by Mauren Kunz, Vollmer Public Relations Houston
I admit it – I’m a “slugger.” You know, one of those crazy Houstonians who pick up total strangers from the side of the road just to take the carpool lane during rush hour. I mean, who can blame me when it shaves 30 minutes off my otherwise two-hour commute?
Don’t worry. I’ve done it for years and have taken precautions to stay safe. I’ve even mapped out possible escape routes and determined the best places to crash my car (passenger side first) without interfering too much with traffic should I end up with a psycho. (Maybe I’ve been watching a little too much of the TV show “24.”)
But it’s not just saving time that attracts me to slugging, it’s also the fact that I’m fascinated by the people I meet and the things I learn from doing it. From city workers to restaurant chefs, the head of HR or the IT assistant down the street, I’ve met them all, and sometimes I’m inspired to share with others the conversations that result.
Such was a recent experience I had after I picked up a technology consultant and a legal assistant. By request, I had the opportunity to spend 30 minutes educating my riders about something that I’m really passionate about: social media.
I work on the business-to-business (B2B) team here at Vollmer, and our conversation took a spin in that direction when the rather skeptical looking technology consultant asked: "Why should B2B companies care about social media if their business doesn’t target the typical consumer? "
Simple. B2B customers are people, too. They have real lives and exist in real places. Sure, traditionally they haven’t sought out information about products and services on line, but technology and integration have changed communication and B2B companies are recognizing that.
In fact, according to a recent Business.com social media survey, 81 percent of B2B businesses maintaining company-related accounts or profiles on social media sites compared with 67 percent of B2Cs. That helps explain why more than 50 percent of Vollmer’s B2B clients have requested social media services – it works and they see it.
In pleading my case about why B2Bs should be involved in social media, these are the top three reasons I gave my riders:
1) Crisis communication – Social media is one of the quickest ways to spread the word about an emergency, but when a crisis comes, it’s too late. Companies need to start now to build followers and rapport so that when the tough news comes, they have a base network to help communicate the word.
2) Increased visibility – Companies should use social media to tell their story, because if they don’t, someone else will and it might not be accurate. Social media’s also a great outlet for recruiting, advancing important issues, building relationships and strengthening thought leadership.
3) Increased awareness – Social media is one of the fastest ways to see what’s being said about a company. With so many free online monitoring sources such as Google alerts, Addict-o-matic and BoardTracker, there’s little reason to be caught unaware of a potential problem. Companies can monitor what’s being said about them, their customers and even their competitors to learn how to be a better business partner.
In the end, my riders agreed that B2B companies and the general public alike could really benefit from social media. As I dropped them off, we swapped business cards, said our goodbyes and set off about our lives. I hope they felt better informed and maybe even better prepared to educate others about the pluses of social media for B2Bs.
Want to hear more about my next slugging adventures? Follow me on Twitter @maurenkunz. You just never know what you might learn.