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b2b and blogging
21st Century publishing: can a blog help build your business?
For many years, companies have been used to having a degree of control over what was said about them and by whom. Hidden behind a wall of PR and business-speak, businesses have had no reason to communicate in any other way. As of late, this has begun to change. Flying under the gaze of the mainstream media, a sphere of influence has arisen that undermines companies' traditional 'ivory tower' approach to communication with their customers.
Interview with
The IAB, in conjunction with Modem Media, conducted a round table discussion with a B2B and a B2C to discuss lessons and learnings about blogging and how they feel it is evolving their brands within their different industries. 2Talkabout, a B2C blogging forum company met with B2B International, a B2B research company.
What is a blog?
Hiren
The word ‘blog’ derives from the term ‘web-log’. Traditionally a blog is an online log of a user’s thoughts and opinions on a particular subject. In 2Talkabout, consumers publish their opinions and let other consumers comment on them.
Matthew and Matthew
From our point of view, a blog is a continuously updated online record of the latest thinking in business markets, and in particular business-to-business research. A business-to-business blog should be interactive, engaging and constantly evolving.
What prompted the decision to blog in the first place?
Matthew and Matthew
We recognised the benefits of making our latest articles and thoughts available quickly, and in the most accessible way possible. The blog is by nature constantly updated, meaning that those that access it can be assured that they are up to date with business to business thinking.
When we set up the blog, we had several brand new white papers written by our researchers, plus a brand new book written by Paul Hague (Director and founder of B2B International). We also wanted to offer to our clients the opportunity to easily interact with our papers, by giving their views. But above all, we wanted to make our papers as readily available as possible, and as quickly as possible, cementing our position as b2b research specialists
Hiren
Consumer demand.
It seems that companies are reluctant to embrace blogging due to security concerns. Have they got a point?
Hiren
Companies need to engage and understand that if someone acts improperly, other consumers will defend the company and highlight the problem. The companies can also mitigate the major risks.
Matthew and Matthew
Not really – most blogs are fairly secure. There has however, started to be an increase in spam comments being left on blogs – but most blog software enables you to monitor and delete all comments that are left.
Due to the powerful traction of user-generated content and their unrestricted nature, many companies see blogs as a PR threat. What's your view on this?
Matthew and Matthew
We believe that the benefits of sharing our thinking far outweigh such concerns. We see the blog as an opportunity to increase interaction with our target audience and position ourselves even more strongly as b2b specialists. As blogging is in a sense a digital version of word-of-mouth, this can only be a good thing for us.
Hiren
Companies need to realign their thinking, tactics and policies with the new realities of the web. We’re in an environment where consumers can voice their opinions instantly to large audiences. They don’t need permission or co-operation of the companies. This change brings both threats and opportunities and companies need a rapid mindset shift if they aren’t to lose out on both. Having said that, careful consideration of how to engage via a blog (in terms of subject and expectations) together with appropriate levels of moderation will mitigate larger risks.
Is blogging the online equivalent of word-of-mouth?
Hiren
Yes and no. Yes in the sense that news of the new product releases and other information can have a viral effect starting on a blog and traveling rapidly through the internet and beyond and no because blogging can offer a whole lot more. For example generating customer insights and as a platform for customer support.
Matthew and Matthew
As mentioned earlier, we do see blogging as word-of-mouth for the digital age. Blogs allow people to create a ‘buzz’ around a certain topic or product. It could be argued that blogging is, in effect, more powerful than word-of-mouth, as there are no physical limitations – the whole world can access it instantaneously.
How can one successfully distribute blog content to increase impact and exposure?
Hiren
There are lots of important marketing activities, particularly online that help build exposure. Impact ultimately comes down to quality of content and relevance to the target audience.
Matthew and Matthew
It just comes down to the quality and quantity of the content on any particular blog – if you can create an informative or entertaining source that people will come back to regularly, then it will take care of itself.
Can you track users on blogs?
Hiren
You can track users on blogs but 2Talkabout doesn’t. We believe this goes against what 2Talkabout stands for.
Matthew and Matthew
We can direct clients or potential clients to the blog, if there is a particular article or Podcast which we feel would be of interest to them. The large amount of information and content available on the blog has meant that people have kept coming back, and has boosted our profile – so the blog has assisted in generating leads.
Can you generated leads via blogs?
Hiren
Our primary concern is to generate user content that is useful to consumers. This content, if the product is good, will invariably lead to increased sales through customer evangelism, so yes, it is possible for brands to generate leads.
