By Alex Romanovich, Founder of EuroSpaClub International and Social2B

Inspired by this avatar designed by Jonathan Mak, a Hong Kong student, watching hours of YouTube videos of Steve Jobs appearances, and a hunting in my attic to find some relics of my 80′s ‘IBM geek era’, I decided to write this blog post.

I wanted to get things out – heavy thoughts that had accumulated in my head and were firmly sitting on my chest. Mixed feelings of nostalgia, anger and hope, were bunched up together, looking to get out in some form of communication with my close friends and those who could relate.

The first thought that came through my mind – how can the world lose someone like Steve Jobs when we need substance, innovation and forward thinking more than ever?

But the world goes on.

I met Steve twice in the late 80′s, at a few ‘geek’ functions and conferences. All but for 1-2 minutes per each encounter – once to shake his hand and once to look into his eyes, and another time to simply stand beside him and listen. I didn’t have to really listen – just being next to him and looking at him was enough – his piercing smile, his energy, and his presence spoke a lot.

Steve was the shining light in design, innovation and technology – he was feared, admired and ridiculed in the 80′s and 90′s, and then was absolutely revered in 2000′s. His death is a jolt to many of us who are still looking for answers – in marketing, technology, management and leadership. This type of jolt will be remembered, and hopefully will be applied as an example of what to do better and how to focus in the future. And most importantly – how to deliver.

As a marketer and a former technology architect, I try to apply many ‘textbook’ examples or case studies from the industry to do the ‘right stuff’, yet, Steve’s new video or Apple’s latest ‘surprise’ announcement always defies conventional ‘marketing logic’ for me.

He didn’t believe in focus groups, and he didn’t think that ‘the customer is always right’.

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” – was his mantra throughout the years.

He always thought that ‘stealing ideas to make yours better’ was OK, and it is better to be a ‘pirate than to join a navy’. “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” – was another one of his controversial remarks.

And yet he was a staunch supporter of anti-piracy laws.

I was a WinTel PC and Unix Workstation user for over 20 years and would always dismiss a Mac as a ‘toy’, a ‘school box’, an ‘artist eye candy’. Yet, after the announcement of the iPhone, I caved in – I bought a MacBook Pro and wanted to really understand what everyone was so ‘giddy’ about. After using the Mac for about 3 months, with ‘cloud’ and all, I finally got it.

I finally understood that for Steve, ‘marketing’ and ‘product development’ was not just a process of delivering great products – it was the product itself and how it changed our lives and our emotions. For him, branding was not just about visuals and great communications – it was about making products and delivering services that carried that branding forward and delighted you every day. It’s as if he programed his entire product family to carry his message and his passion forward on its own.

So I am hooked, and every time I will go back to other products, I will expect the same quality. I will expect the same level of integration, design, and passion. And I will expect the same from my partners, my team, and my rivals. And most importantly, I will do my best to deliver the same.

Steve’s death jolted me into thinking that you can’t really call it ‘marketing’ until you do exactly what he did. And as a great prize fighter, he exited the rink.

We will continue to wonder about the ‘next Steve Jobs’ and may come out empty-handed. It doesn’t really matter, because Steve did what very few could accomplish – he took his passion, his ideas, his relentless pursuit of quality, his ‘dictatorship’ and his quirkiness and focused on delivering a product that can stand up to his dreams in many ways.

He completed the circle and he delivered on the promise of his vision – something that many companies are still trying to do after decades and billions of dollars of investment. In the end, the lesson learned for marketers and technologists – it’s not enough to have a vision or good intentions; it’s not enough to build great teams and command great budgets; it’s not enough to produce great products.

It’s about completing the circle, delivering on the promise of the brand, and doing it over and over again. As for Steve – he set the bar for all of us in technology, business, marketing and government. It’s up to us to live up to his expectations.

Rest in Peace; as you will always be in our hearts as the shining beacon of hope!

In the wake of Google+, law firms are being forced to rethink their strategy. Attorneys are already growing a decent following on Facebook and Twitter, sharing the latest in legal news (as well as showing themselves as likable people). Small communities are popping up around such topics as accident injury, food poisoning, and toy recalls. The addition of Google+ gives the legal industry something new to think about.

The early adopters of Google+ will have to work hard to gain the trust of the social community and get into their circles. The best way to do this would be by developing and sharing fresh and exciting content, as well as engaging with others in the public stream.

