“The strategic threat to Facebook is that power users have gone to Twitter or to Google+,” Parker explained, during an address at the annual Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

According to Parker, a power user is “any user that regularly contributes [significant] content to Facebook which is being consumed by everyone else.”

In other words, a lot of influential companies and celebrities are migrating to sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Google + that are set up to maximize the ROI on their status updates/tweets.

A quick look at Facebook on any given day reveals a snapshot of what Parker’s referring to. The overwhelming majority of Facebook users post and respond to info about their own personal lives, whereas Twitter is more geared toward a person or entity promoting a brand, product or image.

People don’t follow nearly as many friends on Twitter as they do on Facebook. As the social media landscape shifts, the question becomes: What will Facebook do to evolve beyond a site where people go to see what their friends are up to?

More importantly, what will attract the power users to Facebook, as opposed to Twitter and Google+? As the power users go, so does a social media site’s popularity, assuming Parker’s on the money.

Source: “Facebook power users have gone to Google + and Twitter,” by Emma Barnett, Telegraph, 10/18/11.

Today, he’s on a business-oriented site, pointing at an important document. Meanwhile, the same character is on the landing page of a different business: same face, same pose.

Point: Those stock images that served businesses so well in the past are losing their impact.

Visitors to your site don’t want to see the same business-suit clad guy they just saw at another site. Or last week. Or on a competitor’s site.

They want to see real people.

Marketers wised up to the problem years ago for print ads and billboards, but websites are lagging.

Marketing experts say things like, “People don’t buy from websites. They buy from people.”

When you get right down to it, that’s true.

But it unnerves customers when they’re confronted with a “fake” person — who always seems to be smiling — trying to win their business.

There a few alternate paths you can take to show website visitors that real people use and appreciate your product or service.

1. Look inside. Your best experts might be under your own roof. Somebody who actually makes, designs or markets the product might have the best face to attach to your sales effort.
2. LinkedIn. Comb through LinkedIn profiles for people who could be experts, and have a well-rounded LinkedIn profile. Customers will immediately identify these folks as real people, which is big boost on the credibility scale.
3. Make experts easy to find. Visitors can click on the face/thumbnail portrait or name and be linked to the expert, where they can find critical information.
4. Blogs. Providing links (some with photos, some without) to a practitioner’s blogs will also establish credibility.

There are three specific tools in that toolbox, and misconceptions surrounding each one:

• LinkedIn. LinkedIn is not for networking. It takes people power to build a network — making personal connections in the professional world. LinkedIn is the venue where you showcase the network you’ve constructed, highlight your ability to connect with other people, highlight your connections and boost your credibility.
• Twitter. With a 140-character limit, Twitter is not the place for holding conversations. It takes more words to establish a true connection. Twitter can help you sort through various sources and subjects, but it’s the springboard for arranging a conversation — not the home for such conversations.
• Generosity. It’s said that the people who are most successful in using social media to leverage their business goals are also the most generous people — as in they demand or expect nothing in return for what they offer to potential customers or business connections. Find out how people want you to help them — then deliver. When you provide solutions, no strings attached, you’ve forged the beginnings of what could be a valuable working relationship.

The most common name of American CEOs in today’s marketplace: Peter.

That’s right … Peter, followed by Bob, Jack, Bruce and Fred.

This according to a 2011 LinkedIn study of more than 100 million user profiles, which revealed some surprising correlations between first names and a person’s likely career trajectory.

The majority of common CEO names are one-syllable diminutives – quick, popular, easy to spell or memorize.

On the other hand, none of the top five female CEO names are single-syllable diminutives (e.g., Deborah, Sally, Debra, Cynthia and Carolyn). Women feel using proper names in the workplace increases the respect subordinates will afford them.

In both cases, the longer the name is, syllablically speaking, the more chance that person is to wind up in a blue-collar profession like hospitality, construction and/or service (among others).

One major positive for multi-syllabic namesakes – for some reason, engineering seems to embrace people with six letters or more in their names.

