Youtube tells you what part of your video people like
I haven't used Youtube very much, but I suspect I will use video more and more in the future as it will become increasingly popular in B2B marketing.
My use to date has been to post little video's of my kids. I had a bit of fun and dubbed "Dance little lady, dance" by Tina Charles over a video of my (then) 3 yo dancing. It's had about 3,000 views (because of the title, I presume).
I had a look at it again last night, and I noticed some options to the right of the screen for "video owners" one of which was "insights". I clicked and got to a dashboard of analysis tools:
The next thing I clicked on what the "hotspots" button, which allowed me to see which part of my video people found more interesting than others:
Imagine how this can help you improve your communication over time? It tells you what people like with their actions, without having to provide any feedback. It allows you to continually improve your video, based on what people like and don't like. I must be dreaming. Awesome.
Social media in B2B – who is reviewing your product?
If there is one thing unique about B2B purchasing, it is the time and resources people devote to evaluating a potential purchase.
Now imagine you are launching a new product. A good launch is one of those rare moments when you can get the media's attention and a good launch will probably play a significant role in your products' success. So you target the right media, you write compelling stories hoping they get picked up by those hard to reach technology writers. If you represent a big brand, you're company may even advertise in the media you are hoping to get favourable reviews from them...
But of course they are not "the media" anymore. There are an increasing number of "other" media outlets. The people that create this "other" media tend to write out of passion or to demonstrate their thought leadership and generally share a couple of important characteristics:
- They don't get paid by a media company that relies on advertising
- They are often very passionate
- They are often not generalist "technology" writers but people with a very narrow interest/specialization
They are free to write what they like, they are likely to know what they are talking about, and they probably have a narrow group of readers who are equally focused and who are looking for unbiased, knowledgeable critique.
A real world example
Here is an example of such a product review by Stephen Few, from Perceptual Edge, a consultancy assisting companies "design simple information displays for effective analysis and communication."
The blog post is called " Xcelsius Present – Fast Track to Nowhere"; a 1,700 word review of the latest version of Excelsius from Business Objects. Now, I have no idea if he is right or wrong, but this is a little piece of the conclusion:
"Business Objects is a leading business intelligence vendor (based on sales), but its products consistently demonstrate that they don't understand analytics and haven't a clue about data visualization. A vendor that claims to be the best, which Business Objects unabashedly claims (just like every other major BI vendor), should be ashamed of selling such moronic products."
Ouch. Not exactly what you're hoping for. But the difference with traditional media is that it doesn't stop there. The conversation is about to start.
44 comments and a great discussion
There are 44 comments posted, and it is a lively discussion including an exchange with what appears to be a representative from Business Objects (although not identified as such). Either way, good on them for participating, as it provides potential buyers of the product not just one take on the product, but many.
Now Google "excelsius review, business objects".
So just before you start to believe that social media is just about Twitter, (and I don't blame you) it is the fragmentation of media and the increasing number of very narrow, niche blogs, wiki's etc that increasingly will come to the top of the search results when potential customers do their product evaluation. Search "excelsius review, business objects" and the review by Stephen Few is on the first search page, just under ZDNet. If I was in the market to buy, I'd probably read it. Rightly or wrongly.
So what can you do?
Without pretending to write a strategy, here are a few simple things you could do.
- Know who the people are outside the "traditional media" that publish on your subject.
- Engage with them. Maybe give them an opportunity to preview your product and ask questions. It won't mean you'll get a positive review, but you might just be able to ensure there is no misunderstanding about your product (which there seems to in this particular example)
- Participate in the discussion, using not only the comment section of their blog, but also your own. (What do you mean, you're company doesn't have a blog?)
What else would you do?
Accident or marketing strategy?
Google's Chrome browser needs more polish - BizTech - Technology - theage.com.au
"The browser was released this week after Google accidentally sent a comic book explaining Chrome's features to a blogger a day early."
Really? accidentally? Some online marketing strategist would see "leaking" a release to a blogger as the most effective way to ensure that the rest of the blogosphere would jump on board. Instantly reaching a hard core of "amplifiers" who like nothing more than a scoop. I'm a little surprised that this journalist didn't consider this scenario to be honest.
