Is gaming just for B2C?

We've all heard of Angry Birds and how successful that's been on social media sites and mobiles but surely gaming is for B2C firms not B2B?

I love a game, me. Whether it’s the latest app game (totally obsessed with 100 Floors), Poker, Backgammon or a good ol' game of Triv I'm up for it. I have a very competitive nature which can be rather ugly and should be kept private to those who have to put up with me for marriage or birth certificate reasons.

As much as I enjoy them could I justify playing a game at the office? Could you? Probably depends on your role but as a marketer we’ve only just won the fight for the right to party partake in social media channels without co-workers raising eyebrows and Directors demanding measurement for such ‘time wasting’. I don’t think I would get away with Officeville just yet.

Losing employee time to ‘slightly’ more acceptable online pleasures doesn’t seem to be fazing anyone. But I suppose with most people using their mobile devices at every possible waking moment plus the blur between office and home life expanding fun can be had during the commute, toilet breaks and evening bath times.  That makes me feel better cos if I was the boss I wouldn’t want anyone having fun on my shift unless it was going to make money. Am I being a pooper?

Luckily I am not the boss so putting my marketing hat back on and removing my miserly ruler of the universe cape, I totally get why gamification companies are knocking on marketers over-excitable minds about the benefits of using such platforms.  

It’s an enlightening moment for B2B. We can be cool, clever, engaging AND sell office water coolers all at the same time. Games can be used to build awareness, generate leads, drive traffic in all directions, expand databases, gain customer insight, build communities, train or motivate staff, increase loyalty, educate prospects or simply encourage customer feedback.

Obviously you need to do your research when trying out a new channel especially if it’s untested in your industry. Make sure you stay true to your brand and have clear and concrete goals on what you want to achieve. Maximize your exposure by combining digital social media and email with postcard mail shots. It won’t work as a standalone medium but as complementary tactic to your marketing mix you could stand out over your competitors.

Blockdot, a renowned digital studio who builds games across Web, mobile and social platforms is already creating games for us B2B folk. They developed a game for a major pharmaceutical company marketing a six figure gene splicing machine to a very targeted group of bio-engineers and for a leading hotel chain to communicate new upgrades at the hotel’s properties to travel agents.

I’d love to hear if anyone is getting involved in this new B2B marketing craze.  What game would you create? Mine would definitely have to be a virtual board game and I’ve named it already, ‘Mardevopoly’. Done no research, got no goals but I’ve got a name and I never listen to my own advice. Hands up who wants to play!

Do you use social media to improve your customer service?

Many brands haven't woken up the fact that social media sites are perfect for customer service.

A colleague of mine recently moved into new house and had problems getting her Internet connection up and running.  After a month of copious calls with India and other parts of the universe she had practically given up on her dreams of being a silver surfer.

Luckily for her she is a prolific Tweeter. After one fruitless conversation with Dave from Deli and at the end of her tether she ranted on Twitter about her disappointment with her provider.

To cut a short story shorter….it was fixed within 12 hours.

You would think that most companies are listening and monitoring their brand reputation within social networks but recent figures gathered by Econsultancy found that just 11 per cent of firms use social media sites as a way of offering customer service.

Whether responding to negative posts or thanking a happy customer for their comments

Spin that on its head and you'll find that 81 per cent of businesses with a Facebook page use it for marketing purposes.

However, you can't use social media sites to promote sales if your customer service is shoddy as visitors to your brand page could see negative comments that have not been dealt with - lowering your reputation.

Why isn't social media being used for customer service?

Luke Brynley-Jones, founder of Our Social Times, looked into this problem and detailed the results on the Econsultancy blog.

He found that the main obstacle in firms using social media sites as a platform for customer service is fear!

It seems the majority of you are afraid that by responding to negative comments you'll open a can of worms and a crisis will ensue.

However, this is generally not the case as potential and existing customers would prefer seeing how you respond to criticism and how you rectify the problem.

If you do this well, then your brand reputation will improve and your customers may start recommending you to other B2B buyers.

What's more, recent research from Ogilvy PR found that 60 per cent of B2B buyers are influenced by what their peers have to say about a brand on social media sites, reported the Financial Times.

So why not start responding to tweets that mention your firm on Twitter, whether it's good or bad, and to any comments posted on your Facebook page?