Presentation made to the Spring Manufacturers Institute meeting at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, Nev. on Sept. 26 on how the spring industry is using social media. It includes a survey of different social media platforms and recommendations.

1. Gary McCoy
Managing Editor, Springs
Managing Editor Springs
President, Fairway Communications

2. How people
p p
use social
media

4. Social Media & The Spring Industry
How are SMI members using social media?
Should you use social media for your spring business?
How is business‐to‐business (B‐to‐B) social media
different from the consumer market?
What type of content makes sense?
Wh f k ?
A quick survey of the most common social media tools
and possible uses.
and possible uses

5. SMI Members & Social Media
Are you actively using social media?
42.6
57.4 YES
NO

6. In what context are you using
social media?
social media?
Both 40.3
Business 29
Personal 30.6
0 10 20 30 40 50

7. What social media platforms are
What social media platforms are
y
you using?
g
70
60
50
40
66.1 66.1
30
20
32.3
10
12.9 9.7
0
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Other

8. Does social media help improve
your business?
your business?
29.7
Yes
No
70.3

9. Why social media is not useful (70.3%)
y ( )
“I don’t believe it’s applicable to the products we
manufacture.
manufacture.”
“Not mainstream to our customers or markets.”
“Never heard of any of our customers or suppliers
e e ea d o a y o ou custo e s o supp e s
using it to find or interact with other companies.”
“It doesn’t really help our industry. We get better
results with face‐to‐face marketing and website type
media.”

10. Why social media is useful (29.7%)
y ( )
“It provides an additional means of contacting
customers and clients.
customers and clients.”
“YouTube videos allow our customers to see the
capabilities of our machines without having to set foot
in our shop.”
“Allows for more networking and sales touches!”
“Keeps us more competitive. It also helps to find
answers to questions we may have faster than waiting
for an ad to be printed.
for an ad to be printed ”

11. Other comments you made
y
“Too soon to see results in other areas.”
“It doesn’t work well unless your audience is also on
It doesn t work well unless your audience is also on
social media. However, we believe that it will be
necessary to have a full‐time presence on some social
media within a few years. So might as well start
learning how to use it now.”
“YouTube is particularly useful in helping potential
“Y T b i i l l f l i h l i i l
customers find us.”
“Any publicity is good publicity!”
Any publicity is good publicity!

12. Should you use social media for
your spring business?
your spring business?
According social media expert Paul Gillin, the
most important question to consider:
i i id
“What do your customers want and how do
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they communicate?”
It could be that they don t communicate in
“It could be that they don’t communicate in
any of these channels (social media) and if
that’s the case, don’t use them.”

13. Should you use social media for
your spring business?
your spring business?
Focus on this key point:
“You don’t need a social media strategy, you
need a business strategy. You need to
understand social media and how to apply
it to your business strategy.”

14. Should you use social media for
your spring business?
your spring business?
Tyler Tanaka
PostRelease:
“It’s time to stop revering it as ‘social media’ and just accept
that it’s simply good marketing.”

15. Should you use social media for
your spring business?
your spring business?
• Survey your customers to find out if they are using it.
• If they are what kind of content would they like to
If they are, what kind of content would they like to
see?
•Don’t look at social media as an end all – it should be
just a part of your business strategy.
•Have a strategy – don’t use it because “everyone else is
g
doing it.”

16. Should you use social media for
your spring business?
your spring business?
“It is helpful to remember that social media, and all it
entails, is nothing more than a helpful marketing tool.
entails is nothing more than a helpful marketing tool
Social media is not an end unto itself. Nor is it black
magic or a cure‐all. Rather, it can be a cost effective and
surprisingly simple way to broaden your company’s
reach, expand your advertising campaigns, reinforce
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your public relations messages, and ultimately, achieve
p g , y,
your marketing goals.”
‐ Jim Korkoris president & general manager JSH&A
Jim Korkoris, president & general manager, JSH&A
Public Relations

17. B‐to‐B Social Media vs. Consumer
1. B‐to‐B decisions are value‐based and have a bottom‐
line impact. Buying decisions are rarely subject to
trends, fashions, impulse or whimsy.
trends fashions impulse or whimsy
2. There is usually more at stake in the purchasing
decision.
decision
3. A high‐level of information exchange takes place
before a decision is made.
4. The number of influencers on a decision tend to be
larger than a B‐to‐C transaction.

18. Social Media Engagement
Listen – don’t try to sell. A great way to detect shifts
in customer attitudes and potential changes in the
market before your competitors do.
Ask questions – “What is your biggest spring design
challenge?”
Be honest and direct – No sleight of hand, such as
phony customer endorsements. Leads to trouble
with competitors or the FTC.
Converse and engage – Not just another channel to
post promotions or press releases (one‐way). Have a
discussion instead.
di i i t d

19. Social Media Engagement
Share expertise – Knowledgeable buyers dealing
with knowledgeable sellers. Share advice that helps
customers make informed decisions. Become a
trusted source. Content is king!
Be timely – Sheryl Lindsell‐Roberts in “New Rules
for Today’s Workplace” advocates publishing great
f T d ’ W k l ” d bli hi
content that is valuable and informative. “Include
timely tips, industry trends, links to interesting
y p y g
articles or sites, and anything else your readers will
find informative and valuable.” Keep the focus off of
your products and/or services.