What are the purpose of your blogs?
Hiren
We have two blogs and several more to come in the next few weeks and months. The purpose of 2Talkabout blogs is to give consmers a platform to publish their opinions and experiences relating to brands and products, read other consumers insights, interact and share.
Matthew and Matthew
The key objectives of the blogs are to 1- make our latest knowledge and views as widely available as possible and 2- to allow our clients and other members of the research community to react to these views and enter into a debate with us, contributing to the latest thinking. This we feel engages the target audience with the subject of market research, and B2B International in particular. And of course this brings benefits to B2B International, in terms of boosting our profile.
The blog serves as a resource for anyone involved in the industry; there is a vast amount of information available on there already, and it is being added to every day of the week. Some days we may have a senior staff member from B2B International commenting on a news story they have seen, other days we may have a new white paper being published. We have recently completed the online serialisation our eBook “A Practical Guide to Market Research” which has been a massive success. Each Monday we published a new chapter of the book that is available for free download in both PDF and audio podcast.
Perhaps what is increasingly unique about a business blog is that it is used as a portal for the most up to date information possible. As market researchers, we are ideally placed to search for and select information of interest to our target market.
What are the target audiences of the blogs?
Matthew and Matthew
The beauty of the blog is that it is available to anyone within or outside the market research industry, anywhere in the world. We continuously profile the nature of visitors to the blog, and to be frank have been both surprised and delighted at the range of people it has reached, particularly from a geographical point of view. In terms of tangible benefits to B2B International, a number of potential clients (many of whom who have commissioned jobs), have found us through the blog. The blog therefore allows us to attract business from our target market, as well as engaging us in debate with our peers in the industry, and making a new audience aware of the benefits and possibilities of market research.
Hiren
Its consumers… the audience picks itself.
What are the key themes of both of your blogs?
Hiren
Right now, the main theme is around Honda (The brand), its products, Formula 1, The environment and other related topics.
Matthew and Matthew
The key theme of the blog is that it is a ‘finger on the pulse’ of the market research industry. Whatever the issue of the day is, it will appear on the blog. We try to mix our own views and perspectives with opinions and data from elsewhere in the industry.
In terms of a current theme, as part of our B2B Podcast, we have just started up a series called ‘Market Research Conversations’ whereby our MD Paul Hague discusses certain aspect of the market research industry with key industry professionals.
How has blogging increased or changed the dialogue with your customers?
Matthew and Matthew
Blogging has greatly increased our dialogue with customers, not least because of the volume of information we now are able to share with them. Furthermore, the fact that this information is ‘current’ means that the audience is more likely to be engaged, and there is a great opportunity for them to interact and give their own views. One extremely positive effect of the blog is that potential customers have come to us in much greater numbers, as they now have a fuller understanding of what B2B International and market research in general can do for them.
The blog has also worked as a great tool in terms of being able to point clients to certain areas of information that might be contained on the blog – the ‘eBook’ (Practical Guide to Market Research) has been especially good for this. Blogging also adds a great personal and informal side to a company that corporate websites don’t usually capture.
Hiren
Well, as an internet media company, blogging is the basis of our dialogue with customers. We think it provides and informal, honest and open dialogue with tremendous benefits in terms of customer engagement, insight and loyalty.
How have you harnessed this?
Hiren
Our users are highly committed and engaged which makes them very valuable. There is a rich seem of marketing value that we can work with brands to extact.
Matthew and Matthew
The interest in our blog has been such that in most of our conversations with and marketing to our target audience, we point the audience towards our blog, as well as our corporate website. This means we are encouraging customers and potential customers to see a full picture of B2B International and the market research industry
What is the response to your blogs?
Matthew and Matthew
The blog has greatly increased our interaction with potential and current customers, and the industry in general. This has had a significant knock-on effect in terms of enquiries received and projects commissioned.
We have had everyone from industry professionals, to market research students, to clients, all going on the blog and downloading things such as the eBook or the weekly podcast. There have been some great comments from people too – some giving added insight what is published, or jubilation from a student that has found the nugget of information he has been looking for to help finish an essay.
Hiren
Positive and enthusiastic from consumers. Mixed from the brands… some are very innovative and just working through how best to engage, some are receptive but still learning and some are skeptical.
Have the blogs led to incremental business?
Hiren
Early days, but for Honda we think the answer is almost certainly yes.
Matthew and Matthew
Yes.
What role do you see blogging providing in a b2b and a b2c space?
