Social media – the production, consumption, and exchange of online information through social interaction – promises users a world of instant awareness. For business owners, it offers unrestricted exploration, research, and relationship building without the economic, cultural, time zone, and sales-cycle restraints of traditional business marketing. And it’s here to stay.

Choosing whether or not to engage social media to grow your business can have mythical implications. Calypso works with businesses of all sizes to determine when (seldom if) to integrate a social media strategy into the marketing and sales mix. In doing so we often have to overcome the familiar inertia of more traditional sales and marketing practices. This inertia can have real opportunity costs.

The realities of social media’s power have rapidly outpaced the mythologies of the Internet. In a famous earlier myth, Odysseus chose between a hard but virtuous future of adventure and an easy life of pleasure on an island (with the alluring nymph Calypso). He finally opted for tradition over temptation, shunned the goddess, challenged Poseidon, and made his way home to family and fame. Today’s choice by any business to adopt social media isn’t quite as epic and doesn’t answer to Mt. Olympus, but suddenly the temptations (mostly financial) are more persuasive. The seductively targeted, 24/7, Web-driven customer relationships afforded by online strategies promise a far better course for adventuring businesses than many traditional marketing channels.

Today, personal social media usage is staggering, with more than 500 million active members of Facebook alone, approximately 90 million “tweets” on Twitter per day, and 24 hours of YouTube video uploaded every minute. But while individual consumption is optional, well-planned B2B social media strategies are becoming ‘must haves.’ And although traditional sales tactics still have value and face-to-face meetings are almost always preferred, your customers won’t wait for these meetings to evaluate your products, weigh your competitors, and assess public opinion about you and your industry. Just consider a business environment in which:

• 51% of active Twitter users follow companies, brands, or products on social networks;
• 50% of the Fortune 100 uploads an average 10 videos a month to YouTube accounts;
• 79% of the Fortune 100 uses at least one social media platform to communicate with customers;
• 65% of the world’s top 100 companies have Twitter accounts, and
• According to a national survey, 89% of reporters and editors use blogs for their research, 65% turn to social media sites, and 52% consult microblogs like Twitter or Tumblr.

So whether your business targets corporate, industry, or media consumers, ignoring B2B social media strategies and failing to recognize their potential can lead to serious miscalculations; recall IBM Chairman Tom Watson and his declaration in 1958, “I think there is a world market for about five computers.”

A thoughtful, well-executed B2B social media strategy can deliver a number of benefits, such as social proof – extracting external measures of your firm’s, or industry’s, image or success from social network platforms. It can provide significant exposure, engaging you and your audience with the credible transparency of millions of grass roots conversations. Meanwhile, paid and sponsored advertising on these sites can be highly targeted to your consumers. And the functions that drive inbound marketing results, such as search engine optimization or SEO, are distinctly accelerated by the professional use of social media.

To get started, make sure your business clearly outlines its social media goals. These may include revenue, membership, reputation, market share, or other objectives. Once identified,

• Content is always king, especially online; determine how relevant, engaging information will be consistently acquired and generated by your team.
• It’s not expensive to do right but it’s also not free; dedicate the adequate resources and appropriate people to maintain your site and manage your social network interactions at a high standard.
• Decide which online channels will most effectively reach your audience.
• Technology is the gateway; ensure that you have a robust, effective, and well written website that supports and enhances your social media strategy, and
• Make ROI a key metric; fully integrate your social media efforts into your sales, growth, and CRM initiatives.

For B2B marketing, social media is no longer a “nice to know,” it’s a “need to know.” Properly designed, well managed, and creatively applied, social media can make a discernible impact on your business goals. It can also serve as a fast and effective tool in responding to diverse crises, handling employee or labor issues, addressing fast-moving investor issues, and quickly adapting to sudden changes in buyer and stakeholder demographics.

Carefully evaluate the potential for B2B social media as an essential element of your company’s strategic marketing program. It will prove to be a seductive, but sustainable, strategy that will keep you from drifting aimlessly in a sea of competition.

Muhammad Ali - Think Different Campaign

I’ve been thinking a lot about the video below. I saw it a year or so ago and I think it subconsciously has driven a lot of my opinions on branding since then. But it resurfaced recently on Twitter, blogs, and the New York Times, and it’s been nagging at me.

Why? Well, it seems like I’ve been sitting in on more and more meetings where prospective clients want to jump right to a website and business cards. They’re excited to get started on a new project and launch their big idea out in the world. They have a logo they sort of like and not much in terms of a formal message. But they don’t seem to want to take the time to figure out how to simply deliver their big idea in terms that will inspire future customers or even their own employees  with a succinct statement that encompasses their dream. The feedback I get when I ask the question, “Do you want us to take a look at your messaging first maybe come up with a mission statement, elevator pitch, and tagline that will encompass all of these great ideas and inspire and inform the design?” the reply I get is usually… “wedon’thavetimemoneypatiencetoworkonthatfluffystuff” usually delivered  just like that…breathless as if  in the midst of a business marathon they feel the breath of their competition on their necks sneaking up behind them.