A new study of small businesses by Roost shows that an overwhelming number of them (71.4%) now put their marketing eggs in the social media basket.

Only 15% said paid search was their marketing tactic of choice.

More telling stats:

• 88% said social media marketing is either “somewhat important” or “very important.”
• 84% said Facebook is the most effective social channel
• 8.3% said it was LinkedIn, and
• 7.6% said they rely on Twitter most.

One challenge businesses are still trying to overcome: How can they measure the value of their social media marketing efforts — and the eventual payoff?

Nearly half (45%) of small businesses surveyed are still seeking the answer, and 38.5% admitted it was pretty much a shot in the dark for them.

Nearly 20% of sales managers believe “knowing the best time to contact a prospect” is the most crucial key to closing more deals.

Coincidentally, the most reliable predictor of whether a prospect will say “yes” is whether he/she has entered a “window of dissatisfaction.”

That window refers to qualified prospects who:

• can absolutely benefit from changing suppliers (or investing in new products and services)
• are in a position to buy (i.e., not subject to budget cuts or cost freezes), and
• are not currently in the market for a new supplier.

Prospects who meet these standards represent 60-90% of the average sales organization’s best opportunities.

“Window” prospects represent such a huge revenue stream specifically because they’re not in the market for a new supplier.

Reason: Top-performing sales organizations are masterful at engaging these prospects before they start actively pursuing a new supplier.

How do they locate these prospects? Here are three proven tactics:

1. Create a prospect profile. Base it on contact data for accounts you’ve closed in the past year – SIC, region, industry, title, buying history, etc.
2. Use social media. Seek out groups, message boards, and/or networking pages where large clusters of qualified leads congregate. Note: LinkedIn even has a function which allows you to narrow your search by keyword, region, title, company and/or industry.
3. Actively pursue referrals (and testimonials). In today’s economy, loyal customers are a company’s best asset. Leverage that by offering incentives to buyers who can steer more business your way.

In 90% of cases where window prospects are converted into buyers, the prospects were the ones who initiated first contact by:

• registering on a company’s website
• contacting Customer Service with questions about a specific product, or
• following the company on a specific social media site.

What separates best-in-class companies from average sales organizations is the ability to capitalize on those opportunities.

Some proven strategies that have helped companies attract and close more window prospects:

• offering white papers, discounts, articles or free e-newsletters on the company’s website (so prospects have an incentive to register)
• determining which lead source provides the most high-probability prospects, and increasing the percentage of leads purchased from that source
• eliminating (or at the very least temporarily shelving) leads that don’t match the prospect profile, and
• Implementing a system that ensures reps follow up with prospects ASAP once they make an inquiry, view a product’s landing page, respond to an email offer or start “following” the company’s social media feed.

Note: Companies that follow up with prospects within the first 24 hours are 50% more likely to convert those opportunities into sales.

Source: “3 Ways to Get the Best Customers,” a webinar by Craig Elias and Scott Allen.

1. Extensive experience
2. Innovative
3. Motivated
4. Results-oriented
5. Dynamic
6. Proven track record
7. Team player
8. Fast-paced
9. Problem solver
10. Entrepreneurial

No doubt most of us have heard these workplace cliches time and again, especially during interviews.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this list is the fact that if execs and/or job candidates are using any of these phrases to describe themselves on resumes, cover letters, social networking sites, in meetings, at industry functions, or during interviews, they”re doing very little to separate themselves from the pack.

