Listen First, Tweet Later

At a recent gathering at the local Chamber of Commerce, the cocktail chatter I most often encountered was in the realm of B2B marketing and social media. Over half-full glasses of Chardonnay, they chattered away:

“What is social media?”

“Do I need to be blogging?”

“Should I be on Facebook?”

“Yesterday I tried to Twitter, but honestly, what do you say on there?”

It’s not unusual to be confused about where to begin in the world of social media. I hear these same questions again and again, which tells me in this still-developing field of marketing, there is much to be taught and much to learn about best practices.

I find myself  responding: “Social media is another tool in your marketing toolbox, but that toolbox is not the one you’re used to.”   That’s because the rules of social media are different from traditional marketing. My advice? Learn the language of social media and have  a solid strategic plan. Then you’ll be ready to dive in.

A recent article Michelle Stern posts on searchengineland.com encourages B2B marketers to find the “hidden value” of social media marketing:

“Beyond its use to gain more influence with current customers and reach new ones, social marketing also offers marketers the opportunity to monitor online chatter so you can hear what your prospects and customers are saying. When used this way, it essentially becomes a powerful market research tool for B2B marketers to leverage.”

Listening is the essential starting point. Stern highlights the benefits of clear listening:

1. Social media can be an instant focus group. Monitoring online chatter about your company and products can help you address problems before they snowball.
2. Be in touch with the needs and wants of your customers. Use of social media allows for an instant dialogue with your most engaged partners about great ideas for next steps, needed products, and interesting upgrades.
3. Get a leg up on the competition. The modern marketplace is fast-paced, and you can easily be bowled over by your competitors if they can get the “next great idea” to market faster than you can. Online social media provides faster turnaround for information- sharing and puts you in closer communication with your partners, beating your competition to the punch.

The insights gained from listening are an essential piece to creating a successful social media strategy. Successful B2B marketing is not a blind leap into the world of social media because you feel compelled to be there. The agenda for your next marketing meeting should not be a list of ideas for tweets, but instead a review of what your partners are telling you on comment threads, posts, and replies. In a common piece of advice in communications, we find the best advice for where to begin in social media marketing: “Focus not on what you will say next, but rather on listening to what is being said now.”