1. Based on your experience so far, what is working with social media, and what is not?
2. How is social media defined, used and evaluated within the context of all marketing activities?

This ITAC/SMA Marketing & Sales Executive Think Tank was hosted at Avnet Technology Solutions in Mississauga, Ontario by Janice Hoskins, Marketing Manager, IBM BU, Canada. The discussion was moderated by Bob Becker, Principal, SMA.

Attendees

• Jill Van Sickle, Marketing Business Development Manager, Arrow ECS – IBM Group, Arrow ECS
• Erich Feibel, Business Development Manager, IBM Software, Avnet Technology Solutions
• Janice Hoskins, Marketing Manager, IBM BU, Canada, Avnet Technology Solutions
• Maureen McLachlan, Marketing Operations Specialist Canada, Avnet Technology Solutions
• Susan Malik, President, Clear Insight FPM Inc.
• Kelly Luo, Digital Marketing Manager, Compugen Inc.
• Luis Paveloski, Marketing Manager, Hitachi Data Systems
• Marine Dumontier, Online Marketing Manager, Igloo Software
• Steve Proctor, Director of Communications, ITAC
• Stephanie Drooff, Marketing Director, NCI Secured Intelligence
• Mike Shulman, Manager, Canada Hardware and Technology Channel Sales-VAD, Oracle Corporation Canada Inc.
• Liana Leider, Marketing Analyst, QHR Technologies
• Loucas Saites, Marketing Manager, Canada, Tata Consultancy Services

What We Learned

• Social media is most effective in building awareness, credibility, and loyalty within your target market. It’s really not specifically a lead generation mechanism.
• Benefits from social media are only really derived over a long period of time. It must be done consistently, and there must be funds allocated for the long term so that benefits can be realized.
• Social media should be used in conjunction with traditional marketing activities. Social media can be used before and after an activity or event to enhance marketing efforts, and often the activity generates additional content that can be distributed via social media
• Tracking ROI of social media is difficult.  You must establish the criteria and techniques for measurement in advance of implementing any initiatives.

What objectives did you and your organization set for your social media investment?

• Social media is a ‘slice and dice’ activity; a good way to get word out, including supporting marketing, products and HR.
• To measure social media, consider reviewing each platform individually.
• Use social media for brand awareness to promote content, thought leadership. Use as PR and position your company’s message as “this is who we are.”
• LinkedIn is best used for company employee recruitment.
• Add value. Avoid using social media to solicit business.
• Consider using SEO to link ROI to lead generation campaigns.
• Consider using Facebook to position your organization work environment, such as “come work for us, look at how much fun we are having.”
• Social media can be a good tool to assist with CASL, since many platforms have opt-in options.
• Blogging can be a good tool to build target market community.

What expectations do you set with senior management about investing in social media?

• Have an in-house social media expert; if not, consider outsourcing. But this can have a downside since this outsourced company may not prioritize your company like you would.
• To manage social media internally, group verticals and competitors and assign among several employees.
• Cost is significant regarding SEO and blogging, especially for thought leadership.
• Begin with a simple white paper download; have a focused target.
• Stay on course, eventually they will come. Social media takes a long time: results are not instant, so you must set expectations.
• Act on social media clicks without breaking trust.
• Prioritize trade shows as many are not lead generators.
• Advise management that social media is not linked to ROI but rather awareness & thought leadership.
• Avoid requesting separate social media budget; rather include it as part of your marketing mix, which is easier to justify.

What traditional activities did you stop doing when you engaged in social media?

• Traditional marketing is reducing. Digital marketing is on the rise via Twitter or LinkedIn.
• Direct mail and face-to-face engagement are back on the rise again and interrupting social media activity.
• Learn to” social media listen” to focus on target market and influencers.
• Reduce and re-balance events from one-to-many to one-to-few, including added value content.
• Old-style public relations is no longer; new public relations influencers are now blogging.
• Cold calls are decreasing; focus is now on targeted meaningful follow up calls.
• Can’t afford to stop; becoming more efficient with automating tool.
• Leverage LinkedIn as a complimentary tool to create awareness.
• Stop sponsoring events; instead go to events as an attendee. Send a ‘hungry’ salesperson, it’s a great way to network.

What new information have you learned today that you will take back to the office and apply to your activities in the next few weeks?

• Define leads clearly and avoid loose definition criteria.
• Set social media expectations and objectives clearly with management.
• Increase social media skills, including the “listening” factor.
• Re-evaluate attending events versus sponsoring an event.
• Social media is not a stand-alone tool or budget but rather part of a big piece of the puzzle, assisting with other tools.
• Social media results take a lot of patience; keep trying.
• Consider producing direct mails; this marketing tool is growing again.
• Have subject matter experts communicate their knowledge via social media tools.
• Leverage corporate social media team for organization awareness and thought leadership.

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