Multichannel Marketing for B2B Marketers

The question is on every marketer’s mind: How do you measure the return on social media?

The question is answered, in part, in a report by Forrester research analyst Augie Ray.

“Some marketers try to use proxies to assign financial value to nonfinancial metrics such as likes, followers, retweets, blog comments, and positive reviews,” Ray writes. “But this type of proxy carries risks that include: Failing to measure true business value, getting in the way of achieving objectives, arriving at an incorrect value for social efforts and failing to attribute results to those channels and investments that deliver the results.” continue reading…

Here’s a tip if you’re looking for a new use for social media.

How about customer service? You’d be entering a very elite group, according to a new study published by MarketingProfs for Digital Brand Expressions.

Of 100 companies surveyed, only 26% use social media for this purpose. Yet 91% use it for marketing, and 71% for public relations. And 55% deploy the social networks for sales.

You might even use it for human resources, an activity now pursued through social media by a measly 16%. continue reading…

Social networks are among the most measureable of all channels. But over a third of all B2B users are not measuring their impact, according to a survey from White Horse.

What’s more, only 11% are tracking direct ROI. B2B marketers “usually participate in complex, consultative sales rather than direct sales,” White Horse explains. Thus, there’s “less concern about proving direct ROI.” continue reading…

Call it what you want: Branded content, custom content or simply content. It’s no longer a tiny line item in the budget.

The Custom Content Council reported recently that U.S. firms spent $47.2 billion on content in 2009. On average, companies are allocating 32% of their marketing budgets on it, an all-time high.

The most popular content formats are print, Web site updates of articles, blog posts and e-newsletters. The least common are mobile and interactive PDFs. But mobile is getting hotter—it’s the “medium that most marketers believe they are likely to add or invest in next year,” the Council reports.

At the same time, the number of custom print titles declined, but page counts and circulation increased. continue reading…

Who said B2B marketers are behind in social media? They’re more likely to tweet and blog than their B2C counterparts, and they’ve been at it longer, a new study shows.

Out of 1898 marketers surveyed by Social Media Examiner (www.socialmediaexaminer.com),
91% are using social media. but 65% have barely started. B2B specialists have seniority—79.5% have been active for months, compared with 68.7% of the consumer segment.

B2B marketers are also out front when it comes to:

Twitter – 91% use it, compared with 84% in B2C

LinkedIn – 89% use it, vs. 64% in B2C

Blogs – 73% are active, an 8% advantage over B2C.

Don’t consumer marketers lead anywhere? Yes, on Facebook, where 92% are active, compared with 83% for B2B. And they have a slight edge with video. But the two sectors are tied on YouTube.

Wait, those on the B2C side are also more interested in mobile. But few marketers of any stripe are using Ning Sites or MySpace. (As one wag has said, “MySpace is so 2007.”)

What are the social networks good for in general? Here are some answers:

• Generated exposure for my business—85%
• Increased my traffic/subscribers/opt-in list—63%
• Resulted in new business partnerships—56%
• Helped us rise in search rankings—54%
• Generated qualified leads—52%
• Helped me sell products & Services/close business—48%
• Reduced my overall marketing expenses—48%

As for workflow, over half the respondents devote at least six hours a week to social media. But that depends on age and other factors. People over 60 spend less time on the networks. Beginners expend roughly a hour a week, but marketers with a few months under their belts are on for an average of ten hours.

You can guess the obstacles to full engagement by the questions people wasn’t answered:

1. How do I measure ROI?
2. What are the best practices?
3. How do I best manage my time?
4. How do I reach my targets?
5. How to I generate traffic and leads?

Of the marketers surveyed, 47% work in B2B and 43% in B2C.