Whiteoaks’ head of digital, Andy Black, explores the advantages of an outsourced social media strategy and the potential commercial benefits for B2B firms
A seismic change is occurring in the way people and organisations communicate, creating greater transparency and openness in B2B dialogues. A combination of cloud computing, the consumerisation of technology, a shift towards more flexible working and generation Y entering the workforce have all contributed to the creation of a new culture, where professionals use their own tablets and smartphones to engage both in business and with social connections.
Software makers have been quick to react to this shift with new easy-to-use applications that are similar to social platforms. For businesses both in and outside the technology sector, it’s extremely important that the brand and the workforce fit into this new digital space by becoming more open and transparent in their day-to-day activities. Failure to do so could not only serve to isolate the business from its future workforce but a new generation of customers.
Creating a digital strategy is undoubtedly a time-consuming exercise. A successful programme must establish communities and user-groups and generate insightful content and conversations. Social media monitoring and corporate training are also an essential part of the digital equation.
For this reason, many businesses outsource the management and co-ordination of activity to a specialist consultancy. As well as saving time within the organisation, an outsourced campaign benefits from the consultant’s specialist experience. Like all PR output, the activity should be designed to achieve specific business objectives and measured transparently against pre-agreed targets and performance measurements.
The chance to engage with new and existing customers without having to dedicate considerable human resources is the most obvious advantage of an outsourced strategy. Third-party consultants can also provide training for the end-user business, assisting stakeholders in best-practice engagement.
This knowledge transfer is essential; if you think you probably should be ‘doing social’ but aren’t clear why, you’re probably not doing it for the right reasons. A good consultant will help you gain an understanding of digital communications to help you understand and champion it within your own business.
A consultancy is also likely to have access to the latest specialist social media monitoring tools, which would otherwise require a substantial investment. Software such as Radian6 has considerable benefits for enabling real-time engagement and brand reputation tracking. In addition, consultants will be up-to-date with all the latest digital trends and innovations, enabling them to take a more adaptable and agile approach than may be achieved in house.
Following a comprehensive audit, a consultant should construct an objective audit of the organisation’s current status, social assets and competitors, as well as a general assessment of how ‘open’ business users currently are. The next step is to establish a plan for organisational change, training people on the use of platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter and establishing best-practice guidelines. The consultancy may then create downloadable whitepapers and other collateral to feed into LinkedIn groups for sales lead generation.
Brand reputation is much talked about in B2C communications but it’s arguably even more essential in B2B channels. Business audiences are more likely to buy a greater proportion of products or services than individual consumers, making this type of brand reputation management, engagement and lead generation incredibly valuable.
An industry recommendation for a particular firm, product or service on a social network also creates essential brand advocacy, as well as greater awareness. Monitoring sentiment also enables B2B firms to react in a timely manner, passing on valuable feedback to the board and product or service development teams.
Social media platforms can and should be the basis of a collaborative ecosystem between the brand, its partner and its target audience and users. The ability to react, listen and embed yourself in real-time conversations through digital communications channels is key to this approach. In a managed campaign, close collaboration between the consultancy and the business is essential to help determine which topics are most relevant for different target audiences and interest groups.
While consultancies have a valuable role to play in facilitating digital media activity and helping to instigate a cultural change, success also requires co-operation and willingness from the business as well as developing the flexibility to operate in a range of circumstances.
A consultancy should therefore work hand-in-hand with a business and assist it in managing and growing its own social media community. This ultimately enables the partnership to become less operational and more creative in terms of both collateral and strategic capability.