I know that competition is tough in the business world and our “always on” electronic presence makes us feel that any pause will surely result in complete annihilation by the competition.  That’s when the video below starts floating to the top of my mind.  Steve Jobs made this speech in 1997. Before the iMac, before the iPhone and iTunes. He had just returned to the company and Apple was floundering with a $4 per share stock price and a failing line of beige boxes that looked (and performed) very much like the Windows-based computers of that time. A different CEO given those circumstances might have tried a different tactic. They may have decided to roll up their sleeves and get to work on what they knew: building computers. Mr. Jobs on the other hand saw the worth of voicing the company’s ambition and vision and “Think Different” was created. Sure the campaign got attention for its simplicity, style, and design…but more importantly it set a tone for the new direction of the company, told customers what they could expect, and fired up Apple to reach those goals.

So, when I hear “we don’t want to over promise,”  “we don’t have time for the fluffy stuff,” “that’s too simple…no one will get it,” and “we don’t have the budgets that Nike and Apple have to launch this little Green Tech company” my mind drifts to this video and it gives me courage to challenge those assumptions.  Sure you can over promise.  You have time for the fluffy stuff because clouds are made of it and it makes so much possible on this planet. As for cost, we don’t charge what TBWA/Chiat/ Day charge.  And as for time, now more than ever in a world where messages are flying by in 140 character blurs you need to make sure your new big idea has an expression that is succinct, simple, and challenges your customers to stop and think of the possibilities of doing business with you…to Think Different.

US climate action faces tough odds after election (Reuters)

Comprehensive climate control efforts could suffer more setbacks if Republicans take control of the House of Representatives or Senate in November’s congressional elections.

World Bank’s Climate Change Envoy Steers Around Hot-Button Issues (New York Times)

Praised as “the consummate World Bank insider,” Andrew Steer, the World Bank’s new global warming envoy and first-ever ambassador for climate change and low-carbon development, emerges as a climate change czar at the multinational financial institution at a critical time.

UN Risks `Huge Mistake’ in Probe of Carbon-Trading Credits: Energy Markets (Bloomberg)

Should the United Nations investigation into alleged improper claims for hydrofluorocarbon-pollution credits lead to new limits on expected credits, investors would abandon the UN market, according to Dirk Forrister, President Clinton’s former adviser on global warming.

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Output to Climb 3.6% This Year, 0.4% in 2011, EIA Says (Bloomberg)

The EIA predicts that the increase  in emissions from energy use is due to “forecasted economic growth combined with increased use of coal and natural gas.”

DOE giving $575 million in carbon capture grants (Associated Press)

The U.S. Energy Department plans to award $575 million for 22 carbon capture research-and-development projects in 15 states.

New Carbon Markets May Pose ‘Serious Challenge’ to UN Program (Business Week)

The lack of progress on climate talks may prompt nations to consider new programs posing a “serious challenge” to the world’s second-largest emissions market, according to chief climate negotiator Christiana Figueres.

U.S. Won’t Pass Carbon-Price Law for Power Generators This Year, Reid Says (Bloomberg)

More likely to pass this year are limited energy proposals including legislation that would boost sales of vehicles that run on natural gas, spur renovations to make houses more energy-efficient, and overhaul offshore oil and natural gas drilling rules.

U.S. Affirms 17% Climate Target; Envoys Cite Progress on `Green Fund (Bloomberg)

In the absence of cap-and-trade legislation, the EPA will move forward with regulations to meet the United States’ initial carbon emissions reduction goal of 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels.

Supply fears hit UN carbon credits (Financial Times)

UN-issued Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) surpassed €14 on the European Climate Exchange, their highest value since early May.

Australian PM Gillard retains power (Reuters)

Carbon pricing is once again on the Australian government’s agenda, with support of four inedpendent lawmakers and one Green MP likely to hasten the Labor Party’s work on a Climate Change Committee.

Higher Carbon Price Needed to Drive Innovations, EU Connie Hedegaard Says (Bloomberg)

“If there’s really a prospect that the carbon market continues and in a way that is interesting for business, that could be one of the tools to get a higher carbon price.” – European Union Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard following the two-day meeting of climate envoys in Geneva

China Goes Green, Keeps Bankers and Investors Busy (Wall Street Journal)

Green-themed Chinese companies are set to reap billions of dollars from public offerings to new investors in coming months.

Climate Envoys Seek Consensus on $100 Million in Aid for Poorer Nations (Bloomberg)

Envoys from more than 40 nations are in Geneva to brainstorm ways to help poorer nations get the estimated $100 million a year needed to fight global warming.

US EPA to issue more rules in climate fight (Reuters)

The EPA “has a huge role to play in continuing the work to move from where we are now to lower carbon emissions.” – Senior administration official

Openness urged on UK’s emissions (BBC)

If “embedded” emissions are counted, the United Kingdom’s 15 – 16 percent CO2 reduction disappears. – UK chief environment scientist

UN Carbon Offset Trades Near Record Premium to 2011 on Regulatory Review (Bloomberg)

The premium of United Nations emissions offsets for this year to those for 2011 traded near a record as the regulator reviews the way it awards emission credits tied to hydrofluorocarbons.

The Changing Climate for Environmental Legislation (Newsweek)

Waiting might be the best strategy for energy and climate-change advocates stymied by political inaction.