Why social media should matter

The channel can gain real benefits from harnessing social media, claims Jon Beck

I was at a vendor marketing event recently where a show of hands suggested that a surprisingly large number of channel partners hadn't yet adopted social media. The excuses ranged from age ("Facebook and Twitter are things teenagers use") to tradition ("Why not pick up a phone") to workplace challenges ("How do I convince my CEO it's a good thing?").

I was slightly taken aback, because we've been using social media for several years. We have a good grasp of what it is and, perhaps more importantly, what it is not. Let's be clear: social media is not better than face-to-face communication, it's not intended to replace existing marketing efforts, and on its own it will not ensure you meet your sales targets every quarter.

Social media is simply another communications channel, and when social channels are used effectively with the right people, it will drive engagement. Whether this is engagement with vendors, channel partners, customers or prospects, it has to be a good thing.

Why wouldn't your business want to expand its reach and engage with more people?

One reason SMBs might be dragging their heels could be the lack of an executive sponsor. We were lucky that our managing director got on board from the outset, quickly becoming an enthusiastic tweeter. Another reason might be that they simply don't know where to start.

In both cases, my advice is to start small, keep focused and don't spread your social conversation too thinly; it is straightforward to expand your activities later.

Start with a single platform and treat it as just another communications channel in your marketing strategy. When deciding where to start, simply ask which platform your prospects and customers use.

Social media is often considered to be a B2C marketing tool. This was certainly true of many social platforms at first and arguably there is still some way to go in some sectors, but already B2B benefits are emerging as customers, prospects and channel partners begin to embrace these platforms.

Where social media is really gaining traction is one-to-one conversations. If a prospect is social media-savvy, this should be the main method of engagement with your sales team. Why cold call or leave 20 voicemails if you can reach them on their preferred social platform? In my experience, you'll have a lot more success by replying to a tweet or sending a quick message to say you really liked their blog.

Social media is so wide-ranging, however, that it can be easy to dismiss. But the major benefits come from expanding its use beyond the marketing team.

Provide appropriate guidance to all employees and empower them to use relevant channels to help the organisation engage with more people at an individual level.

Many channel salespeople are still waking up to the possibilities of social media, just as many are still waking up to selling "solutions" rather than just hardware. Although it requires a cultural shift, the potential benefits are too great for it not to happen.

Do tweet me @FordwayPartners and let me know what you think.

Jon Beck is marketing and alliance manager at Fordway