It doesn’t just take great content. Growing a community in social media requires the careful use of ad words, engagement, and thoughtful design. A professional looking page still goes a long way in today’s competitive market. For an attorney, it’s also important to come across as a likeable person and not just another lawyer.  The occasional non-business status update and genuinely responding to others in the stream will make a lawyer seem more personable.

Sharing content across multiple social platforms will also increase a law firm’s chances of landing a client. It’s already been proven that Facebook users aren’t as likely to be Twitter users. Although, the majority of Twitter users are found to be active on Facebook. Through the use of Twitter chats, Facebook polls, blog posts and now Google+ huddles and sparks… attorneys have multiple ways to share what they have to offer, listen to their potential clients needs, and act accordingly.

However, Google+ isn’t for the casual social media user. It seems to have attracted those who are typically early adopters of technology. So if a law firm is looking to expand its reach in the social media community, being a part of the new platform will show they’re forward thinkers. And the upcoming addition of Google+ for businesses will make the social transition even easier.

Here are some new terms coined by Google+:

Circles:

These are groups sorted according to their relationship to the user. Family, Friends, Clients, and even People Who Annoy Me all have their place in Google+ Circles. Status updates and content sharing can be done publicly or can be limited to specific circles. This comes in handy when you’re talking about that crazy weekend in Vegas.

Sparks:

Sparks are content create based on the users interests. This comes in handy when it comes to sharing relevant content.

Huddles:

A huddle is essentially a group chat messenger. It allows you to communicate with users in various circles.

Hangouts:

Just like it sounds… a hangout is a video chat room for groups. Users can participate via video, voice, or text chat. Content such as a YouTube video can also be shared in a Hangout.

Many specialized industries will be jumping into Google+ in the days and weeks to come. Not only would Law Firms benefit from being so technically savvy… but the medical field and financial divisions would also do well by updating their social media strategies. Take my word for it. Better yet… shoot me a message (KellyL@Social2B.com) or a tweet (@Social2B) and I’ll help to train you or your enterprise for the next phase of your social media marketing. *Photo Credit Aaron Wood on Google+*

By Marina Shapiro

‘Out with the old, and in with the new.’  The industry of Social Media Marketing is maturing and we are predicting a new dawn for the Social Media revolution. So, what will it mean to be ‘social’ in 2011?  What aspects of Social Media will be integral to the way businesses develop and grow?  How will this impact the technology? Who will ‘win’ at Social Media this year? We’ve compiled top 11 predictions for the world of ‘social’ in 2011.

1. “…next year is really going to be about paring down to the essentials based on proven successes and strong metrics.” http://mashable.com/2010/12/21/small-business-predictions/ 2. “Outsourcing social media such as blogs, writing e-mails, answering customer service inquiries, writing web copy, social media, ghostwritten blogs, tweets. People don’t always have the availability to write, tweet, research and post their own content.” http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2011-big-ideas-for-small-businesses-0835/ 3. “All signs are pointing toward a multicultural Web. By 2015, a billion people in BRIC countries [Brazil, Russia, India and China] will be using PCs. Thus, 2011 will mark the year that businesses either adapt to these changes or get left woefully behind.” http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2011-big-ideas-for-small-businesses-0835/ 4. “If you don’t have a mobile version of your site today, you are already behind.” http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1934793/21-social-media-predictions-trends-2011 5. “B2B companies will catch up to B2C companies in using social media.”           http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1934793/21-social-media-predictions-trends-2011 6. “The Rise of the Marketing Technologist – Marketers for the last few years have been closet techno geeks and it’s time for them to rise up – companies need digitally fluent marketers who can apply technologies to help make marketing more measurable and scientific. Then we can really change the dynamic from marketing as a cost center to marketing as a profit center!” http://socialmediatoday.com/pauldunay/250079/11-b2b-marketing-predictions-2011 7. “Marketing and sales alignment continues to be the #1 issue impeding marketing’s ability to be perceived as a major driver of B2B business value.” http://www.b2bmarketinginsider.com/strategy/b2b-marketing-predictions-for-2011 8. “Consumers’ increasing concerns over noise and privacy will decrease the relatively open access marketers have enjoyed in social channels. The easiest tactics will be the least effective, forcing marketers to bring the same kind of creativity, audience differentiation, and strategy that they bring in other channels. www.forrester.com/rb/Research/2011_now_social_media_marketing_gets_tough/q/id/57771/t/2?cm_mmc=Forrester-_-Blogs-_-Related%20Research-_-5583 9. “Social media measurement will mature rapidly now that there is real money being spent by marketers in the social realm. http://marketingmeasurementtoday.blogspot.com/2011/01/predictions-for-social-media-metrics.html 10.  “Commerce happens in communities of interest — not social networks. First, I’d like to distinguish between a social network and a community of interest, though the terms are often used interchangeably. Social networks or, more aptly, social networking is how we connect with people.” http://adage.com/digitalnext/post?article_id=147897 11.  “In 2011, those brands that truly embrace “social content generation” will build themselves a kingdom. The connections between brand, art or skill and visual communications in a socially connected world can create powerfully authentic appeal for brands.”  http://www.fastcompany.com/1712634/2011-back-to-the-future So there you have it- the 11 ‘social’ pointers set to make big news in 2011.  All of which tell us that the future of Social Media is changing and evolving into a force that no business large or small can afford to ignore.   The future is bright. The future is Social (albeit a new hybrid of ‘social’). Are you ready for it?

