Social Marketing to the Business Customer: Listen to Your B2B Market, Generate Major Account Leads, and Build Client Relationships [Hardcover]

Paul Gillin (Author), Eric Schwartzman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 2011

The first book devoted entirely to B2B social marketing

B2B markets are fundamentally different from consumer markets. Decisions are made on value, not impulse. Buying cycles are complex, often with many stakeholders involved. Relationships and support are critical. Bet-the-business decisions demand discipline, knowledge, and lots of information.

This hands-on guide covers topics unique to this segment, including cost justification, prospecting and lead generation, matching tools to the sales funnel, building, B2B search engine optimization, social media monitoring, social media policy development, long-term client relationships, gaining stakeholder support, building a more transparent organization, and what's coming next.

• Features plentiful examples, case studies, and best practices
• Focuses on the channels that are most effective for B2B marketers
• Builds on the authors' more than 30 years of combined experience in the new media/social media space, as well as two previous successful books

Leverage the vast business-to-business potential of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and many other social media platforms today with Social Marketing to the Business Customer!

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Use social marketing to energize your B2B relationships

SPENDING ON B2B SOCIAL MARKETING is expected to grow 21 percent annually through 2013, yet the innovations of successful companies get surprisingly little attention. This book guides the reader step by step through the process of building and executing a social marketing strategy intended specifically to address the unique needs of business customers.

It's no secret that social media tools offer powerful new ways to build and cement customer relationships, but the most prominent success stories in books and the media have been about customer markets. The potential for the same tools to transform B2B marketing has been mostly overlooked.

Until now. Social media visionary Paul Gillin and strategic corporate communications consultant Eric Schwartzman have teamed up to present research, stories, and recommendations targeted exclusively at B2B companies. Social Marketing to the Business Customer presents a compelling case for using social media to revolutionize customer outreach, bringing companies in contact with their customers in unprecedented ways and creating dialogues that drive repeat business and reveal new revenue opportunities.

B2B relationships are inherently social, and Gillin and Schwartzman show how to use the new breed of tools to uncover the human potential in every business and involve customers at every stage of the development, sales, and support process. You'll learn how to:

• Create an organization that integrates online conversations seamlessly and comfortably into its culture
• Develop an engagement strategy that reaches all the stakeholders in a decision
• Plan marketing campaigns that take full advantage of social media tools—separately and in combination with each other
• Find the communities that attract your customers and target markets—and become an essential member of them
• Calculate ROI using real-world metrics that business executives understand

From the basics of social media tool selection, to keyword strategies that get your products and messages on the first page of search results, to the widely varied forums that you can use to build and sustain meaningful dialogues, Social Marketing to the Business Customer makes this diverse and often-confusing world accessible and quantifiable. It is the ultimate primer that enables B2B marketers to create a customized, targeted strategy that maximizes outreach while maintaining your message.

From the Back Cover

PRAISE FOR
SOCIAL MARKETING to theBUSINESS CUSTOMER

"This is the book I was too lazy to write. Gillin and Schwartzman have broken the code to how to approach B2B marketing with social media."
—CHRIS BROGAN, President, Human Business Works, and coauthor of Trust Agents

"Gillin and Schwartzman not only dispel the myth that social media is limited to B2C marketing, they demonstrate how business customers are redefining the boundaries for influence, decision-making, and lead generation."
—BRIAN SOLIS, author of Engage! and BrianSolis.com

"While most of the social media hoopla to date has been in the consumer space, social media will have an even larger impact on B2B companies seeking to build deep, long-term relationships with their customers.This book is extremely timely as a guide on how to do just that. If you're in the B2B space and looking to grow your business, this is the book for you."
—LARRY WEBER, Chairman, W2 Group, and founder, Weber Shandwick Worldwide

"In the old days, the B2B marketer's sole job was to generate leads and hand them over to salespeople to nurture and close. No longer. Buyers evaluate your offerings continually on the Web, and if you're not engaging through social networks, your company is at a tremendous disadvantage. Paul and Eric show you how the most successful B2B companies reach buyers via social marketing."
—DAVID MEERMAN SCOTT, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR and Real-Time Marketing & PR

"If your company is still blocking access to social networking sites or considering them as a 'productivity drain,' think twice! For many B2B companies,it is THE new way to engage with customers, communicate with suppliers, and generate leads. A solid social media presence is the only way to open and humanize your business and master crisis communication. This books shows you with very practical examples that there is no good reason not to use social media."
—MATTHIAS LÜFKENS, Social Media Architect, World Economic Forum

"If you want truly expert advice on selling the value of social media to the CFO of a B2B concern, stop everything and READ THIS BOOK."
—MARK STORY, New Media Director, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470639334
• ISBN-13: 978-0470639337
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Management > Social Media for Business
  • #66 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Retailing
  • #89 in Books > Computers & Technology > Web Development & Design > Web 2.0

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Field guide to the Social Business March 31, 2011

By J. D. Lasica

Format:Hardcover

In my consulting work at Socialmedia.biz, I still run into executives and top-tier managers who think of social networking as an employee productivity drain. For anyone who shares a similar point of view, run to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of "Social Marketing to the Business Customer" by Paul Gillin and Eric Schwartzman.

The book is chock full of meaty, real-world examples of how to grow your business using B2B and B2C strategies and tactics. The authors show how companies can use social media to forge deep, productive relationships with customers and lure new customers into the fold.

Channeling Shel Israel in "Twitterville," they cite a Dell senior manager Richard Binhammer's admonition: "Don't waste your time trying to convert atheists. Work on the agnostics in the room -- doubters who might be turned into believers through conversation."

