By Julie Garcia
August 31st, 2010
The market place is getting more competitive and if you are searching for something that can differentiate you from your competitors, creating a compelling video may be your answer. Video has a place in every marketing and communications plan from testimonials and product launches to educational summits and demonstrations. And the best news is that it is now more affordable than ever. With evolving technology and the recent shift in distribution, video can play a key role in reaching your target audience and can be easily adapted to all platforms.
The release of products like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the NewTek Tricaster allow video to be produced at a fraction of the price that it used to be. For example, the Tricaster provides you with the opportunity to go live with a web broadcast for your next customer experience or sales training event. Because the editing is done live you save the money and the time you would have otherwise spent in an edit bay. You still need to be prepared to do the work on the front end with preproduction, but by taking advantage of new technology in the marketplace you can now afford to deliver your message through video.
How have you used video in your B2B communications?
By Megan Reisig
June 18th, 2010
If you’ve read my previous posts on B2B Fishbowl, you know that I’m a big advocate for social media. I think it’s a great addition to marketing and PR campaigns and I always want to learn more about this ever-changing field.
This week, while implementing a new social media plan for a client, I wondered, when it comes to Facebook, is there a way to determine how much a Facebook fan is actually worth? Of course, I have other success metrics in the plan including measuring the velocity of fans within the first 30 days, visits to the fan page and number of comments or “likes” each week, but I was still curious about the value of a fan.
Through research, I found an article titled “How Much Is a Facebook Fan Really Worth?” It outlines a strategy from a firm called Syncapse that puts an actual dollar value on a Facebook fan. According to them, an average Facebook fan is worth $136.38. This was determined by asking fans of top brands on Facebook why they were fans of those particular companies and about their past and future buying habits.
I’m not completely sure that this conclusion is entirely accurate but, it’s interesting to see that companies are trying to put a value on a fan.
Have you ever put a value on your Facebook fans? What methods have you used to do this?
By Megan Reisig
May 19th, 2010
In PR, it’s common to hear the phrase, “I want my company name in ink.” I admit, landing placement or a really great feature story in a target publication is fantastic —and valuable—and clients or bosses love it. But, while we’re concerned with securing print coverage for our clients or bosses, it’s important that we don’t forget about the many social media outlets out there. There are already conversations taking place about your company or brand on social media sites, and your online reputation is being created because of those conversations.
As PR professionals, it’s our job to educate our clients and bosses about the importance of social media and online reputations. Much like great print coverage, social media conversations deliver valuable information about a company or brand directly to current and prospective customers and influence opinions.
In my opinion, the best part about social media is that you can participate in the conversations about your company or brand that are already happening and you can engage with your customers on a more personal level.
By Adam Garcia
May 13th, 2010
Are you a big fan of all things design related? Are you a fan of Twitter? I stumbled upon this new Web site called Dribbble that takes the best from both worlds and combines them.
Instead of sharing your daily thoughts 140 characters at a time, Dribble gives you 400 x 300 pixels of space to share visual creativity. Another great feature is that, like Twitter, Dribbble allows you to “follow” your favorite designer, illustrator or developer and keep up with what they are working on.
As Twitter can be helpful to trend what’s happening in this great b2b world of ours, I believe that Dribble can also help us keep up with all things design related and keep things fresh!
Are there any other b2b resources you use to keep at the top of your game?
By Cheryl Johannes
May 4th, 2010
It’s exciting joining a BRAND new team. However, Canyon isn’t like any other team I’ve met. They’re B2B marketing professionals with heart. Plus, they’re super nice, and the office is absorbing! To become more seasoned in the arena of B2B marketing, I’ve spent the last few days immersing myself in B2B tactics and unique strategies.
What inspires me lately are new ways to manage social media and get more people involved. I came across the idea of assigning team ambassadors to each social media outlet and working together to ensure the brand experience is consistent and the messaging streamlined. By allowing more than one person to have their hand in social media, they’re given the freedom to learn and improve their skills, track results and be a lead on driving sales and awareness.
Try this for your next campaign:
- Assign a team ambassador to each social media channel.
- Meet initially to discuss the points of focus, topics, sites and messaging for consistency throughout the campaign. Work together to ensure posts are consistent.
- Set goals per social media channel and establish how each ambassador plans to manage and track them.
- At the end of the campaign, each ambassador will present their results and share feedback on how they increased traffic/usage. Compare results!
If you have the internal resources to support a team effort for your social media, this may be extremely beneficial for employee morale and productivity! What are some other ways you get your employees to work as a team?
