Arikhanson | B2B Voices

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Arikhanson has written 7 articles so far, you can find them below.

Case study: Can accounting firms really be social?

Filed under Uncategorized by Arikhanson on 13 January 2010 at 10:00 {64 comments}

When you cast your gaze across the digital landscape one organization you may not expect to see is an accounting firm. But, one of the leading tax, accounting and consulting firms in the country–RSM McGladrey–has proven that notion wrong over the last year building up quite an online presence in the process.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m a former McGladrey employee. I worked as part of the marketing/PR team for five years in the early 2000s. So, it’s been particularly interesting for me to monitor their progress as they’ve started their first blog, dove into Twitter and started a YouTube channel–all in the past year.

Overall, McGladrey’s one of the more socially active accounting firms. Just take a peek at their online interaction and platforms:

* RSM McGladrey Golf Blog

* Success Starts Here (career/recruiting blog)

* RSM McGladrey Mfg (Manufacturing blog)

* RSM McGladrey ESOP blog

* Official McGladrey Twitter account

* Terri Andrews and Ben Gotkin also tweet under the McGladrey banner

* RSM McGladrey Careers Facebook fan page (more than 1,200 fans)

* McGladrey Careers YouTube channel (1,179 views)

* McGladrey PR News channel (238 views)

* McGladrey LinkedIn Alumni Group (nearly 900 members)

But, as we all know, a “presence” means nothing on the surface. There needs to be an integrated strategy. A solid business case for engaging with these tools. I had the chance to ask Terri Andrews, PR manager at McGladrey, a few questions last week about their engagement, strategy and results so far.

B2B Voices: McGladrey is currently active on a number of different social platforms. How did you sell these ideas internally to senior management who must have been a little skittish?

Terri: Our senior management has been surprisingly receptive so far. They realized early on that social media was going to be the way of the world. And they understood we could either use these tools to solidify our reputation up front or move into reactionary mode online. We’ve been testing the waters since early last year.

B2B Voices: What were your initial goals as you began last year?

Terri: We wanted to get involved in a listening mode. What conversations were happening in areas we were interested in? We really wanted to get a feel for where we could add value. We also feel we can use social media to raise brand awareness in many ways.

B2B Voices: How are you setting expectations internally at McGladrey? And how are you measuring success?

Terri: You can’t expect 10,000 clicks every time you post a blog. We’re trying to work with our executives and thought leaders to help them understand that their won’t be an immediate ROI in every case, but that it’s more about building relationships that will eventually result in ROI.

B2B Voices: In my view, social media for professional services firms like yours is all about thought leadership. As far as you know, has any of the work you’ve done online led to a lead or an actual new client?

Terri: We continually track our blog numbers and we know our social activity is increasing visits to our Web site. We’re trying to push folks to content on our site that is relevant to them. And, we’re working hard to find our audiences where they live online–whether that’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

B2B Voices: What’s next for McGladrey in the social realm?

Terri: We’re currently in the midst of implementing a social media policy/guidelines for employees. We believe this will give employees a better understanding of how they can get involved online on behalf of RSM McGladrey. We’re hoping this will ultimately result in even more employees representing McGladrey on social networks. The policy will also ensure we’re all integrated and supporting each others efforts.

So, how does McGladrey measure up?

McGladrey has already made great strides. The fact that they operate four blogs, three Twitter accounts, a Facebook page and two YouTube channels means, as Terri stated above, they’ve convinced senior management the benefits of engaging online outweigh the negatives. That’s no easy task in an accounting firm culture. Believe me.

However, while the firm has made great strides, like any other company, there seems to be a few opportunities. I thought we’d take a moment to look behind the numbers at their digital activity:

* Thought leadership: I’m a firm believer that the biggest social component to any professional services firm digital strategy is blogging. It’s the ultimate thought leadership platform. And, the SEO benefits are huge for firms like McGladrey. It’s nice to see McGladrey putting some emphasis behind an industry that I know is important to the firm: Manufacturing. Tom Murphy has been, and is, a great face for that vertical for the firm.

* Engagement: As an organization that’s trying to establish itself as a thought leader in different categories, engagement isn’t always the priority. However, the lack of comments and two-way dialogue on the McGladrey blogs has to concern the firm just a little. On the flip side, Terri Andrews and Ben Gotkin do a wonderful job serving as the “face” of the firm from a recruiting and PR perspective on Twitter. And, the recruiting team does a nice job on Facebook responding to questions and jumping in when appropriate.