20. Social Media Tools
Ways to engage with customers, communicate with
suppliers and generate leads
“If you’re not taking a hard and thoughtful look at
“ f ’ ki h d d h h f l l k
ways you can fold social media into your marketing
mix, you are in grave danger of falling behind your
mix you are in grave danger of falling behind your
competition,” Joe Chernov, Vice President, Content
Marketing, Eloqua

21. Social Media Tools ‐ Blogs
Comes from word “Web‐Log” or We‐Blog
Online diary of thoughts
Great place to share articles and whitepapers
Users can subscribe for updates
You can use pictures and videos
Over 100 million blogs (and growing)

22. Social Media Tools ‐ Blogs
Opportunity to share information, especially highly
technical.
Position industrial companies as experts and thought
P i i i d i l i d h h
leaders.
Blog information can in turn be shared through
other social media outlets (LinkedIn, Facebook,
Twitter)
Joe Chernov calls a blog the “hub of your social
media wheel”

23. Social Media Tools ‐ LinkedIn

24. Social Media Tools ‐ LinkedIn
Leading B‐to‐B site for professional networking
Use it to increase your visibility, make connections,
expand your search engine ranking, gauge the health
expand your search engine ranking gauge the health
of a company, post and view events.
Ask for advice/help
Give answers
Enhance experience by joining peer groups (SMI)
Every key person in your company should have a
LinkedIn profile
Company page can focus on products and services

25. Social Media Tools ‐ LinkedIn
This is not a social site, keep it professional
Groups allow for discussion on topics relating to your
industry – j i h
i d join the ones that make sense for your
h k f
company
Don t forget to focus on helping members, followers,
Don’t forget to focus on helping members followers
etc.
Know how to deal with criticism
Update, Update, Update!

26. Social Media Tools ‐ Twitter

27. Social Media Tools ‐ Twitter
200 million users
60% of users are active (tweeted in the last month)
Processes 1 billion “tweets” every month
All about brevity – 140‐character “tweets”
Speed

28. Social Media Tools ‐ Twitter
Quickly exchange information to interested parties
without a lot of overhead or a lot of filtering
“E‐mail on steroids” (Paul Gillin)
“ il id ” (P l Gilli )
Communicate customer support or a new product
issue
Send updates on products and services
Discoveries made at a conference (like this one)

29. Social Media Tools ‐ Facebook

30. Social Media Tools ‐ Facebook
750 million Users
70% of users out of the country
250 million U.S. users
Any given day, 50% of active users log on
Described as a “social utility” rather than a social
network by it’s founder
Boomers are the fastest growing segment
B th f t t i t
Limited use for B‐to‐B; great for B‐to‐C (brand
awareness, attract more customers)
awareness attract more customers)

31. Facebook – Popular For
Friends
“Like” button
Surveys and questions
Groups
Be a fan
Places
Social games ‐ FarmVille

32. Social Media Tools – YouTube

33. Social Media Tools – YouTube
13 million hour of video uploaded in 2010 (over 1,400
years)
More video is uploaded in a month than the 3 U.S.
id i l d d i h h h S
major networks have created in 60 years
Show off products and services in a unique way
Create a “how‐to” on a specific product
Explain how machines or processes work
Introduce your staff
Easy to share

34. Social Media Tools – Google+
26 million users (limited access)
55% of those users are in the U.S.
Stats not complete due to beta phase
Current usage is made up of Gen X and Y

35. Social Media Tools – QR Codes

36. A Word About QR Codes
Abbreviation for “Quick Response Code”
Initially used to track parts in vehicle manufacturing,
QR codes are now (as of 2011) used over a much wider
QR d ( f ) d h id
range of applications, including commercial tracking,
entertainment and transport ticketing, product
entertainment and transport ticketing product
marketing and in‐store product labeling.
Great for placing on ads
p g
Can be scanned with a smartphone that has QR code
reader
Example of Dayco

37. Dayco QR Code on Packaging

38. Dayco
Has recently begun putting QR codes on packages
Those links take the customer to part number specific
installation video
i ll i id
Cost about $950 per video
Eliminates common questions
Eli i i
Greatly reduces comebacks

39. Recommendations
Have a business strategy to use emerging technology
Society is dependent on technology – use it when it makes
sense
Mobile smartphone usage is huge – be ready
Most useful tools – Blogs, LinkedIn, YouTube (others where
it makes sense)
i k )
Focus on good content – people see through fluff
When you find out what social media tools your customers
use – start small. As Paul Gillin advises: “Don’t try to boil
the ocean. Don’t try to jump into six or seven networks at
the same time.
the same time.”

40. Recommendations
Be dedicated once you start with Social Network Sites
(SNS) – Do not abandon your people
Get employees involved but be prepared to watch
closely at first – Do not be naïve and allow everyone
free reign in the wild west that is social media. I highly
recommend having multiple people posting/watching
d h i l i l l i / hi
Have a policy for your employees on social media
access
Determine the tone and personality your SNS will have
– Openly discuss the types of topics and messages your
company will promote
ill t

41. Book Recommendation

42. h k !
Thank You!
http://www.linkedin.com/in/garydmccoy
http://www linkedin com/in/garydmccoy
http://twitter.com/GaryDMcCoy
g
gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com
y y
(847) 622‐7228