In fact, it may even be a good idea to look at the list and consider some strong alternatives, so the adjectives you use to describe yourself don’t make you sound like every other exec out there. Some examples:

1. Extensive experience: Expert in the field, senior executive, acquired years of expertise (you may also want to use accomplishments, accolades, awards and/or advanced degrees to do the talking for you).
2. Innovative: Sharp, cutting edge, original, ground-breaking.
3. Motivated: Driven, determined, excited, optimistic, enthused, intense, high-powered.
4. Results-oriented: performance-driven, goal-driven, numbers-driven, revenue-producing.
5. Dynamic: electric, catalytic, strong presence, leadership potential, competitive.
6. Proven track record: Resume/experience speaks for itself (This is another case of show, don’t tell. In other words, let testimonials, references, accolades and a list of accomplishments do the work for you).
7. Team player: Cooperative, collaborative, able to assimilate to any corporate culture, agreeable, company-focused, capable of delegating, dedicated to helping the team succeed.
8. Fast-paced: (see “dynamic” above).
9. Problem solver: Welcoming new challenges, partner, consultant, solutions provider.
10. Entrepreneurial: Self-motivated, spurred on by my own accomplishments, forward thinking (Again, if you’re truly entrepreneurial, your resume and accomplishments should say that for you.)

Source: “Did you use one of these 10 most overused buzzwords in your LinkedIn profile this year?” by Manu Sharma, LinkedIn Blog, 12/14/10.

Here are some findings in a new study from the PewResearchCenter that show why companies should stick with online commercial marketing — and may give you some ideas as to where to invest next:

1. 58% of Americans have gone online to research products or services before they buy.
2. One in four (24%) have followed up by reviewing or commenting online about the purchase.
3. Today, 21% of adults go online to get product information — up from 9% in 2004 and 15% in 2007.
4. The number of consumers who went online to purchase products such as clothing, books, toys and music was 52% in 2010, compared with 36% in 2000.
5. Social media sites — Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. — regularly draw 46% of Americans, up 5% from 2005.
6. The higher a person’s income is, the more likely he or she is to conduct online searches.
7. Non-business folks securing travel services like airline tickets, rental cars or hotel reservations rose to 52% this year — up from 22% in 2000.

1. Conduct your own competitive analysis. Budgets are tight and so is competition. So it’s safe to assume prospects are going to consider all of their buying options before making a final decision. Proactive salespeople compensate by doing their own competitive research up front. That way they’re well prepared to overcome any objections (or perhaps even avoid them altogether). Competitive research also helps salespeople uncover where a prospect’s existing supplier is coming up short, and how to capitalize. Finally, presenting prospects with your own analysis allows you to control the comparison process, answer any questions the prospect has and present the data in a way that works in your favor.
2. Use the web to build stronger relationships. Social networking is increasingly popular with sales organizations these days, and rightfully so. Best-in-class companies like Zappos and Best Buy use business networking sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn to boost sales, increase loyalty and respond to service requests ASAP. But networking sites are just one way to boost sales and loyalty via the Internet. E-zines, e-newsletters, blogs, message boards and e-mail surveys are all popular ways for salespeople to stay on buyers’ radars and gain actionable feedback, while building stronger relationships in the process. These resources are also a great way to promote your company’s brand, as well as any special offers buyers can benefit from.
3. Let buyers dictate how you communicate. Technology offers countless ways for salespeople to communicate with buyers — e-mail, cell phones, text messages, social networking, etc. But the reality is most buyers prefer one mode of communication to all others. But that one mode is different for everyone. So sometimes it’s best to let the situation dictate what’s appropriate. In other cases, it may help to simply ask prospects, “What’s the best way for me to contact you?” It empowers prospects by giving them control of the process, but it also lets them know you’re willing to handle things according to their preference.
4. Reinforce the value of your service. With so many buying options available online, it’s never been more crucial for sales pros to convey the value they personally bring to the table. How can you maximize the return buyers should expect to see from their investments, increase the effectiveness of the products/services they purchase or help them avoid bad buying decisions? Why should prospects allow you to guide them through the buying process instead of just doing their own research and making an informed decision? Salespeople who are prepared to answer these questions are in a much better position to earn buyers’ trust, and, ultimately, win more sales in today’s tech-dependent marketplace.

Based in part on Own the Room by David Booth.
For more info, visit www.eloqui.com

Nearly 85% of sales organizations have a social media program in place, and 75% plan to expand their efforts in the months to come, according to a recent study conducted by MoreVisibility (a leader in Web 2.0 technology).