* Integration: This is one area where I think the firm has a clear opportunity. Visiting the McGladrey Web site, other than the McGladrey Golf Blog, I don’t seen any mention of the organization’s social work or properties. So, there’s an opportunity to integrate all McGladrey’s social initiatives on their Web site. On the flip side, the Success Starts Here blog does a fabulous job of pulling together all the digital McGladrey properties. On the blog, not only can I link quickly to the firm’s Facebook page and YouTube channel (focused solely on recruiting), but I can also view a Google map with location info for every McGladrey office across the country. Nice.

So, can an accounting firm really be social? I think McGladrey’s answered that question beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt. But, like any other company, they still have opportunities. They’ve done the heavy lifting. Now, it’s a matter of listening and watching how their fans and followers behave on their sites, monitoring the digital landscape and adjusting as necessary.

Enough blathering by me. You’ve seen what McGladrey is up to now. What do you think? How does McGladrey measure up against other professional services firms (accounting, legal and architecture firms) you’ve seen online?

Hitting social media roadblocks? Try a redirect.

Filed under Uncategorized by Arikhanson on 14 December 2009 at 11:26 {2 comments}

RoadSign By nature, many B2B organizations are pretty darn conservative. Trying new things, experimenting and sharing opinions publicly sometimes aren’t high on the priority list for these organizations. So, it can be challenging to get upper management–or any level of management, for that matter–to buy in to social concepts and approaches.

But, just because you run into a roadblock, doesn’t mean the journey is over. Try a redirect.

If you run into a wall with legal, compliance or IT, try redirecting your efforts to a different part of the organization to get things off the ground. Remember, early on, it’s all about quick wins and demonstrating the business value of these tools. To do that, sometimes you need to find a different avenue.

So, if you’re continually butting your head against the wall, try redirecting and channeling your thoughts and energy toward one of the following areas:

Employee communications. Internal communicators face several challenges. Building pride among employees. Aligning staff with key organizational priorities and strategies. And fostering innovation and collaboration. Social media “behind the firewall” can help with all three. Plus, social tools present tremendous value to organizations with remote or geographically dispersed workforces. By giving staff the chance to connect, converse and share ideas across locations, you’re starting to harness the brainpower of ALL your employees. Just ask IBM. And, typically, using social media internally is more of a “low risk” proposition than using it out in the public eye.

Community events/sponsorships. Another lower-risk opportunity might be to activate your brand socially at a community or sponsored event. Maybe your IT consulting firm is the title sponsor of a local walk to support children’s cancer research. Why not encourage walk participants to use a branded hash tag if they tweet during the walk? After all, they’re walking, not running, right? Or, set up a “photo booth” at the end of the race, take pictures of participants and set up computers and encourage folks to upload the photos directly to their Facebook pages. There are simple steps you can usually take to active your brand at events like these without taking a huge amount of risk.

The recruiting front. OK, so maybe most organizations aren’t looking for talent right now, but they’d be wise to prepare for the next few years when boomers will start exiting the workforce. In many industries, social tools represent an ideal way to reach and communicate with the younger, millennial and Gen Y generations. Going this route may give you the opportunity to establish a corporate presence on one of the table-stakes social networks, like Facebook. Remember, we’re talking baby steps here. Set up the account. Create a plan for what kind of content you’ll share and how you’ll build this community. Then, create momentum, and “sell” those wins internally. Down the road, it will make those tough conversations with legal, compliance and IT a little easier.

Educate. Then motivate.

Filed under Discussion by Arikhanson on 22 October 2009 at 23:16 {no comments}

Convincing your B2B organization to adopt a “social” mindset is no easy task. Let’s face it, it can be an uphill battle. But, with the right attitude and approach you can sidestep some of the typical landmines and increase your odds of success

I had the good fortune to sit in a session with Greg Verdino, chief creative officer at crayon, that centered on this very topic. I’d like to share some of his insights because I think are particularly relevant for the marketer/PR professional that’s trying to sell digital within the walls of any B2B organization.

Verdino’s first lesson: Start with education. And make sure your research is rooted in fact, figures and studies. Source the latest adoption numbers and trends. Google “best social media stats”—you’ll be surprised what you can find and use for free online in terms of research. Armed with this key information, you can start to build the case with real, hard numbers to your executive team.