Matthew and Matthew
To a large extent the role of business to business blogging will mirror the situation with general ‘personal’ blogs. Namely, blogging will be used increasingly to dispense information on a continuous basis, to increase interaction with the target audience, and to maximise the size of that target audience by making information available to all. Perhaps what is increasingly unique about a business blog is that it is used as a portal for the most up to date information possible. As market researchers, we are ideally placed to search for and select information of interest to our target market.
What do feel about the blogging trend – do you think it is a long-term trend or a short-term trend? How do you see blogging evolving?
Hiren
Blogging is one highly visible manifestations of the social impact of the internet and particularly Web 2.0. This is about consumers and empowering them to voice opinions, connect with each other, build online social networks etc. this is not short term, it is a major shift in consumer behaviour and we won’t be turning back.
In terms of blogging evolving, we think that the tools like blogging will quickly lose their identity as consumer experiences get richers around communities, social networks, consumer publishing etc.
Matthew and Matthew
I think it is long-term, though I think there is somewhat of a blog ‘bubble’ currently. There will be quite a few blogs that will drop off the radar. The ones that will stick around in a business sense are the ones that create a resource of tangible use to the target audience, whether that is a finger on the pulse of an industry, or the daily thoughts of a business guru.
About the interviewees
B2B International is an independent business-to-business market research industry based near Manchester. We have over 30 years' experience of carrying out market research in every business-to-business sector, on a worldwide basis. Our business-to-business specialisation gives us a deep understanding of the special needs of the business community. We recognise the difficulties of getting hold of the right person (i.e. the person who influences the buying decision) and understand how to obtain the right answers to the important questions. We know too, how to interpret findings from business respondents, as this is all that we do.
In most cases, our research is used to guide strategic decisions. This means that we frequently present to operating boards of companies. We believe that we win most projects because clients are impressed by our business-to-business research experience. However, it is the solid findings backed by impressive and convincing presentations that regularly win us repeat work.
Our industry experience spans many different industry sectors for our corporate clients; some of which are the largest companies and organisations in the world.
matthewp@b2binternational.com
Matthewh@b2binternational.com
B2B blog
B2B International website
Inteview by sharviso@modemmedia.com
For many years, companies have been used to having a degree of control over what was said about them and by whom. Hidden behind a wall of PR and business-speak, businesses have had no reason to communicate in any other way. As of late, this has begun to change. Flying under the gaze of the mainstream media, a sphere of influence has arisen that undermines companies' traditional 'ivory tower' approach to communication with their customers.
The IAB and Reading Room have compiled a comprehensive background to the growing publishing phenomenon of blogging with a definition of what blogging exactly is and practical advice on how your business could implement a blog.
Downloads Available
- bloggingforbusiness (533k)
practical advice on how to implement a blog
Interview with
The IAB, in conjunction with Modem Media, conducted a round table discussion with a B2B and a B2C to discuss lessons and learnings about blogging and how they feel it is evolving their brands within their different industries. 2Talkabout, a B2C blogging forum company met with B2B International, a B2B research company.
What is a blog?
Hiren
The word ‘blog’ derives from the term ‘web-log’. Traditionally a blog is an online log of a user’s thoughts and opinions on a particular subject. In 2Talkabout, consumers publish their opinions and let other consumers comment on them.
Matthew and Matthew
From our point of view, a blog is a continuously updated online record of the latest thinking in business markets, and in particular business-to-business research. A business-to-business blog should be interactive, engaging and constantly evolving.
What prompted the decision to blog in the first place?
Matthew and Matthew
We recognised the benefits of making our latest articles and thoughts available quickly, and in the most accessible way possible. The blog is by nature constantly updated, meaning that those that access it can be assured that they are up to date with business to business thinking.
When we set up the blog, we had several brand new white papers written by our researchers, plus a brand new book written by Paul Hague (Director and founder of B2B International). We also wanted to offer to our clients the opportunity to easily interact with our papers, by giving their views. But above all, we wanted to make our papers as readily available as possible, and as quickly as possible, cementing our position as b2b research specialists
Hiren
Consumer demand.
It seems that companies are reluctant to embrace blogging due to security concerns. Have they got a point?
Hiren
Companies need to engage and understand that if someone acts improperly, other consumers will defend the company and highlight the problem. The companies can also mitigate the major risks.
Matthew and Matthew
Not really – most blogs are fairly secure. There has however, started to be an increase in spam comments being left on blogs – but most blog software enables you to monitor and delete all comments that are left.
