SmartBlogs on Social Media

This essay is by Jeremy Victor, president of Make Good Media and editor-in-chief of B2Bbloggers.

When asked to describe the state of business-to-business social media marketing, I see two camps. There are the “haves”: companies that have committed to developing a strategy, implementing it, adapting upon seeing results and reaping rewards. And then there are the “have-nots”: companies that continue to wrestle with the return-on-investment question, reading case studies and risking missing possibly the biggest marketing opportunity in years.

The good news for “have-nots” is that business-to-business companies still have time to get started, and much can be learned from “haves.” If you fall into the “have-not” camp, here are four common characteristics of “haves.”

1. Social media are integrated into their overall marketing plan, with specific goals that are tracked and measured.
2. Good listening is in their nature. When their brand is mentioned on the social Web, they adopt tools to enable them to hear it. Social media monitoring is a vital component of their strategy.
3. They have a consistent message and are capable storytellers. Their content addresses customers’ pain points, and they readily interact and participate with customers on the social Web.
4. They’re prepared for the worst of the social Web. Whether it is a major crisis or a single customer complaining, operational plans and company policies exist to guide employees and set customer expectations.

With these characteristics in mind, start your transformation, as “have-nots” will soon find it harder to attract customers.