Social2B is conducting a survey for small businesses marketing to multicultural markets. Take a survey, re-tweet it and mention Social2B via #social2b hashtag (Twitter), or by name – Social2B,  to be entered into a drawing to win a free Social Media Marketing Assessment and a free Blog design.

Click Here to take survey

February 9th, 2010. By Alex Romanovich. Is Social Media just another channel? Yes, it may be, but it is so much more than that. Social Media is forcing corporations (brands) to look at how they engage with their clients, how they use information, and how they respond to events. It is forcing companies to treat Social Media as part of their overall value chain. For the B2Bsector, marketing opportunities have always existed throughout the value chain – from logistics to marketing and sales. With the introduction of more pronounced and readily accepted Social Media Marketing techniques into the consumer marketing space, the opportunities for business to generate leads, improve customer service, and raise brand awareness in the B2B arena are becoming more pronounced. The most recent eMarketer polls, as well as B2B Magazine’s report titled “2010 Outlook”, indicate that Social Media Marketing (SMM) will become increasingly important to B2B marketers. Note: This post continues at The Social CMO blog. Please click here.

By Kent Huffman.

June 15th, 2009

Kent Huffman is the CMO at BearCom Wireless. You can follow him on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/KentHuffman

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Twitter. It’s all the rage in the social media world these days. But how can you best leverage it for tangible business-to-business marketing purposes? One way is to build your own community within Twitter.

Several months ago, I became interested in Twitter when a colleague told me about his positive experiences with the popular social media tool and insisted that I check it out. After signing up for an account and reading a few tweets, I immediately saw its potential as a community development tool. Being a long-time B2B marketer, I decided to build a group of folks interested in marketing who could inspire and help each other grow professionally by sharing ideas and information. But I didn’t know exactly how to go about creating that community.

I ultimately decided to treat it as I would any other important marketing initiative—by first developing a well-defined strategy and a set of related tactics. Over the next couple of months, I created and then tweaked the strategy and honed the tactics through trial and error. I then boiled everything down to a seven-step process that I’m sharing with you here in hopes that you can use it to develop your own B2B community on Twitter.

Step One: Define Your Goals and Target Community

Before you launch your presence on Twitter, determine what specific goals and objectives you want to accomplish. Then parlay that into a methodical plan to build a community around that goal, including defining your target audience.

Step Two: Find and Follow Like-Minded Tweeters

Once you’ve set up a Twitter account, use www.Search.Twitter.com, www.Twellow.com, www.TweepSearch.com, www.TweetBeep.com, and similar tools to find other tweeters who share the same interests as you and would appear to make good members of your fledgling community. Then follow them.

Step Three: Read and Learn

For a week or two, read the tweets posted by those whom you are following and learn from them. Understand what their interests are and how they use Twitter to communicate with others. Note which tweets and tweeters are the most appealing to you and why.

Step Four: Create Effective, Compelling Tweets

When you’re ready to begin tweeting, first determine what topics you will write about. One of the most effective strategies is to position yourself as a subject matter expert in one or two areas. Make sure those topics directly relate to the community you’re trying to build. And take a thoughtful approach by writing clever, interesting tweets that are likely to be retweeted by others.