By the way, how smart is it to use a comic to explain utterly boring and dry stuff like Multi Process Architecture? How is that for an alternative to a press release and a brochure?
Top 50 Australian Marketing Pioneer blogs
Ok, I admit it. I was flattered when Julian Cole listed my blog as one of the Top 50 Australian Marketing Pioneers blogs. A lot of entries I don't recognise, but Servant of Chaos, Brand DNA and Better Communication Results have been setting the standard for some time.
So why does it matter, beyond making me feel good?
It's great to see someone make the effort and look around in his own backyard. We're probably all passionate about the opportunities today's web offers to share ideas and collaborate.
I'd like to see more Australian organisations get involved and take advantage of the fantastic opportunities today's web offers.
To spread the word, we need to connect in the "real" world as much as online
The thing is that to spread the word to the people who are not participating, we often need to go"offline", because that's where the audience is. They're conversations over a coffee, or a presentation, or articles in the print media or other traditional media.
that top 50 list of people are probably all doing exactly that. And that's why local is important. We need to be on the ground, face to face or in the local media as much as online. So that's the other reason I'm excited about this list. Thanks Julian.
See the full list here and check out some great blogs.
How web 2.0/social media is offering opportunities to B2B marketers
I subscribe to few newsletters these days, instead preferring RSS feeds, but the "Modern B2B Marketing" newsletter from Marketo is one that I like. Probably due to the easy lay out and great content. So the e-newsletter is not dead yet.
The discussion about social media/web 2.0 (I wish there was better terminology for this) tends to centre around consumer marketing, so this headline about B2B marketing got my attention.
It features Laura Ramos, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research (interviewed by Jon Miller from Marketo) who provides an interesting insight into how changes in the media environment (i.e. the fragmentation of media and the fact that we are all getting overloaded with communications) is starting to make B2B marketers look at other avenues beyond the traditional outbound marketing activities.
Engaging customers and prospects who are activly looking around for solutions to their problems with information and interaction that is relevant and valuable, seems to be a no-brainer. But how many organisations invest in this "pull" activity? With web 2.0/social media still in its infancy (especially in B2B marketing) there is a real opportunity to differentiate for those who take the lead.
Laura also offers specific examples of B2B marketers successfully using Web 2.0 tactics like rich media, blogging, RSS, and social networks. I'm not a great podcast consumer (because I'm impatient and want to scan for the good bits), but this was time well invested. Have a listen to this short, (10 minute?) podcast.
Using Digital, Web 2.0 Tactics to Boost B2B Marketing Results (Podcast)
Time to sound out your advisors – online or on leave?
Overall, marketing and PR agencies and professionals haven't come to grips with the online world. Media and communications people believe that "online" and "digital" is about technology rather than media and simply haven't got their nut around it. Why is this important? Because it takes time to learn. Marketing professionals who wait until their clients demand it from them before they do are in trouble.
There are digital specialists of course. But try and find a PR agency that demonstrates an understanding of current online media. Try and find leading advertising agencies that demonstrate an understanding of online media not through words, but through their own presence and behaviour online.
Speak to them about online and they are likely to refer you to their "web guy" who "is really smart"" and gets all this "technical stuff" or "their specialist partner". Just don't ask me. Ask about social media and web 2.0 and it gets worse.
Greg Verdino is is not shocked to read the result of a survey by "TNS Media Intelligence/Cymfony that "agencies don't get it". Nor am I. (After all, even newspapers put anything to do with online media under their technology section, here in The Age and here in the "Tech&Web" section of The Times).
Why is this so? Everything they ever need to know is a mouse click away. All I can think of is that it is either laziness or arrogance.
If they had a poke around and took an interest, they would found that understanding and participating in online media is not about technology. It hasn't been for quite a while. They would see that it is all about media and communications. Which, after all, is their world.
