How One Distributor is Using Facebook & Blogging
We at MDM recently received a news release about one building materials distributor's new use of social media and online tools to support their business strategy and build brand. I've heard arguments in both ways from distributors when it comes to using tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and blogs to market your company. Of course some Web platforms and social media websites are better than others at supporting business goals. Right now, it seems distributors are in testing mode, or waiting to see how their peers fare online before they dive in.
But C.H. Briggs, Reading, PA, one of the largest independently-owned distributors of interior and specialty building products in the U.S., is going forward. The distributor announced it has published its own blog and Facebook page to stay connected to its customers, prospective customers, vendor partners, and the community.
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Chief Marketing Officer Luis Arias explained the move: “C.H. Briggs wants to engage customers interactively and create an ongoing, two-way conversation. By integrating social media into our marketing mix, we have new tools to communicate with customers that will enable us to strengthen and build relationships and listen to their viewpoints. We also hope that our blog and Facebook page will provide a forum for our customers to interact with each other, as well as C.H. Briggs.”
CEO Julia Klein, who also sits on MDM's Editorial Advisory Board, is publishing her blog at http://blog.chbriggs.com. Klein’s blog will share her insights and perspectives on topics including the distribution industry, the building materials industry, entrepreneurship, small business, innovation and the economy. Readers can subscribe to Klein’s blog feed via email or an RSS feed.
The C.H. Briggs Facebook page, www.facebook.com/CHBriggsCo (which has more than 130 fans so far), shares the latest industry news, product innovations, special events, seminars, training classes and exclusive incentives. Other features include photos and reviews, and "fans" are encouraged to upload project photos, share comments and interact with other fans.
The Facebook part of this equation will be one to watch, as many believe Facebook is more consumer-oriented, and not as conducive to Business-to-Business selling. The low cost of this tool, however, makes it a simple and low-risk tool to try.
Comment below on what you've seen work (or not work) for distributors in the social media realm. What role do you believe these tools should play?
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Social marketing is a niche communication strategy that distributors should consider. Think of it as marketing to customers in their medium of choice. Some will respond, others won't, but that is no different than other marketing efforts. Key is keeping the content fresh and marketing the Facebook and Twitter resources through all of your marketing efforts - if people don't know a distributor has, they won't know to sign-up and visit.
(we even have heard of 1 distributor that sends short-term price promotions to customers who subscribe to their Twitter feed!)