Due to the powerful traction of user-generated content and their unrestricted nature, many companies see blogs as a PR threat. What's your view on this?
Matthew and Matthew
We believe that the benefits of sharing our thinking far outweigh such concerns. We see the blog as an opportunity to increase interaction with our target audience and position ourselves even more strongly as b2b specialists. As blogging is in a sense a digital version of word-of-mouth, this can only be a good thing for us.
Hiren
Companies need to realign their thinking, tactics and policies with the new realities of the web. We’re in an environment where consumers can voice their opinions instantly to large audiences. They don’t need permission or co-operation of the companies. This change brings both threats and opportunities and companies need a rapid mindset shift if they aren’t to lose out on both. Having said that, careful consideration of how to engage via a blog (in terms of subject and expectations) together with appropriate levels of moderation will mitigate larger risks.
Is blogging the online equivalent of word-of-mouth?
Hiren
Yes and no. Yes in the sense that news of the new product releases and other information can have a viral effect starting on a blog and traveling rapidly through the internet and beyond and no because blogging can offer a whole lot more. For example generating customer insights and as a platform for customer support.
Matthew and Matthew
As mentioned earlier, we do see blogging as word-of-mouth for the digital age. Blogs allow people to create a ‘buzz’ around a certain topic or product. It could be argued that blogging is, in effect, more powerful than word-of-mouth, as there are no physical limitations – the whole world can access it instantaneously.
How can one successfully distribute blog content to increase impact and exposure?
Hiren
There are lots of important marketing activities, particularly online that help build exposure. Impact ultimately comes down to quality of content and relevance to the target audience.
Matthew and Matthew
It just comes down to the quality and quantity of the content on any particular blog – if you can create an informative or entertaining source that people will come back to regularly, then it will take care of itself.
Can you track users on blogs?
Hiren
You can track users on blogs but 2Talkabout doesn’t. We believe this goes against what 2Talkabout stands for.
Matthew and Matthew
We can direct clients or potential clients to the blog, if there is a particular article or Podcast which we feel would be of interest to them. The large amount of information and content available on the blog has meant that people have kept coming back, and has boosted our profile – so the blog has assisted in generating leads.
Can you generated leads via blogs?
Hiren
Our primary concern is to generate user content that is useful to consumers. This content, if the product is good, will invariably lead to increased sales through customer evangelism, so yes, it is possible for brands to generate leads.
What are the purpose of your blogs?
Hiren
We have two blogs and several more to come in the next few weeks and months. The purpose of 2Talkabout blogs is to give consmers a platform to publish their opinions and experiences relating to brands and products, read other consumers insights, interact and share.
Matthew and Matthew
The key objectives of the blogs are to 1- make our latest knowledge and views as widely available as possible and 2- to allow our clients and other members of the research community to react to these views and enter into a debate with us, contributing to the latest thinking. This we feel engages the target audience with the subject of market research, and B2B International in particular. And of course this brings benefits to B2B International, in terms of boosting our profile.
The blog serves as a resource for anyone involved in the industry; there is a vast amount of information available on there already, and it is being added to every day of the week. Some days we may have a senior staff member from B2B International commenting on a news story they have seen, other days we may have a new white paper being published. We have recently completed the online serialisation our eBook “A Practical Guide to Market Research” which has been a massive success. Each Monday we published a new chapter of the book that is available for free download in both PDF and audio podcast.
Perhaps what is increasingly unique about a business blog is that it is used as a portal for the most up to date information possible. As market researchers, we are ideally placed to search for and select information of interest to our target market.
What are the target audiences of the blogs?
Matthew and Matthew
The beauty of the blog is that it is available to anyone within or outside the market research industry, anywhere in the world. We continuously profile the nature of visitors to the blog, and to be frank have been both surprised and delighted at the range of people it has reached, particularly from a geographical point of view. In terms of tangible benefits to B2B International, a number of potential clients (many of whom who have commissioned jobs), have found us through the blog. The blog therefore allows us to attract business from our target market, as well as engaging us in debate with our peers in the industry, and making a new audience aware of the benefits and possibilities of market research.
Hiren
Its consumers… the audience picks itself.
What are the key themes of both of your blogs?
Hiren
Right now, the main theme is around Honda (The brand), its products, Formula 1, The environment and other related topics.
Matthew and Matthew
The key theme of the blog is that it is a ‘finger on the pulse’ of the market research industry. Whatever the issue of the day is, it will appear on the blog. We try to mix our own views and perspectives with opinions and data from elsewhere in the industry.