Next, Verdino encourages us to motivate leadership and spur them to action. He listed out a number of tips in his presentation. I pulled out the top six I thought would be most beneficial to those attempting to jumpstart a digital presence within a B2B organization:

Provide a hands-on demonstration. Sit down with your leadership team right at the computer and show them how to use some of these tools. You might be surprised at the results.
Provide clear explanations. There is no room for industry jargon in these discussions.
Keep it simple. No need to overcomplicate this. Stick to the basics. Remember, most at the leadership level have a minimal understanding of these tools and platforms.
Make it personal. Find a way to connect with a passion or personal interest of the executive. Could make all the difference in the world.
Speak their language. Don’t speak in social media jargon. Talk in business terms. That’s where they live. Meet them there.
Arm yourself with tangible benefits. As with any pitch, you need to identify what’s in it for them. Come ready to talk benefits, not features.

I know some of these tips and approaches seem basic. But, they do bear repeating. Have any of these approaches worked for you? Do you have others to add? What’s work and what hasn’t?

The first step? Start listening.

Filed under Uncategorized by Arikhanson on 19 August 2009 at 08:10 {no comments}

427814801_28073d1f0d_m So many organizations freeze up when the words “social media” are uttered. And the numbers are most likely even higher in the B2B world where many continue to think social platforms don’t impact their organization.

Whatever the case for not engaging on social networks, all organizations can take one step that won’t cost them a dime: Start listening.

In fact, according to many counselors and agencies, listening is the de facto first step organizations should take before engaging in the social space. While there are plenty of impressive tools that will cost you a few bucks each month (take a look at Radian6 if you haven’t already), there are also plenty of free tools (take a look at this expansive list produced by B2B Voice’s own Ken Burbary). That’s right, FREE.

So, your organization won’t engage? Can’t convince management to take the plunge? Having trouble making a case? No worries–start by listening. Take an hour this week and do the following:

* Set up a number of Google Alerts for your brand, products/services and your competitors.

* Conduct a simple Twitter Search each day for our brand and the issues that impact your organization. This will give you a sense for what folks are saying about your brand and what they’re thinking about in terms of the issues that impact your company.

* Search the blogosphere for bloggers (use Technorati or Alltop for starters) that write about your brand or your industry. This will help give you a sense for the issues impacting your customers and what the influencers are saying about your brand.

Listen for at least one month. Take copious notes. And use that data and information to build the case (or not) for using social tools. You might be surprised in what you learn in one month.

Sorry for Being a Social Media Buzzkill

Filed under Discussion by Arikhanson on 16 June 2009 at 23:29 {one comment}

A fellow PR pro in the Minneapolis/St. Paul community, Aaron Pearson works as a senior vice president and vertical markets segment leader for the Global Technology Practice of Weber Shandwick, a leading public relations firm.With 15 years of B2B and technology communications experience, Aaron has spent time in the manufacturing, enterprise software, data storage and telecommunications industries. Aaron is also a member of the Business Marketing Association and holds an MBA in marketing from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Without further introduction, take a read from this B2B Voices guest poster:

It’s interesting to me that so many of the conversations on Twitter among communications professionals concern social media – Twitter chief among them.I do appreciate many of them, (hey, Beers Who Twitter – Thanks @PaulDunay!) But there is a disconcerting, anything-can-work, dot-com boom feel about it.

To be clear, I’m a huge cheerleader for the potential of social media and, more broadly, digital communications to elevate B2B communications programs. Who wouldn’t want to embrace communications channels that tend to be more measurable, more transparent, and more conversational? Research consistently shows that the most important form of marketing communications is word of mouth, and social media benefits from many of the personal, trusted characteristics of word of mouth.

And yet, eight years after the dot-com bust, most of us still buy our groceries in a brick-and-mortar store even if we don’t make a mall run to buy music CDs anymore. There’s going to be a shake-out in social media (a real Twitpocalypse?) as people realize days are still 24 hours long, we have a finite amount of time to interact with each other, and in the face of competition, the business models of weaker communities show their flaws. (See Bloomberg, “MySpace Fires 30% of U.S. Workers.”)

Our new online social web is here to stay, but for B2B marketers, it is no magic elixir to cure bad products or vague value propositions. We still need to use a battle-tested strategic planning process. What business outcome do we need to achieve? What insights does research give us into the needs of our audience, who they listen to, how they buy? Given those insights and our own creativity, what’s the right strategic approach, and how can we harness tactics both traditional and new in creative ways to ultimately accomplish those business objectives?