As is the case with pretty much everything on the Internet, content is king on Twitter. Build a strong foundation for your “Twitter brand” and give other tweeters a reason to follow you by adhering to these basic dos and don’ts when composing your tweets…

Do…

· Feature newsworthy items

· Divulge “inside information”

· Share original thoughts and ideas

· Participate in conversations

· Provide useful links

· Ask engaging questions

· Inject personality and humor

· Retweet when appropriate

Don’t…

· Discuss what you had for breakfast

· Tweet too frequently or infrequently

· Ignore questions or comments by other tweeters

· Try to promote your product or service in every tweet

Step Five: Develop Unique Content for Your Community

In addition to writing focused, compelling tweets, another important key to success in building a strong community on Twitter is to create special content that will be of interest to your followers. One of the most effective types of content enables the members of your community to easily find and interact with each other, such as lists of experts and leaders who tweet about subjects that directly pertain to your community. In my case, I developed a series of unique marketing-related lists:

· www.SystemicMarketing.com/top-cmos-on-twitter

· www.SystemicMarketing.com/top-marketing-book-authors-on-twitter

· www.SystemicMarketing.com/top-marketing-professors-on-twitter

Other types of content can be very effective as well, such as blog posts—where you can discuss specific subjects in more detail (such as the post you’re now reading)—and other online and offline resources related to your core topic(s).

By creating this content, you’re providing a forum for your community that enables its members to connect to others like them. As a result, you’ll develop a reputation as a knowledgeable facilitator who is more interested in giving than taking. That can be very powerful.

Step Six: Grow Relationships

As you expand your following on Twitter, you’ll naturally gravitate toward specific tweeters with whom you can most closely relate. Develop a closer relationship with them by publicly commenting on their tweets, retweeting them, and recommending them to your community, as well as privately engaging them in one-on-one conversations, both online and offline. Do whatever you can to help them without asking for anything in return.

Step Seven: Wash, Rinse, and Repeat

Once you’ve found your “Twitter rhythm,” continue to expand your community by growing your followers list, cleaning it up from time to time, and repeating steps two through six indefinitely. You’ll find that creating and participating in your community will be a very rewarding experience, not only for you, but everyone involved.

In the final analysis, building a B2B community on Twitter is about creating value in terms of content and relationships. Even more basic than that, it’s about giving, not taking. That’s really what will help keep your community healthy, active, and growing.

Read the Greenlight360 Case Study that describes how this process has been used to produce real, measurable results on Twitter.

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Kent Huffman is the CMO at BearCom Wireless. You can follow him on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/KentHuffman.

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I recently sat down with my friend, Pete Karinik, the founder of The CMO Club (www.thecmoclub.com), to have a frank discussion about crisis and how marketers should handle it. Here is what we’ve discussed.

1)    How is marketing of “services” different from marketing tangible products?

Selling ‘services’ was always a fascinating topic for many companies – product and services firms alike. The reason for that is simple – when you sell services, you sell value, and selling value is always more difficult than selling a tangible product, like the iPhone, an automobile, or a piece of clothing. Any services business, from a neighborhood beauty salon to a giant accounting firm, such as KPMG, knows that clients value quality, consistency, transparency (honesty), and innovation. I also think that at times of peril, meaning now, we have to look at selling the ‘basic idea’ – if you do your work well, and you are passionate about your clients, you will do fine. The other basic idea we often overlook is that when you are selling a ‘service’, you are selling a relationship with your client, and trust, not just an offering or an innovative idea. That relationship is built on numerous nuances, from a simple greeting to a major overhaul of the client’s financial system, and is backed by months and years of proven experience, trust and history. And that’s what defines your brand.

2)    What is different about marketing of services based on the economic downturn?