Some other findings:

• 98% of companies use Twitter as the main focus of their social media initiatives
• 96% of companies use Facebook as a secondary source, and
• 74% also use LinkedIn as part of their strategy.

Most experts agree that social media hasn’t reached its full potential yet, at least in a business sense.  When respondents were asked how successful their social media initiatives had been thus far (on a scale of 1-5):

• Just over 8% rated their program a five, which meant they were seeing an outstanding return.
• 40% rated their program a four
• 39% rated their program a three
• 11% rated their program a two, and
• 2% were completely dissatisfied with social media.

Of those companies that had a social media strategy in place:

• Just over 70% spent less than $5,000 a year on social media marketing initiatives
• 7.5% spent between $10,000 and $25,000, and
• Only 5% spend more than $100,000 a year.

Source: “Social Media as Marketing Tool Booming,” a press release from MoreVisibility, HARO and PitchEngine. For more, visit MoreVisibility.com

Have you found any unique ways to turn social networking into a valuable resource? Let us know in the Comments Box below.

The number of Facebook users is growing at a phenomenal rate, and many marketers say they’re now starting to see the social media site as an effective way to connect with their target audience.

In February, Facebook hit 400 million users — twice the size of its user base in 2009. Experts says it’ll grow to 500 million by June, an increase of 25% in only four months.

Up to now, most B2B marketers have steered clear of Facebook, instead opting for blogs, Twitter, message boards and networks like LinkedIn.

But here are three recent developments that could make Facebook a more viable avenue for your B2B marketing:

1. More business-friendly. Recent developments include a function that allows businesses to put a Facebook “like” button next to products or services on their websites.
2. More focus on discussion about your business or your product. Using Facebook’s “Wall” gives your content immediate exposure and allows for user interaction. It provides a much better venue for highlighting your own products than other networks. LinkedIn, for example, frowns on self-promotion.
3. Moving up in search engine results. Setting up a Facebook brand page can land you more real estate on the first page of search results. How? When you write your company description/profile in Facebook, be sure to include relevant keywords and website links. Search engine indexes will pick up on them and boost your search engine ranking. It’s another way to establish an easier-to-find web presence.

1. Most new purchases need to be justified and/or approved: Unless you’re selling direct to CEOs, chances are your prospects will have to get the green light before any sales can be finalized. What may be helpful is to ask prospects early on who else is involved in the decision-making process, then work to gain as many internal champions as possible. Consider how each sale will impact the others involved in the buying process, so everyone — not just prospects — think your products/services are beneficial.
2. It’s a buyer’s market: Prospects have more access to competitive pricing and discount offers than ever before. So what does that mean for salespeople? Conducting more pre-call research and perhaps even offering their own competitive analysis may be required to seal more deals. Taking proactive steps like this helps salespeople anticipate any possible objections, while maintaining control of the process. Finally, providing your own competitive analysis allows you to highlight all the areas where you offer superior value and ROI.
3. Everyone is doing more with less: Companies are leaner, and most prospects are being asked to take on additional responsibilities. That means they don’t have nearly as much time to spend listening to a lengthy pitch. Salespeople may be able to use that to their advantage, by focusing on solutions that can help prospects eliminate costs or save time.
4. Loyalty is at an all-time low: The average company now loses 10%-30% of its customers every year and 50% of its buyers every five years, according to Carlson Marketing research. That’s a direct result of all the other offers buyers are bombarded with today. But salespeople can boost customer loyalty by focusing on building strong relationships. With the growing popularity of social networking outlets like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, salespeople have even more ways to maintain a dialogue with buyers, solicit ongoing feedback, monitor what’s changing about customers’ businesses, etc.

Adapted from “Sales Lessons Learned From Selling in a Recession,” by Kelley Robertson

A new study from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business shows a steady increase in social media adoption by small business. The school’s Small Business Success Index™ (SBSI), sponsored by Network Solutions® and the Center for Excellence in Service, reports social media adoption by small businesses has doubled from 12% to 24% in the last year.