This may be boring and disappointing for some, but the alternative is costly failures like the Skittles experiment in the B2C realm as Razorfish’s Steven Cisowski outlined for us last week in Ad Age. Directionless innovation run amok.

According to a Feb. 20 Forrester report, “The Social Technographics of Business Buyers,” 68 percent of business decision-makers use social media for work purposes, a number that’s probably only grown since that information was collected in Q4 of last year. (Read more about it from analyst Laura Ramos’s original blog post.) And yet, social networks rank seventh in influencing technology purchase decisions, after web sites, sales people, traditional online or print media, trade shows, and of course, word of mouth.

What I take away from this isn’t that digital communications and social media are relatively unimportant, but rather that they are increasing in importance rapidly yet the established channels aren’t going away. Personal preferences for how individuals want to receive marketing information are fragmenting. Moreover – and this has always been the case – for complex, B2B purchases, the typical buyer is influenced at different stages in the buying process by different influencer channels. Fail to invest in one and you will fail to optimize your marketing dollars by missing leads you should have gotten, paying too much for them, or failing to convert enough into revenue. Invest in the wrong one – or do so unstrategically – and you basically just burn money (unless you get lucky). It’s getting harder, folks.

As I was writing this, Phil Baumann, a registered nurse in Philadelphia, tweeted that, “Using Twitter as a be-all tool for healthcare is insane. There’s tons of ways to use it, but not w/out a brain.” Amen, and that goes for marketers, too. Good luck out there.

Do we really have a generational gap?

Filed under Uncategorized by Arikhanson on 2 June 2009 at 08:49 {3 comments}

Arik Hanson here. I’ve spent a decent portion of my career working in the B2B sector—more specifically professional services. One concern I continue to hear from my former colleagues and others I work with in the accounting, consulting and legal professions: Are social networks really the best way to reach CEOs, CFO and controllers? Aren’t they too old for this stuff?

Let’s look at the numbers

According to eMarketer, B2B organizations spent $480 million in advertising on social networks in 2008. That number will skyrocket to $4 billion by 2012.

According to Nielsen, Facebook added twice as many 50-64 year olds visitors (13.6 million) than under 18s (7.3 million) between Dec. 2007 and Dec. 2008 (what do you think the number looks like now?)

And, according to a recent study by Accenture (hat tip to Steve Rubel), baby boomers:

· Increased reading blogs and listening to podcasts by 67 percent year over year; nearly 80 times faster than Gen Y (1 percent)

· Posted a 59 percent increase in using social networking sites—more than 30 times faster than Gen Y (2 percent)

· Increased watching/posting videos on the Internet by 35 percent—while Gen Y usage decreased slightly (-2 percent)

Clearly boomers are moving online, but really, the numbers are just one piece of the equation.

Wait, is it really all about the numbers?

Like so many other things in this space, it’s not all about the numbers. Clearly, numbers matter. Especially to bean-counting CPAs and those accountable for the financial performance of our organizations. But, there’s a softer, more relationship-based side to social networks that makes them invaluable to B2B organizations that make their living on longer sales cylces.

For example, what kind of dollar figure would you put on picking your customer’s brains around new products or ways to improve your existing ones? Don’t B2B companies invest millions in focus group research each year? Social networks give you the opportunity to tap into your customer’s minds—in many cases for very little money.

How much value does a new account have for your firm? By arming employees with the resources they need to tell your story to friends, family and business associates through social networks you can turn LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter into powerful sales tools. And the best part: It’s free and relatively easy—chances are, many employees are already engaging in social networks in their free time and talking about your business. Why not give them the tools they need to tell your story, further your brand and possibly convince a friend of colleague to give your product or service a try?

Is ROI really the roadblock?

There’s no doubt it’s tougher to connect social media strategy to your bottom line. But, don’t we have similar challenges with advertising and earned media? Can we really point to an article in the New York Times and say it translated directly into a $10 million account? I’m not so sure.

So, if you’re looking at participating in social networks from an ROI standpoint, it’s not all that different from the existing strategies in your marketing and communications plan.

Given the numbers mentioned above, the relationship value and the ROI discussion, does the perceived generational gap even matter for B2B companies? Or, does it make too much sense not to give these tools a try? You tell me.

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Hitting social media roadblocks? Try a redirect.

Educate. Then motivate.

The first step? Start listening.

Sorry for Being a Social Media Buzzkill

Do we really have a generational gap?

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