What’s next for B2B social media in 2016

By Paul Gillin,  January 2016 I was recently contacted by a B2B publication looking for some thoughts on what’s coming up in the next year. I thought some of the questions were interesting and worth sharing here. What trends are gaining momentum in B2B social media right now? B2B marketers are finally realizing that merely throwing content into the ether is both expensive and wasteful, so they’re trying to target their content better to the audience and purpose. Marketers realize that buyers are people, not demographic segments, so they are appealing more to the motivations that influence human behavior. That’s one reason we s…

Are you a cutting-edge marketer with SME social media power?

Cutting-edge marketers are expanding the role and visibility of Subject Matter Experts (SME), according to IT Solutions Marketing Association’s 2014 study, How B2B Buyers Consume Information. Are you one of them? Let’s face it. When a B2B customer is making a complex buying decision, marketing is one of the last resources to which the buyer wants access. The buyer wants access to SMEs - product managers, sellers, engineers, consultants, and other clients. Buyers want to engage with people, not brands, to learn the ins and outs of the product or service for which they are about to invest significant time and money. Yet, too often it’s…

Finding Coaching Moments that Shine

As a business coach in the social media realm, there are all kinds of moments ranging from apprehension and fear to inspiration and joy. Having coached business executives on how to grow their social authority for more than three years, my job is to find those moments of inspiration (in my students) and show them how to harness, direct and leverage it. Students arrive in class on the first day either hoping for magic to happen (change doesn’t work that way), doubting the value of social media, or thinking our class is a technical how-to with regard to each network. My goal on Day One is to welcome them outside the box of their own four w…

We’re NOT on Facebook

by Robin Scharpf That’s right! We’re a small team of social media consultants and coaches and we’re NOT on Facebook. Shocking, right? Once upon a time we were on Facebook. We had a flashy company page. We updated it daily with pictures, videos and advice. Now we don’t.  We deleted the account. Why? Because that’s not where our potential clients look for social media coaching, advice or expertise.  At least not today.  We tried it. We monitored it. We pulled it. Regardless of business size, we all have to be selective where we invest time and money.  To be successful at social media, you don’t have to be everywhere …

Just Say No to Social Media

For the past five years I’ve been advocating an end to the use of the term “social media.” Why would I do that, given that my passion for the past eight years has been helping people understand and apply social media tools to their business? It’s because social media is just a set of tools, and tools are only as useful as the skills of the people who wield them. Too many companies still equate social media success to achieving basic competency with tools. They’ve got a Facebook page, a LinkedIn profile and a YouTube channel, so they cross social media off the to-do list. These companies may think they ‘re finished, but they�…

Tip of the Week: Selecting a Hashtag

In this video, we'll discuss what a #hashtag is on Twitter, and the best way to use them. …

Tip of the Week: Introduction to Storify

In this week's Tip, Profitecture coach Kyle Naumann, provides an introduction to Storify. Storify allows users to compile content from the social platforms in a narrated story which provides context to the overall message. Simple to use and fun to share! …