The authors explain how a Midwestern distributor of solar panels could use Twitter's advanced search feature to scout out anyone discussing the term "solar panels" within a 100-mile radius of Chicago.

In devoting a chapter to search, the authors reveal some of the tactics that social marketers use to suss out keywords that customers are using to discuss your business -- and where they're discussing it. Sometimes it calls for a shift in the language you use on your own website or blog. "If you're blogging about `solar cells' but your customers are searching for `solar power,' you're speaking two different languages," they write.

Social media platforms and services -- LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, podcasts -- are covered in depth. Businesses' use of Twitter is more robust than you might imagine.... By the beginning of 2010, some 70 percent of B2B marketers were using Twitter compared with 46 percent of B2C marketers.

While you can find zillions of "social media gurus" online who can set up a Facebook Page or Twitter account for your business, you're really not going anywhere unless you have a strategy. And Gillin and Schwartzman deliver with a deep dive into identifying business goals and mapping them to metrics. "Setting a goal like `increase sales' is too general because there are far too many ways to attack the task," they write. "A better goal is `increase sales of left-handed finambulators by 50 percent by expanding distribution channels.' "

The authors also offer a timely look at how companies can take advantage of crowdsourcing to improve their products and internal processes. Brands using customer forums include Dell's IdeaStorm, Procter & Gamble's Connect + Develop, BestBuy's IdeaX, Starbucks' MyStarbucks Idea and Salesforce.com's IdeaExchange. UserVoice has developed a number of innovation forums for customers for companies such as Nokia and Sun (now part of Oracle).

Influence, decision-making, lead generation -- it's all here. Whether you're a small business owner looking to get your arms around social media, a senior manager at a Fortune 1000 business or a marketer trying to pick up tips about this dynamic new landscape, "Social Marketing" has something chewy to offer. Read more ›

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read Resource For Business January 25, 2011

By David Verchere

Format:Hardcover

If you work in marketing for any size company there are three reasons you need to buy AND READ this book.

1) You'll gain the knowledge you need to spend your dollars wisely.

2) You'll learn the technical terms that will let you ask the right questions in the right way with the right words.

3) You'll see that you absolutely need to stop whatever you are doing immediately and get a social media strategy. The world is changing before our eyes!

Thanks Paul and Eric for your bravery and willingness to go to market with your book first. I wish I had your foresight and your courage!

Social Marketing to the Business Customer: Listen to Your B2B Market, Generate Major Account Leads, and Build Client Relationships

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading for every B2B company February 22, 2011

By Ken Lockman

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just started to read this book but I can tell you already that it should be required reading for any B2B company, especially for folks in upper management. The funny thing is I found this book totally by accident, which was a pleasant surprise. I went to Barnes and Noble looking for some books on other business topics and I happen to see this one on an end cap. Frankly, I was actually a bit shocked as it never crossed my mind that there might already be a book out on this subject. I assumed it would be another 3 years or so for a book of its nature to appear, if it ever did.

Anyone who has been involved in social media for the past few years, whether for business or pleasure, already knows the value of it however what's not apparent at first is how it may apply to B2B relationships. Not only does this book put your mind at ease on the value of such interactions it also provides great examples. The section on ROI is one of the first chapters I read and the authors really did a great job on covering this topic. ROI has always been a tough topic in relation to social media but they tackled it better than anyone I've seen so far.

I cannot wait to finish reading the whole book!

5.0 out of 5 stars good book April 21, 2013

By Roberto Antonio Anez

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Simple and to the point. This is a must book for those interested in social marketing. a book to keep!

Roberto Anez Nava

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful for B2B social marketing January 3, 2013

By Booksponge

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Most people don't realize the distinct differences between marketing to consumers and marketing to other businesses. This is also true within social media, and this book helps to clarify those differences and sets out guidelines which will help anyone new to this field get on the right track. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about B2B marketing on social media platforms.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource! October 30, 2012

By Alexgmnz

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fantastic resource for coming up with a B2B plan that works! I found myself highlighting every few pages and referring to it when I'm crafting proposals or presentations.

4.0 out of 5 stars Social Media Taking Central Stage in the B2B Arena August 20, 2012

By Serge J. Van Steenkiste

Format:Hardcover

Paul Gillin and Eric Schwartzman render a great service to their readers by compiling in one place the experience that they have gained in using social media in the B2B space. Messrs. Gillin and Schwartzman invite their readers to view social media as a far-reaching phenomenon that has an impact on the entire business. Social media is not the pet toy of the marketing department. The authors give their audience a number of examples that show how some companies successfully leverage social media to profit from online communities by increasing sales and/or by improving brand awareness. These companies are clearly not scared of losing some control on their corporate message to the benefit of a variety of stakeholders with their respective agendas. Furthermore, Messrs. Gillin and Schwartzman rightly stress that the choice of tools is the last thing to consider when one plans a social marketing campaign. Goal, metrics, and tactics should be defined before any discussion of which tools to use comes to the fore. In addition, the authors demonstrate that measuring the ROI of a social marketing campaign is possible. To their credit, Messrs. Gillin and Schwartzman do not minimize the difficulty that one can experience in making this calculation. Capturing and analyzing historical data needed for calculating the ROI requires both time and discipline. Finally, the authors review the different elements of a social media policy in the appendix of their book. In summary, Messrs. Gillin and Schwartzman show how to successfully use social media to reach out to the business customer.