By Chris Lee

As social media continues to penetrate deeper into business so organisations seek the knowledge of how to best leverage social channels to communicate with customers, partners and suppliers.

Nathan Smith is founder and managing director of social media consultancy Gabba. He also works with distance learning establishment the Open University running workshops across Europe to help increase social media literacy within business. NMK had a chat with Smith to get a picture of social media adoption and use across Europe.

Briefly describe the Open University workshops

The workshops involve teaching the alumni of the Open University’s MBA programme. People’s experience of social media tends to be in a personal context, using it to connect to friends and family. Many haven’t adopted it for commercial purposes. With this in mind, the seminars start with the basics. We look at what social media is, where this new digital world came from and what it means for businesses. We also talk about businesses based in their country that are using social media. This contextualises the subject, helping people understand what benefits this new medium can hold for them.

Which sectors tend to be ahead - and behind - when it comes to using social media for business-to-business (B2B) engagement?

It varies from country to country. For example, in Vienna there has generally been very little uptake of social media either in the B2B or B2C sectors. Red Bull and Swarovski Crystals are two Austrian companies that have really embraced social media. It’s interesting to note that both companies have a strong international presence.

One of the reasons why areas of Europe lag behind the likes of USA and UK in social media is because this online communication tool has been predominantly driven by English speaking networks. This is changing as social media channels begin accommodating other languages. As a result, sites such as Facebook are becoming more popular in countries such as France and Germany. As social networks develop and embrace other cultures and nations, they will become increasingly used for business purposes in Europe.

Closer to home, I would say that the British manufacturing industry has been slower to buy in to social media than other sectors. However, there are exceptions to this and smaller companies seem to be more entrepreneurial when it comes to utilising the new digital platforms to support business strategy.

One example is Butler Sheetmetal, a small fabrication shop in Lancashire. They have an award-winning blog called the Tinbasher, which they use to humanise the people behind the business and keep their customers up-to-date with the latest metal news. It’s smaller companies like Butler Sheetmetal who will drive social media in their sector through their innovative use of it.

What’s the most useful facet, in your view, of social media in the B2B arena?

It’s difficult to say which part of social media is the most useful for businesses, because it depends on what their objectives are. Many businesses assume social media will be a channel to increase their sales, but this is a very restricted view of its full potential. You could use social media as a recruitment tool, a way to manage your reputation, improve customer service, collaborate with other businesses, or drive an existing PR or marketing campaign. You need to decide what you want to achieve from these online tools. Start off small and work your way up. By exploring different avenues, you’ll soon find out which facet of social media is most useful for you and your business’ objectives. 

What’s your take on this story about social media consultants? An element of truth?

From the telephone to the computer to the Internet – and now to social media – there has always been scepticism around new communication technologies but they have all become integral parts of our lives. Social media started off as a way for friends and family to connect and share information. Bit by bit, people are beginning to realise it has so much more potential. Just think - a sole trader based in the UK can interact with potential clients all over the world from the USA to China. All of a sudden, small businesses have export opportunities that weren’t available to them yesterday. The world has become smaller and we can now develop meaningful relationships with potential partners, suppliers and clients across all continents. Social media breaks down walls and barriers for businesses – regardless of how big they are or how long they’ve been in up and running – and social media consultants are one way that businesses can work out how best exploit these new online channels.

You should avoid anyone who claims to be a social media ‘guru’. The truth is technology is developing so quickly that it’s difficult for anyone to double guess what the next hottest digital platform will be. However, there are some agencies and consultants out there who are making a real difference to businesses through innovative and creative use of social media. The true social media agencies and consultants are the ones who can genuinely help a business work out its objectives, implement an online strategy and add real value to the company.

In your view, how can businesses best extract value from social media?

1 – Take time to listen to the online conversations. What are people saying about you and your sector? This will help you identify what opportunities there are for you in the digital landscape

2 – Understand what your objective is. Do you want to increase sales or improve customer relations?

3 – Audit your digital landscape. You don’t necessarily need to invest in social media monitoring software. Simple searches on Twitter and Facebook, as well as tools like Klout, can be helpful

4 – Integrate social media into your overall business strategy. Don’t just see social media as a bolt on – it should be part of the wider plan

5 – Be creative. Social media is one of the greatest opportunities of recent years, enabling people to reach and interact with people all over the world. Social media can be so much more than a way to increase sales – so have fun with it