The SBSI shows that nearly one out of five small business owners are actively using social media in their business. Small businesses are increasingly investing in social media applications including blogs, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles.

Key social media usage highlights include:

• 75% surveyed have a company page on a social networking site
• 61% use social media for identifying and attracting new customers
• 57% have built a network through a site like LinkedIn, and
• 45% expect social media to be profitable in the next twelve months.

The school’s study was based on interviews with 500 small business owners. Technology priorities include:

• Company Web sites seem to be the top technology investment in the next two years, with small businesses either adding new features/functionality to their existing Web sites or building one from scratch
• The ability to showcase their products and services online to attract new customers is second in the hierarchy of technology investments, and
• Social media investments rank third in small business investments to be made in the next two years.

To download a copy of the Small Business Success Index, click here.

The marketplace is changing and so is the way prospects do business. If you want to maintain your edge in 2010, here are four ways to do it:

1. Maximize your lead pipeline: Chances are the economic downturn has had an impact on who the prospects most likely to do business with your company are. Now’s the time to perform an audit of your sales from the past two years to determine who your high-probability buyers are now (based on SIC, region, executive title, etc.). Once the audit is complete, frontload your pipeline with those leads to give salespeople the best opportunity for success.
2. Sell value over price: While all the talk of an economic rebound continues, a lot of companies are trying to win buyers back by offering one-time discounts and bargain-basement prices. But that’s a short-term strategy that does little to promote customer (or brand) loyalty. Now’s the time to reinforce the long-term benefits of doing business with your company — and keep salespeople talking to prospects about the return, rather than the investment of doing business with your company.
3. Embrace new marketing channels/modes of communication: Cell phones, e-mail, social networking, Web marketing, text messaging, BlackBerrys — they’ve all changed the way prospects communicate. And sales organizations that capitalize on them will be in a position to gain an edge over competitors. Some companies use Twitter to maintain contact and promote new offers. Others use Facebook or LinkedIn. And a lot of salespeople ask prospects how they prefer to communicate upfront, so there’s no confusion about the best way to contact them. Some have even transitioned to offering mobile coupons and announcing last-minute discounts via text message. The key is to find small, low-cost ways to use technology and new modes of communication to improve your relationships with buyers.
4. Differentiate your offer: Right now, there are more companies competing for fewer buyers, which means it’s never been more essential for salespeople to convey what separates their offer from competitors’. A lot of sales organizations have begun to develop their own competitive analysis in light of the fact that prospects now have instant access to competitive prices and low-ball offers thanks to the Web. Creating (and regularly updating) your own competitive analysis allows salespeople to control the process. But it also keeps them on top of what other competitors are offering, as well as where an incumbent supplier may be coming up short. One other approach: Create a sense of urgency by quantifying the cost of not doing business with you.

