How to overcome social media challenges

What are the three greatest challenges when it comes to social media?  A recent survey of individuals within the logistics and supply chain industries found that the three biggest challenges with respect to social media use are: time (48 percent), money (43 percent), and a lack of strategy (33 percent).

Does your company face these challenges as well?  If so, here are some suggestions on how to tackle these challenges - and come out on top:

Overcome time constraints

Prioritize and be data driven.  Track and measure your marketing metrics.  Which efforts are driving the right traffic to your website?  Which efforts are resulting in lead generation?  Customers?  If there are areas where you are focusing time and money, but are not yielding results – either rework your strategy, or eliminate them.

The survey found that 77 percent of companies within the supply chain and logistics industries use Facebook.  However, only 15 percent reported Facebook to be very impactful with respect to their business and only 35 percent reported it to be somewhat impactful.

If your efforts aren’t paying off – don’t waste your time.  Prioritize.

Tackle your budget

Data and setting priorities are important here as well.  Together they can make the use of time and resources more productive.

Another thing to consider is whether it might be more cost effective to find an outsource partner.

Strategy, strategy, strategy

Strategy is essential. A 2014 study of B2B marketers found that a strategy is a key to success.  Companies with a documented strategy in place were found to be more likely to consider their efforts to be effective than companies who do not have a documented strategy in place (60 percent vs. 11 percent).

Put someone in charge of developing a strategy and give the person the authority to make sure that it is carried out.  If you are struggling with the “how,” find a partner who can help you design a strategy that will work for you (and the time and money you have available). 

Proving social media ROI

“What is the ROI?”  Before forging ahead with something new, this is the question that is often asked.  When it comes to measuring the ROI of traditional marketing efforts there is a simple formula:

Return on Investment (%) = (Net profit / Marketing Costs) × 100

Measuring and proving social media ROI is not that simple – there is no one simple formula. 

In a recent survey of individuals within the logistics and supply chain industries, 81 percent of respondents stated that information on proving social media ROI would be helpful to their company.

Here’s a great infographic Pamorama recently shared that illustrates how 10 companies successfully used social media marketing initiatives, measured their effectiveness, and proved their ROI.

Proving social media ROI can seem impossible, but it is not if you put the right framework in place.  

The logistics and supply chain industries are realizing benefits from social media

A recent survey found that companies within the logistics and supply chain industries are realizing benefits from social media.

Social media use and benefits

The survey found that social media use by companies within the logistics and supply chain industries is relatively recent.  Sixty-four percent of respondents reported that their company has used social media for between one and five years.  Thirty-six percent of respondents reported social media use of less than one year.

Despite the short period of time that these companies have been using social media, benefits are being seen.  Sixty-eight percent of respondents report realizing benefits from using social media. The primary benefits reported were: increased engagement with customers, increased market intelligence, increased business intelligence and an increase in the number of leads.

What social networks are companies using?

Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook are the top three social networks by use.  Ninety-five percent of respondents reported that their company uses Twitter, 86 percent reported using LinkedIn, and 77 percent reported using Facebook.  Interestingly, respondents reported Twitter and LinkedIn to be very impactful with respect to their business, while only 15 percent identified Facebook as very impactful.

Challenges

The survey asked respondents what challenges their company faces with respect to social media use.  Time constraints (48 percent) and budgetary constraints (43 percent) were the top two challenges identified.

 

“Breaking Bad, Manufacturing and Content Marketing have a lot in common. Seriously.”

Freight logistics company Cerasis is forward thinking.  Despite realizing positive growth by employing traditional sales and marketing strategies, the company decided to make a change.  Two years ago Cerasis decided to move away from traditional sales and marketing and adopt a new strategy.  Through the use of digital and content marketing Cerasis has realized in new business and positive growth.

There is a great post on the Cerasis blog which discusses what Breaking Bad can show manufacturing companies about content marketing.”  The post talks about how “with few exceptions, most manufacturing companies are still in the ‘RV Lab’ days of marketing.”  These companies stick to traditional marketing – print ads, referrals, etc.  The problem with this strategy is that customers are not looking at glossy print ads, rather customers are online.  Given this, companies stuck in the “RV Lab days of marketing” struggle with getting their name out there, attracting new customers, and retaining customers.

So what is a state of the marketing strategy?  Content marketing. 

“Content marketing will help increase awareness of your brand, get more leads for your sales team and even attract fresh talent, especially millennials who live on their mobile phones and the Internet. Best of all, not many of your competitors are doing it, so the playing field is wide open and full of untapped resources.”

As the post points out, strategy is essential. A 2014 study of B2B marketers found that companies who have a documented content strategy in place are more likely to consider their efforts to be effective than companies who do not have a documented strategy in place (60 percent vs. 11 percent).

A content marketing strategy can be developed and implemented by an in-house team, or you can outsource (44 percent of B2B report that they outsource content creation).

Not only does Breaking Bad offer manufacturing companies insight into how content marketing can generate leads and grow your business, Breaking Bad also offers essential business lessons.