Fire Alarm Marketing’s target market is small to mid-sized high-tech B2B companies.  When Dick and I talk to these companies, they often ask “Who do you know, like us, who has successfully integrated social media into their marketing mix?”

Below are four recent articles that detail successful social media implementations across a variety of companies:

• 5 Surprising Social Media Success Stories:

http://funlinks4us.com/?p=146

• 5 B2B Social Media Success Stories:

http://blog.marketo.com/blog/2010/05/b2b-social-media-success.html

• Restaurant Owner Increases Sales 110% With Foursquare Swarm Badge Party

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5697/Restaurant-Owner-Increases-Sales-by-110-with-Foursquare-Swarm-Badge-Party.aspx

• Social Media Success Stories:

http://searchenginewatch.com/3635665

The lessons learned from these articles, and the ones that we pass along to our clients, are:

1. No “one size fits all” when it comes to the use of social media.  The key is to find out what your customers are doing and then use that media.  Twitter may work best for a restaurant, blogs and thought leadership may be more appropriate in some B2B environments.
2. Start by listening to what is going on.  Use free search tools, such as Google Analytics or search on Twitter to find out what people are saying about in your industry and potentially about you.
3. Establish policies and procedures regarding the use of social media that are well understood by everyone in the company.
4. Start slowly and learn as you go.  Don’t expect a significant uptick because you sent out one tweet or blogged for a month.
5. Recognize that the initial main cost of social media is time, not dollars.  Paid advertising, trade shows, buying email lists etc. all require the expenditure of money.  Social media requires time and consistency.  If you don’t have the band-width, don’t do it, because you will do it poorly.
6. Social media is only part of the marketing mix.  The other elements that you have been using successfully should remain, and be adjusted as you learn and grow through the use of social media.  It isn’t an “either/or” proposition, it is what is the right mix of ingredients that leads to success.

Do you have a success story that you can share?

Related posts:

Digital Marketing – What do I Do First?

http://firealarmmarketing.com/2010/04/29/digital-marketing-–-what-do-i-do-first/

Social Networks – Is There Any Consensus?  What Is A Marketer To Do?

http://firealarmmarketing.com/2009/09/21/social-networks-is-there-any-consensus-what-is-a-marketer-to-do/

Social Networking and The Marketing Mix

http://firealarmmarketing.com/2009/07/23/social-networking-and-the-marketing-mix/

RHM 5/26/2010