Source: Selling in Tough Times by Tom Hopkins

1. Best Buy’s Twelpforce: In July of 2009, Best Buy introduced Twelpforce – an entire team of customer service reps who respond to questions and requests exclusively via Twitter. It’s a revolutionary concept that’s already having an impact on satisfaction and loyalty, according to Best Buy CMO Barry Judge. It allows customers to avoid being put on hold, or left to wonder whether their requests are being handled. Instead, the problem is resolved ASAP and the customer knows exactly which steps are being taken to solve the problem. Plus, Twelpforce is a free way for Best Buy to announce and promote new offers and last-minute discounts.
2. Zappos’ CEO engages buyers via Twitter: Zappos reported more than a billion dollars in sales last year for the first time ever. One of the company’s key strategies – creating additional buzz and brand awareness via social networking sites. Zappos set up a microsite devoted to teaching its customers how to register and use Twitter. The Twitter charge was led by Tony Hsieh, Zappos’ CEO, who sent personal requests to develop a community of more than 1,600,000 followers who he interacts with daily. Hsieh uses Twitter to survey customers about business ideas. He also announces contests and free giveaways via his account. All of these updates give “followers” a reason to consistently tune in and find out what the Zappos CEO is up to.
3. Starbucks Coffee introduces “My Starbucks Idea:” Starbucks took social networking into its own hands by creating a customer site called “My Starbucks Idea.” The site gives customers the opportunity to pass on suggestions for improving sales, service or satisfaction. The company then posts the suggestions it’s considering online, encouraging other customers to “Share. Vote. Discuss. See.” The idea is to make customers feel as if they’re part of the company’s decision-making process, while gaining actionable feedback about why and how a certain idea should work. By encouraging customers to share their ideas, discuss what they like, vote for their favorites, and track the results, the company has created its own social network, devoted entirely to all-things-Starbucks.
4. Ernst & Young use Facebook as a recruiting tool: More than 60% of executives now have a profile on at least one of the popular social networking sites. Accounting pros at Ernst & Young decided to use that to their advantage by attracting top recruits via a “Careers” group on Facebook where everyone from intern candidates to high-level execs can see (and apply for) any E&Y job postings that are available. More importantly, the group gives Ernst & Young a consistent outlet for interacting with top recruits even when there are no job openings. That way, when something does become available, the company already has a pool of first-rate candidates who are eager for the opportunity.
5. AT&T develops Twitter microblogs: AT&T hosts a number of regularly-updated blogs available exclusively via Twitter, constantly keeping “followers” updated on industry news, changes to existing products, upcoming launches, as well as ways to maximize the value of AT&T’s service. By using this strategy, AT&T has created a “captive audience,” which it can build rapport with, while cross-selling and upselling new products.
6. Guitarmasterpro.net creates a viral sensation via YouTube: In December of 2005, the sales and marketing team at Guitarmasterpro.net recorded a homemade video of a teenager playing an unbelievable guitar solo in his bedroom. At the end of the solo, a quick ad popped up, explaining the boy learned how to play via Guitarmasterpro. To date, that video has been viewed more than 67 million times. 67 million! While companies like Burger King, Universal and Disney have all mastered the art of viral marketing, Gutiarmasterpro is an example of a small company that found an intriguing way to draw millions of prospects without high-cost ads.

Can you think of any other social networking strategies we’ve missed here? We’d love to have you share them in the comments section below.

The earlier the better.

Business prospects are more active on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn early in the week, found several recent studies.

In fact, click-through rates on Facebook-based brand pages were found to be far better on Tuesdays (9.89%) than any other day of the week, according to social media services vendor Vitrue.

The days with the lowest click-through rates? Saturday (2.67%) and Sunday (2.70%).

In Vitrue’s analysis, if a brand had 100 fans online and received five clicks on a wall post, that represented a click-through rate of 5%.

Of course it still pays to test with your prospects what time works best to update your entries on social media sites.

To keep up, companies must be ready for a vastly different marketing landscape, according to a survey by ContactBabel. Three trends will have the most influence going forward.

1. Instead of relying on phones, prospects and current customers will be perfectly comfortable with e-mail, text messages, instant messaging and other Web-based communications.

2. They’ll expect businesses to be equally adept, and they’ll expect answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

3. Blogs and Web-based communities, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, will increasingly influence prospects’ decisions to buy and existing customers’ decisions to keep buying.

To stay competitive, companies will have to recognize and incorporate these critical success factors:

• They’ll need to change the way incoming calls are handled, giving priority to higher-value customers.
• Prospects and customers will become less willing to wait on hold for answers.
• Customers will want to communicate in a variety of ways, not just on the phone.
• Marketing and service will become everyone’s job as customers will expect immediate and correct answers to their questions.
• Prospects and customers will expect the people they communicate with to be knowledgeable and empowered to make decisions.
• Traditional advertising will have less impact as peer review Web sites and social communities will help drive more buying decisions.

For more background, download “The Customer of the Future” study from ContactBabel-Downloads.com. (Registration required.)