Case Study: Using Twitter to Generate Leads

10Nov09

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

Twitter can be a tough concept to wrap your head around. Many business owners I meet are either overwhelmed by the conversations (or lack thereof) or can’t figure out how to use the service as a business tool.  Connie Benson, Community Strategist for Techrigy, created a comprehensive slide presentation about how Twitter can support lead generation.

The primary points of the presentation include:

  • Engage people as people first and don’t push your sales pitch.
  • Listening is a critical key for engagement on Twitter.
  • Establish goals and challenges and assess how Twitter can support your efforts.

Benson began her journey into the world of Twitter with 5 eager team members and no budget. She notes that once she began engaging in the Twitter community:

  • Within 3 months her customer base increased by 57%
  • Within 6 months her customer base increased by 269%
  • Within 1 year her customer base increased by 840%

I hope that you enjoy this presentation as much as I did. It’s quite inspiring and says a lot about the viability of Twitter as a sales tool.

Beth J. Bates consults with Hinge on social media tool selection and strategy and helps its clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.


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Social Media ROI Superlist

04Nov09

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

We’ve talked a lot lately about the ROI of social media and how we measure success. There are a variety of theories on the most effective way to assess social media ROI, and Interactive Insights Group has created one of the most comprehensive list of resources I have ever seen.

Social Media Metrics Superlist: Measurement, ROI, & Key Statistics Resources

This enormous list is broken into two categories:

  • Social Media Measurement, ROI and Monitoring
  • Key Social Media Statistics and Research Studies

This list ranges from the very basic to more complex theories of assessing ROI data points. There are also a variety of tools including:

Also, check out my previous posts on ROI:

What are the most critical points of social media ROI for your firm?

 

Beth J. Bates consults with Hinge on social media tool selection and strategy and helps its clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.


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How to Lose Business

29Oct09

By Aaron Taylor

This week’s Pivot newsletter article on expanding the client relationship seemed to resonate with many of our readers. In the article, we submit evidence that most clients aren’t aware of the range of services provided by their professional services firms.

Why do clients who are pleased with the job your firm has done in the past occasionally turn around and buy services you offer from a competitor? Usually it is because they don’t know all that you do. If you aren’t actively explaining your services to clients, you are probably missing a lot of opportunities. According to our study — and reader’s responses — clients want this information and they want it delivered personally.

David Galen, a commercial photographer (who doesn’t shoot weddings), put it this way:

“I am always educating clients about different services we offer. Despite that, I still get the stereotypical response from businesses that have known me or at least known OF me for years — “Oh, you do weddings, right?” I quietly excuse myself, go to my car and scream, regain my composure and return to my meeting. Those experiences teach me that businesses who I thought knew me obviously don’t. Nothing beats the personal contact. Despite our websites, print ads, direct mail, etc., we need to be reminded that a personal meeting or phone call beats EVERYTHING else.”

Don’t get so caught up in the details of an engagement that you forget to educate your clients. Existing clients are, after all, a professional services firm’s best source of future business. Just because you work with people on a regular basis doesn’t mean they know you — according to our research, they probably don’t. And they’ll go elsewhere for a service they would have been happy to send your way.

One IP attorney explains,”We have patent clients that don’t know about our trademark and corporate services, and my experience has generally been that the personal visit is the best way to educate the client as to the range and breadth of services.”

Ignorance is bliss only if you don’t need a lot of repeat business.


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Is Your Company Scared of Social Media?

26Oct09

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

Social Media Today recently published a very interesting (albeit not surprising) post about why companies are reluctant, and in some cases, downright scared to use social media. I really like this post because the six reasons given are ones that I have heard many times. The post goes on to address these concerns using compelling facts and statistics. Here are the six common worries (and some answers):

  1. Employees will waste time with social media. Truth is, employees have a variety of ways to access the Internet during the work day — with or without permission. So, why not encourage them to be part of your brand story instead of banning them from it?
  2. Haters will damage our brand. Scott Monty of Ford once said that “crisis brings opportunity.” If folks are having negative discussions about your brand, you may need to make some adjustments.
  3. We’ll lose control of the brand. People are talking about your brand, which is out of your control anyway. By participating in the conversation, you can help shape your brand instead of letting it crash forward like a runaway train.
  4. Social media requires a real budget! It’s not really cheap, or free. Social media requires experienced staffers or consultants to guide you in integrating your social media marketing into your overall marketing plan. But the upside is worth it.
  5. Fear of being sued. This is highly unlikely.
  6. Fear of giving away corporate secrets or that information on social networks will affect the stock price. This can be guided with a social media policy for your employees. Most companies have guidelines for any type of corporate communications. Social media shouldn’t be any different.

    How has your firm overcome social media fears?

    Beth J. Bates consults with Hinge on social media tool selection and strategy and helps its clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.


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    Getting Past the Economic Ice Age

    22Oct09

    By Aaron Taylor

    The air outside was noticeably colder this week, but each day brings new signs that the worst of the economic winter may be behind us. That’s good news, but nobody is pouring champaign just yet. Many professional services firms are still struggling with the same issues that dogged them a year ago — sluggish demand, competitive price cutting and reduced budgets. You can catch whiffs of caution almost anywhere you go.

    One notable exception — the federal government contracting marketplace — has remained relatively hot throughout the recession. But even that industry hasn’t put away it’s winter coat just yet. A recent pair of articles on the WashingtonTechnology website discuss strategies government contractors can use to make it through these difficult times. Whether or not your business prospects are warming up as the economy thaws, the articles offer solid advice for marketing any professional services firm in good times and bad. The four tips below, taken from “Marketing Tips for Today’s Business Climate,” are supported by independent research Hinge has conducted into professional services firms:

    1. Spend your marketing dollars where they will have the most impact. Challenge your assumptions and discover what will actually help you win.
    2. Find out what your customer needs. Then customize your marketing — and your service offerings — to address that need.
    3. Prove you’ve done similar work before. Case studies and relevant references can be important credential-building tools.
    4. Make sure your proposal addresses every issue. A spot-on proposal is critical to outcompeting other firms.

    There is a lot more, of course, you can do to heat up business development when the market is cool. But if your marketing plan hasn’t been delivering great results lately, consider rethinking your approach. These four tips should be a great place to start.


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