Social media has become one of the most-hyped aspects of marketing. Everyone and their mother seem to be talking about running ads on Facebook or sending out product offers via Twitter. Others are convinced this is all a huge waste of time and that we should stick to buying lists and email campaigns. Over the past year, Appirio and Marketo have found that social media is an extremely valuable tool for augmenting their revenue-focused marketing automation efforts.
Presented by Jon Miller (VP of Marketing - Marketo) and Kirk Crenshaw (Director, Online Marketing - Appirio) -- this session discussed what no social media marketer wants to talk about: results.
At Appirio, more than 20% of web traffic comes from Twitter, and a strategic blend of blog posts and Twitter yielded 1000+ webinar registrations and even a few well-qualified leads. More than 3500 followers read Marketo's B2B marketing blog, and social media helped drive thousands of people to register and 300-plus people to participate live in the The Definitive Guide to Lead Nurturing webinar.
Here are some points covered in the presentation:
The Changing Buyer:
In today's environment buyers are putting more trust in peers and references than they did in the past, expecting personalization and interaction. All though corporate websites are still the number one source for information, social channels and the web play a large roll in buyer influence and research.
The Power of Word of Mouth
Social media leverages the power of word of mouth advertising, one of the lowest cost ways to build a business. Even some of the world's largest and most recognized brands such as Coca-Cola have used social networks to encourage promotion. Coca-Cola today has one of the most visited pages on Facebook. Most companies stumble into social marketing -- few are lucky.
Social Media to Generate Leads
According to Marketo and Appirio, social media is not really a source for leads, but more for brand awareness and a way to butter up long term sale prospects.
Corporate Social Media Policy
Like many companies using social media, Marketo allows their employees to access all of the major channels and platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Employees are allowed to use their own accounts for Tweeting - which they say has enabled sales reps to connect with customers on a personal level.
Appirio requires their employees to log their Tweets in Salesforce.com for record.
Marketo & Appirio: Recipe For Social Media Success In A Corporate Environment
- Develop a corporate standard of engagement
- Allow employees to be themselves while communicating
- Be where your prospects are - join groups, sites, and add followers that fit within your target market.
- Be Consistent in your messaging
- Make it easy to share information about your company and products (blog)
- Integrate Social Networking with the rest of your media
