Is Google+ good for business or just universal bullying?

I’m a little behind with Google and its steely determination to penetrate the social media universe, so decided to do some research on its latest (ish) newborn, Google+ Pages.

33 per cent of British firms have set up a brand page on Google+, possibly made up by statistic munchkins in Statisticland but I’m clearly not alone in failing to take advantage of the wonderful lead generation opportunities. Phew!

For those more backward than me, Google+ was launched in June 2011 and in November was updated to include Google+ Pages.  These Pages allow the likes of us marketers to share information with and offer deals to potential customers via the “social networking site”.

My initial reaction is it’s just another bloody marketing channel to monitor.  Look what you’ve done. I’m melting. Melting! Oh what a world.

But apparently I’m missing out! I’m not taking advantage of this potential addition to my integrated marketing services offering and I have no idea how this service will affect my search marketing efforts. Eeek!

Andrew Warren-Payne, research analyst and not a munchkin, at Econsultancy said: "Google+ results now feature heavily on the search engine results page. With Google making significant moves in this area, companies should look to incorporate Google+ as part of their social and content marketing strategy. Those that do not are likely to miss a significant opportunity."

Hmmm, using Google+ to help increase my SEO ranking. Duh really! Of course it will - they bloody own it! (That’s my swearing quota done – no more I promise).

I don't like Google, but that's a whole other blog entirely. I feel that I'm being bullied and I either join the Plus One Club or I am missing out on one precious ranking factor. Google have full control and I'm really not happy and really trying not to swear.

I know that I should want to have anything and everything I can get my grubby hands on in order to increase my ranking. But it’s the principle. Surely?

Another report (Simply Measured) indicated that average weekly circle engagement for those that are already playing has increased by 112 per cent for the top 100 brands on Google+ in the last six months.

Yet despite Google claiming the network now has 170 million users, some studies have indicated that in many instances users' level of engagement with it is limited.

When questioned about the perceived lack of success of Google+ at his company's Big Tent event near London last week, Google chairman Eric Schmidt of course assertively defended the network.

He said comparisons with Facebook were unfair, given that Facebook has been around for 12 years now and promised that there was more to come from Google+.

Mr Schmidt remarked: "Google+ is doing better than I expected given the competitors in the market and the success of Facebook. "Do I think it's a success? Absolutely. Absolutely." 

Well, he’s not going to do a Gerald Ratner on us is he (for those of you who don’t know that infamous faux pas,  Bing him).

But I do agree. Facebook is for maintaining old relationships and Google+ is about making new connections. They are different species and comparisons shouldn’t be made.

I am not convinced how brilliant this is from a B2B marketing perspective though and did I mention I don’t like Google as I nervously look skyward for lightening?

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?

Make your video ads go viral to boost your lead generation

Brits react better to branded videos that have been recommended to them

In our Key Marketing Trends for you to employ in 2012 Part One blog, we looked at the emerging trend of video marketing as a way of boosting your lead generation. Let's take a closer look.

Video marketing

Video marketing budgets grew by double figures in 2011 and this sector looks set to grow even further this year, especially in terms of viral videos.

Making a video viral just means that it has been shared on social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, while users of these sites have also recommended the content to their social media friends.

In this way, online videos can reach a wider audience than just those who visit your website or your YouTube channel.

Benefits of viral video

A new study by Unruly, released on February 7^th, found that people react better to branded videos that have been recommended to them by their social media friends than those who have found the content through browsing.

It was found that brand recall and association was seven per cent higher among viewers who had been advised to watch the content in comparison to those who came across the content unintentionally.

A total of 73 per cent recalled the brand represented in the video if their social media friends pointed them to it, while 68 per cent of those who viewed a video after browsing remembered the company involved.

There was also a 14 per cent rise in the number of people who enjoyed the video if it had been recommended and if people enjoy [enjoyed] a video they are [were] 97 per cent more likely to purchase the product seen in the video.

Sarah Wood, chief operating officer of Unruly, commented: "If a brand creates great video content and makes it easy to share, it will see impressive results across the entire purchase funnel."

B2B videos
Online videos created by B2B marketing executives like you will vary from those created by B2C firms but this doesn't mean they should be dull.

After all, the more engaging and funny a video is the more likely it is to be shared on social media sites.

Try creating online videos that showcase how your product or service works in funny circumstances, add interactive elements such as alternative endings, and incorporate question and answer scenarios too.

Let us know if you have seen any interesting B2B videos or if you have created on yourself send it over and we will showcase it in our pipeline e-newsletter.

ROI-based social media

I attended a webinar yesterday produced by Sherpa sponsored by Facebook. The topic was  Strategic Social Media Marketing - getting your business or agency started with an ROI-based approach.

The greatest thing I learned is that, while currently the majority of marketers are able to track only 10% of their marketing investment in social media directly to the bottom line, there is a tremendous adoption rate for social as a relevant channel - for B2B and B2C companies. The additional benefits, while many, specifically include the cost savings as compared to many other channels and the ability to easily integrate social with channels like email and your website. There was significant agreement about building a quality audience through "like" and "share" requests as compared to asking a large, broad audience to register for a competition or prize to build an audience who are only in it for the prize, not because they are likely to engage with your brand.

The bottom line? The same strategic approach is necessary to see ROI in social as it is in any other marketing channel: segment and target your audience, build a community with relevant content and messages, and maintain ongoing communications with them to establish relationships.

View the event recap on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23sherpawebinar 

To register and receive the event recording, visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/339798849