We are faced with one of the biggest economic downturns of our century (counting the 20th as well) – almost all of the traditional rules of business are either erased or redefined. We are not just losing jobs, but entire industry segments, and perhaps service professions, as we know them. With these extensive changes in business, and in our society, marketing of services continues to be very challenging, if not impossible, in some cases. Innovation is threatened by myopic thinking of ‘cost-cutting’ and business progress can only be made through ‘cost justification’, not passion, creative reasoning, or risk taking. In these times service marketers are challenged the most, and yet by now, they also have a greater opportunity and toolsets at their fingertips. Yes, they still need to prove the value of their respective companies, and listen to their clients, and improve their services; however they have an easier time doing it, surrounded by new advances in social media, communication approaches, and client interactions. At times like these, it seems that all traditional ‘bets are off’ when it comes to communicating to your clients, yet difficult decision still need to be made when an important customer, for example, is asking you to lower your cost, or provide your service free of charge for a period of time. That’s when the relationship will be tested. Face to face. And that’s when service marketers and their CEOs will need courage, most of all. I still think that going back to basics is important. Services executives need to communicate more and better – to clients, employees, partners, and competitors. I do see many progressive companies doing just that.

3) Who does a great job of marketing services and why?

First, let’s agree on a definition of a ‘services’ company, in contrast to a company selling or manufacturing a product. I think there are numerous examples of traditional services companies, such as airlines, financial services institutions, healthcare and education institutions, technology services companies, and government agencies. We have seen the service levels of many improve, and some have disappointed us. I will talk about some examples of where we have seen progress and consistency, and the ones that have lowered their bar. And many companies will continue to prove their mettle in times like these, so the judgment is out for at least the next 2-3 years.

Examples:

I was always impressed by Federal Express, yet I have to say that United Parcel Service (UPS) has come a long way and proved to be a worthy competitor, and in many cases, a leader in the Logistics and Delivery category. UPS’ basic delivery service has improved tremendously, yet there were also many improvements on the interaction side, via Internet and face-to-face. And, yes the United States Post Office is not doing badly either.

We are experiencing a tremendous shift in the travel and hospitality industry – the ‘frequent flyers’ are being replaced by ‘empty runways and underutilized hotel lobbies’, yet some airlines and hotel chains are trying to go out of their way to please, and yet some take an attitude of ‘hey, we are in a crisis mode, what do you expect?’. I have always been pleased with the international airlines, such as Lufthansa (for their consistency), Asiana Airlines (for their superb service), and Virgin Atlantic (for their innovative ideas and spunk). I am impressed with how well Continental is doing in times of crisis, and somewhat disappointed with American, for their ‘apathy in service’.

There are other numerous examples of companies continuing to do well, even at times of peril and cost cutting, and yes, layoffs. Goldman Sachs, Medco Health Solutions, American Express, Whole Foods Market, Nordstrom, and others are glaring examples of great services companies, continuing to earn their trust and innovating. And I am sure many of us can also add a number of thousands of small and medium size businesses, who love their clients and live for their satisfaction.

4) What should a marketer do in a time of crisis?

Analyze first, and then act. And go back to basics.

Before doing anything, know your service well. Know every nuance, every quark, and every issue that can potentially embarrass you or lower the level of the service. Analyze what you can do better to improve your service levels and innovate with that in mind.

Then, know your clients, your partners, and your competitors well. Dig deep into the surveys (if you don’t, conduct them) and analyze data from promotions, client engagements, and competitive wins and losses. In our new and brave world of marketing analytics, you have plenty of help.

Talk to your clients with an open mind, realistic expectations, and a set of new ideas on how to improve your service, their business, and your overall relationship. Especially now, get to know their business better, dig deeper into their operations and learn more about their challenges.

Once you are armed with information, act and act quickly. This is not the time to sit back and contemplate on the past performance and the fear of the future – you have to execute now! Execute by promoting your best and brightest – remember that the services business is all about people – your clients and your employees. Review and eliminate the worst performing service categories or offerings – if they were doing badly during good times, they will be completely dead now. Corral the rest of the company around the ‘centralized minimalist’ strategy – if we have to cut cost, let’s do it together, in a well balanced approach, and keeping our clients at the forefront of our minds. Marketers have an opportunity to continue to be the ‘cheerleaders’ during the times of struggle – but it has to be done with data in hand and a set of specific, concrete, and justifiable actions.

Once you have the data, you have the support of others, and you have your clients in plain view – execute. Go out to your clients and talk to them, emphasize, preempt any difficult conversations by frank and open communications, and listen. Listen and act. Act with conviction, passion and empathy. And that becomes your every day ‘routine’.

And finally, innovate. Use the latest Social Marketing techniques, build client communities, and partner with others. It may sound all too logical, but executing the above takes discipline.