In terms of a current theme, as part of our B2B Podcast, we have just started up a series called ‘Market Research Conversations’ whereby our MD Paul Hague discusses certain aspect of the market research industry with key industry professionals.
How has blogging increased or changed the dialogue with your customers?
Matthew and Matthew
Blogging has greatly increased our dialogue with customers, not least because of the volume of information we now are able to share with them. Furthermore, the fact that this information is ‘current’ means that the audience is more likely to be engaged, and there is a great opportunity for them to interact and give their own views. One extremely positive effect of the blog is that potential customers have come to us in much greater numbers, as they now have a fuller understanding of what B2B International and market research in general can do for them.
The blog has also worked as a great tool in terms of being able to point clients to certain areas of information that might be contained on the blog – the ‘eBook’ (Practical Guide to Market Research) has been especially good for this. Blogging also adds a great personal and informal side to a company that corporate websites don’t usually capture.
Hiren
Well, as an internet media company, blogging is the basis of our dialogue with customers. We think it provides and informal, honest and open dialogue with tremendous benefits in terms of customer engagement, insight and loyalty.
How have you harnessed this?
Hiren
Our users are highly committed and engaged which makes them very valuable. There is a rich seem of marketing value that we can work with brands to extact.
Matthew and Matthew
The interest in our blog has been such that in most of our conversations with and marketing to our target audience, we point the audience towards our blog, as well as our corporate website. This means we are encouraging customers and potential customers to see a full picture of B2B International and the market research industry
What is the response to your blogs?
Matthew and Matthew
The blog has greatly increased our interaction with potential and current customers, and the industry in general. This has had a significant knock-on effect in terms of enquiries received and projects commissioned.
We have had everyone from industry professionals, to market research students, to clients, all going on the blog and downloading things such as the eBook or the weekly podcast. There have been some great comments from people too – some giving added insight what is published, or jubilation from a student that has found the nugget of information he has been looking for to help finish an essay.
Hiren
Positive and enthusiastic from consumers. Mixed from the brands… some are very innovative and just working through how best to engage, some are receptive but still learning and some are skeptical.
Have the blogs led to incremental business?
Hiren
Early days, but for Honda we think the answer is almost certainly yes.
Matthew and Matthew
Yes.
What role do you see blogging providing in a b2b and a b2c space?
Matthew and Matthew
To a large extent the role of business to business blogging will mirror the situation with general ‘personal’ blogs. Namely, blogging will be used increasingly to dispense information on a continuous basis, to increase interaction with the target audience, and to maximise the size of that target audience by making information available to all. Perhaps what is increasingly unique about a business blog is that it is used as a portal for the most up to date information possible. As market researchers, we are ideally placed to search for and select information of interest to our target market.
What do feel about the blogging trend – do you think it is a long-term trend or a short-term trend? How do you see blogging evolving?
Hiren
Blogging is one highly visible manifestations of the social impact of the internet and particularly Web 2.0. This is about consumers and empowering them to voice opinions, connect with each other, build online social networks etc. this is not short term, it is a major shift in consumer behaviour and we won’t be turning back.
In terms of blogging evolving, we think that the tools like blogging will quickly lose their identity as consumer experiences get richers around communities, social networks, consumer publishing etc.
Matthew and Matthew
I think it is long-term, though I think there is somewhat of a blog ‘bubble’ currently. There will be quite a few blogs that will drop off the radar. The ones that will stick around in a business sense are the ones that create a resource of tangible use to the target audience, whether that is a finger on the pulse of an industry, or the daily thoughts of a business guru.
About the interviewees
B2B International is an independent business-to-business market research industry based near Manchester. We have over 30 years' experience of carrying out market research in every business-to-business sector, on a worldwide basis. Our business-to-business specialisation gives us a deep understanding of the special needs of the business community. We recognise the difficulties of getting hold of the right person (i.e. the person who influences the buying decision) and understand how to obtain the right answers to the important questions. We know too, how to interpret findings from business respondents, as this is all that we do.
In most cases, our research is used to guide strategic decisions. This means that we frequently present to operating boards of companies. We believe that we win most projects because clients are impressed by our business-to-business research experience. However, it is the solid findings backed by impressive and convincing presentations that regularly win us repeat work.
Our industry experience spans many different industry sectors for our corporate clients; some of which are the largest companies and organisations in the world.
matthewp@b2binternational.com
Matthewh@b2binternational.com
B2B blog
B2B International website
Inteview by sharviso@modemmedia.com
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