Joseph Jaffe thinks it is almost too easy to lay into agencies, but they are the external marketing advisors to most companies so I think it is warranted. Over to Joseph with a few tips to marketing professional regarding social media:
To help you in your quest, here are 3 pieces of advice:
- Stop being so damn arrogant and deluded to think you can do this yourselves. You can't. This is all about humility.
- Stop trying to automate the whole process and solving your problems by a quick technology acquisition fix. You're drowning in your own data and laziness. This is labor intensive.
- Stop trying to scale the whole process and replicate your old bad habits. This is about planting seeds and sticking around long enough to reap the rewards of care, consideration and hard work.
Clients deserve better. If you are a client, you deserve better. The people I am ranting at here are unlikely to read this of course, because it's a blog. But if you are a client, expect more. There is no excuse for PR or marketing people not to have a solid grip on digital media. And I mean everyone, not a dedicated "Geek". It is no longer something for tomorrow or for other people. Media and communications people should be leading the way.
(image source as far as I can track it: http://www.oneletterwords.com/weblog/)
If you’re not Australian, you won’t care…
But if you are, you might.
What the hell is happening to the quality of this newspaper? The Age is supposedly one of the top three quality broadsheets in Australia.
Have a look at this front page and weep. Keep going down this track, and people who like a different diet of news will happily source it from places all over the world. Not necessarily newspapers either.
Have you killed anyone lately?
- If you ever have to create presentations, you need to see this.
- If you ever wondered how to fuel word of mouth, take a leaf out of Alexei Kapterev's book
Guest post by David Meerman Scott – The New Rules of B2B Marketing
This is a guest post from David Meerman Scott, thought leadership and viral marketing strategist and the author of "The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to use news releases, blogs, podcasts, viral marketing and online media to reach your buyers directly".
For decades, B2B marketing and PR has focused on only two ways to get noticed, buy your way in with advertising or beg your way in with PR. B2B marketing and PR people have operated under the assumption that you either had to pay big bucks for ads, tradeshows, and direct mail, or rely on magazines, newspapers, radio, and TV to tell your story. That approach might have worked fine when the only way that people found answers to problems was to search tradeshows, Read industry journals, rely on “experts” (analysts) advice and opinions, and interact with company salespeople.
But now buyers are finding answers to their problems online. They search Google, read online portals and news sites, listen to bloggers’ advice and opinions, pay attention to word-of-mouse from peers and friends, and visit company websites
So what’s a marketer to do? The answer is to think like a publisher and create compelling online content in the form of YouTube videos, online news releases, blogs, podcasts, and online media to reach your buyers directly. Each of these things also has an opportunity to go viral, with others telling your story.
Being successful means, as Yoda said in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back: “You must unlearn what you have learned.”
Old rule: Buy your way in with advertising
As marketing people, we’ve all learned rules that worked in the offline world. But to succeed on the Web using the new rules, old habits must be unlearned.
“Stop shouting BUY MY PRODUCT” (people turn off overt advertising, especially online). You need to unlearn the marketing habit of constantly pitching your product. Instead create content to help people answer their problems.
Old rule: Beg your way in with PR
- Your buyers are not nameless faceless metrics. They are people like you and me who want to consume valuable content.
- You must unlearn the idea that media and analysts are the only ones who can tell your story. Instead, the web has made PR public again.
New Rule: Publish your way in with great content that your buyers want to consume.
- You must unlearn interrupting people with “messages.” Instead, publish online content they want to consume
- You must unlearn the use of gobbledygook about your products and services. Instead start from the problems and needs of your buyer personas.
- You must unlearn spin. Instead, understand that people crave authenticity and transparency.
- You must unlearn being egotistical and trying to force people to adapt to your terms. Instead create online content people want to consume
- You must unlearn the assumption that you must buy access. Instead, create something that goes viral and let millions of people tell your story for you.
- You must unlearn the idea that the “clip book” is the only way to measure your communications efforts. Instead, consider how you can reach people directly.
- You must unlearn the idea that “leads” are the only way to measure your marketing efforts. Instead, consider how you are engaging your buyers and building a position as a trusted resource.
In case you forgot what marketing is all about
David Armano from Logic+Emotion gives us something to chew on. I love that man's thinking.
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