Social Media topics: your customers?

The issue of having something to write about is a key issue for both delegates at training courses I run  (e.g. B2B Centre Social Media training) and consultancy clients.

As I have discussed before people can't always see the interest in what they do on a day to day basis, because for them it's routine or they assume that everybody else knows the stuff already.

The place I tend to start when coaxing the stories out of a business is with its customers.  Naturally it's a focus of interest because the client might be well known or associated with a topical product or service.  It also provides a great starting point to look for details of what the product is that's being delivered, how it's provided and what benefits it has brought, for instance.

What I am looking for is not a case study.  It's really hard to stop case studies drifting into corporate speak.  You know, "Company X was delighted to receive the order from global electronics Y." To me it's far more effective to relate what a lot of sales people, in particular, might call a "war story".

These anecdotes are usually shorter, more natural and more focused on a particular idea.  They have greater resonance with an audience, whether listeners and receivers, and in my experience are far more influential.  The bonus of the war story approach is that they usually contain a lot of implied positive statements.  You have some customers.  They paid you for a product or service.  You did some things that were above and beyond what they expected.

The war story approach usually focuses more on the client than the supplier, which makes it easier to get approval to publish it (you should ask), and because they are meant to be short and snappy they are excellent material for blogs, Facebook notes, website news items, link Tweets etc.

As an example I just wrote a short item for Lewis Smith & Co. (accountants for Halesowen businesses) about the 30th anniversary in business of one of their clients, Bartlams Fitted Bedrooms.  Whilst it's mainly about Bartlams' success it does mention what Lewis Smith & Co. has done and there is a testimonial in there too.

Bartlams were delighted to get some additional coverage and Lewis Smith & Co. are pleased to get some plaudits.  I now get the benefit of talking about how I have helped some clients, and both Lewis Smith & Co. and Bartlams get some valuable inbound links.

Everything comes together.



Gareth Edwards
Arrowsmith Marketing - Practical social media training and consultancy

Social Media Lecture

Interesting Social Media lecture for MSc students at University of Warwick's WMG faculty yesterday.

Presented a case study highlighting the practical issues for small businesses using Social Media - time, resources and money.  The students were quite surprised, I think, that a business wouldn't use every single tool available.  As bright, enthusiastic young people they clearly assumed that the digital option would be top of the list.

For me the challenge is to strike a balance between all of the glitzy technology (which I am as enthusiastic about as they are) and some "grim realities".  Firstly that business consists of doing lots of other potentially uninteresting but valuable stuff like balancing the books and checking stock, and secondly despite all of the hype an awful lot of business is still conducted offline or at least via less exciting channels such as email.


Gareth


Gareth Edwards Arrowsmith Marketing

Providing SEO and content development for Halesowen Accountants Lewis Smith & Co.

Managing Business Risk Breakfast Seminar

Arrowsmith client "The CIO Partnership" has put out an invitation for an exciting Thought Leadership Breakfast Seminar to be held in London in January 2012.


Entitled "Managing Business Risk in a Digital World: identifying threats and defining solutions." the session, which is being put on in conjunction with Inception Partners, is being held at Quaglino's in London on Thursday January 12th.


CIO Partnership associate and security expert Nigel Stanley is in the chair to facilitate the seminar.


For more details and how to book visit the CIO Partnership website.




Gareth Edwards Arrowsmith Marketing