Smart Marketing

                                                                                 February 2009

 

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"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."
- Thomas Edison

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Social Media:  In Plain Terms
A simple story that illustrates the forces shaping social media. This video comes in an unbranded "presentation quality" version that can be licensed for use in the workplace. 
 
 
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Greetings! 
This month's issue is devoted to Social Media.  Love it or hate it, it's transforming and evolving processes, customer service, and communication as we know it. 
 
Beyond "friending" someone on Facebook or "being connected" on LinkedIn, social media tools have given people the ability to easily express themselves online, without filters. Folks are out there, actively talking about the brands they love and hate, and why. They are talking to each other about their passions and problems, and they've fully embraced how accessible and transparent the Web is for communication.
 
The big question is how can and should businesses respond to Social Media?  I've gathered thoughts from various business writers in this newsletter to help us decide. 
 
Enjoy,
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Web 2.0 - A Glossary of Terms
Web 2.0By now, we all know what a Blog is ... and a Podcast ... and a Webinar. But what's a Mashup ... Folksonomy ... Feed Aggregator ... RSS ... UGC?  If you feel like a dinosaur when it comes to this Web 2.0 stuff, you're not alone. 
Social Media ROI:  Return On Ignoring
social mediaCC Chapman discusses smart investment in social media and how to get started.   Watch this 2 minute video
 
Exploring investment return for social media is valid and necessary within a business framework. But equally important is carefully assessing the price for not being involved.
Read the entire article

Social Media: How Can B2B Marketers Benefit

hanging out"Social media, like any new marketing channel, is a sticky slope for B2B marketers," says Justin Hitt in a recent blog. "I personally prefer keeping social media 'business social' rather than polluting it with advertisements." But, wait a minute: if ads are out, what else can B2B marketers do to monetize their participation in online communities? Hitt offers a list of ways that he and his clients have been successfully using social media to boost their bottom lines. Among their "social" activities:
  • Conducting research to understand more about a prospect's or client's "buying desires."
  • Finding decision makers for certain products and services.
  • Extracting names from a given community for lead generation.
  • Getting answers to questions, reaching out to other experts.
  • Finding joint-venture marketing partners and creating various "cooperative opportunities."
  • Connecting with past customers, keeping them up-to-date.
But a word of caution: "An important thing to remember is that not all your prospective buyers are even online; don't give up one channel for another," he advises.