to discuss Social Networking, Online Digital Asset optimisation or B2B Online Marketing further, please contact us for a no-obligation conversation!
Article by Jake Holloway
