B2B Social Media Checklist

I came across this article “12 B2B Social Media Predictions for 2012” by Jeffrey Cohen – Tuesdsay, December 20, 2011. It is a great article with some items to think about. I will offer my opinions on these 12 items and I invite you to read the whole article. It is really thought provoking. See my comments in “red”

Your homework – Evaluate this list and see where you stand right now with respect to these items. It will help you see where you need to spend your time in 2012.

1. B2B Websites Become the Ultimate Social Destination

Amen – I think we will see a major shift back to company websites. Sites need to be updated and condensed to become more simple and user-friendly.

2. Blogging Accepted as Hub of B2B Social Media Success

Blogging is a part of driving traffic to company websites. Creating compelling content is the key and the content must relate to your business to be effective.

3. Social Media Lead Generation Taken Seriously

Lead generation is the key. Knowing where your clients are and interact with you is imperative.

4. Email Grows Despite Its Reported Demise

Email is not going away and may be the conduit between social media, the client and the company.

5. B2B Marketers Expand Social Media Followers

Your followers can be clients, advocates and networking friends. Connecting with everyone is not a good idea if these people do not care about your company and its services. I have been down this path before.

6. Social Media Treehuggers Lie Down in Front of Bulldozers

Bottom-line, you need to be increasing revenue and sales. It’s not all about engaging. If you are not gaining new clients or getting

7. Measurement of ROI Can No Longer Be Ignored

For some of us ROI has always been there. Why would people do something if they cannot measure results and see if the time they have invested has paid off.
8. Mobile Strategies Catch Up to Reality

Mobile is getting closer. Get your site ready. Keep it simple! Simple sells with mobile.
9. It is the Beginning of the End for Twitter as a Social Network

The role of twitter will still be useful for marketers to receive instant feedback. I think it is too soon to write it off.
10. Social Media Advertising Gets Results

No opinion. Social Media Advertising is not my thing. Do you really read the ads on Facebook and Linkedin? Seriously?
11. Social Media Adoption No Longer Driven by Hobbyists

There will always be people late to the game. Each company needs to find a plan that works. It has been more than a hobby for a lot of business executives.
12. Social Media Supports Offline Activities

Yes, trade shows are a huge part of the mix for some companies. (Myself included) I’m tired of the talk that trade shows will be replaced by social media. Not happening!