Every Thursday at 1:00 pm Central Time, please join us for the USA Manufacturing Hour Twitter chat. Simply go to Twitter (X) and search on the hashtag: #USAMfgHour and follow along! This week’s host is Ruby Rusine and the team at Social Success Marketing. With years of B2B experience and a customized approach for each client, they have everything you need to make the most of your digital presence. This week’s topic is Sharing the Voice of Your Customer and asks What is UCG?
Ruby began the chat by saying, Hello! Happy Friday eve! Welcome to the #USAMfgHour! This is Ruby from California. I eat, drink, sleep, and talk ‘social media.’ I’m with team @SocialSMktg. We are social media specialists for B2Bs. We’re happy you’re here with us. Tell us about you and what you do.
@virtudeskcom Hello, hello! Happy Thursday, Ruby! We are Virtudesk. A virtual assistant service provider to busy entrepreneurs and business owners out there!
@NigelTPacker Hi Ruby and the #USAMfgHour followers and team. Happy Thursday to you all from over the Pond in beautiful Southwest Wales. I’m Nigel and we are a #digitalcustomerexperience consultancy and training practice working globally to help find the elusive customer.
@DCSCInc WOOT! Suzan, Kirsten and Buddy checking in from DCSC. We help distribution & manufacturing companies with shipping, supply chain solutions & consulting. Thank you for hosting today!
@pavelStepanov77 Hey, guys. Pavel here, a business owner and serial entrepreneur. Nice to see you all.
Ruby said, here are a few gentle nudges before we get carried away…
- Always use our hashtag #USAMfgHour so we will see all your replies and vice versa.
- Label all your answers- A1, A2, and so on…
- Engage. Ask questions. Respond to comments.
- Learn and have fun!
Ruby posed a question: UGC? We see this often in B2C marketing but how can we use it for B2B? In fact, does it have any use? Today, in this #USAMfgHour, we will find out. Let’s talk about this.
Sharing the Voice of Your Customer: The Power of UGC for B2B Companies. Let’s begin. In the social media world, we know that the content we share is crucial to our business marketing strategy. Let’s explore another type of content.
Q1. What is user-generated content (UGC) in the context of B2B marketing?
A1) Kirsten Austin of DCSC: A guess … but an actual human developed the content. Social Success Marketing: HA! That’s a good one. But best answer.
A1) Pavel Stepanov: It’s the content created by your followers on social media. Jules with Hourly – Insurance & Payroll, replied: Spot on!
A1) Host Answer: User-generated content refers to any content created and shared by your B2B customers and partners that showcases their experiences, insights and interactions with your products or services.
Q2. When using UGC, it’s necessary to understand it’s value to your B2B company. Why is UGC content important for B2B marketing?
A2) Nigel T Packer: By getting a response from potential customers a business can engage in a conversation. This can draw others in and over a short time can generate others becoming interested in the original poster’s products or services. Everyone likes to listen into others conversations. Views are important.
A2) VirtuDesk: Because it came from real people and individuals which makes it more authentic and trust-worthy. Austin replied: Great answer. Ruby agreed: Yes! These cannot be replaced!
A2) Packer: It goes back to its inherent value for any time of business space. It adds authenticity and credibility to your B2B marketing efforts. It provides social proof that helps establish trust about your company’s products/services.
A2) Stepanov: It makes your brand more credible and trustworthy as it generates word-of-mouth and referrals. People trust a brand more when people are preaching for it.
A2) Hourly: It’s coming right from the horse’s mouth, so to speak! The users themselves are sharing their thoughts, which adds a whole new level of authenticity. Social Success Marketing: What do you think of influencer (paid) marketing? Hourly: It depends on who you get to do it and the message you’re trying to send, like Lady Gaga doing an ad for a medication she actually takes is different from a TikTok influencer raving about a nail polish that they got for free… that said, I do think there are still authentic ways to go about influencer marketing!
A2) DCSC: You need to know what you’re selling and come across as an expert, not a robot.
A2) Host Answer: Thanks for your answers! For us… It goes back to its inherent value for any time of business space. It adds authenticity and credibility to your B2B marketing efforts. It provides social proof that helps establish trust in your company’s products/services.
Q3. What are some common challenges in obtaining user-generated content for B2B marketing?
A3) Packer: For small and medium businesses, Time is one of the biggest hurdles. Creative idea generation is another one. Rusine: I agree, Nigel! Hourly: Couldn’t agree more, Nigel!
A3) DCSC: I piggy back off of Nigel’s answer. Time and resources. Nigel replied, I am not sure what it is like with B2B and Mfgs in the US. Here (in the UK)we have a lot of Mfgs employing interns from university who are there for a few months, set everything up, then leave and the account goes dead. lack of skills means the company has lost its voice. Social Success Marketing: That’s something companies need to prepare for, too! There has to be a solution for that, right? Nigel T Packer: I think that many of the Mfgs are not big on marketing, and see social media as a pit of hate and division based on the MSM characterisation in their stories. There is that element out there but this can be avoided by focusing on your own industries and those of your customers. Rusine: I just have to ask…what is MSM? Packer: MSM or Mainstream media refers to the old TV and cable channels and the national newspapers that influence what people think about on any given day. The internet and new media news, is referred to as Alt News. It is the growing source for many people to get their news by offering alternative perspectives. Hope this helps.
A3) Stepanov: Encouraging customers and partners to create UGC may require incentives, which can be costly. It’s important to strike a balance between incentivizing UGC and maintaining authenticity. Rusine: True that, Pavel! VirtuDesk: Totally agree with this! Rusine: There is a fine line.
A3) VirtuDesk: Ensuring the quality and relevance of UGC can be challenging. Not all content generated by users will be suitable for marketing purposes, and there may be a need for moderation and editing. Rusine: That’s true! We can provide some guidelines though…
A3) Social Success Marketing: Thanks @CADitUK for loving our post. This is also an invitation to please feel free to jump in on Thursdays. I know it’s nighttime for you across the pond – like @NigelTPacker. Packer: Jump in Robert @CADitUK They are a great group and we all learn from each other. Who knows you could host a #USAMfgHour.
A3) Host Answer: Thank you for your answers! Here’s what we learned so far. Challenges may include low participation, maintaining content quality, and addressing privacy concerns. A clear content submission process and template can help mitigate these challenges. Hourly: Any tips on where to get a template, Ruby? Rusine: Will this work? Click here
Q4. How do you encourage B2B clients to share their success stories or case studies with your products/services
A4) Hourly: Simply asking won’t hurt! Rusine: That is always the first step, right? P.S. Hello Jules! Packer: Hi Julie, hope you are having a great week. Hourly: All good over here, hope you are too Nigel!
A4) Packer: Always a challenge. It is rare to get a customer to initiate a good review irrespective of how good a service you delivered. Often you have to ask to get a response and even then, there is no guarantee they will put a public testimonial online for you. Be persistent. Rusine: That can be a challenge but it will be worth it!
A4) VirtuDesk: The most important factor in encouraging clients to share their success stories is ensuring that your products or services deliver exceptional value. Clients are more likely to share positive experiences. Plus, it’s organic. Stepanov: This!
A4) Host Answer: Offer incentives like co-marketing opportunities, exclusive access to resources or discounts on future purchases. Highlight the mutual benefits of their contribution – how it can also expand their brand exposure.
Q5. What are examples of B2B UGC?
A5)Packer: new products and generating conversations around them. Knowledge posts that involve your suppliers and customers. Group activities such as USA Manufacturing Hour.
A5) DCSC: Could it potentially be Case Studies? Rusine: That’s one!
A5) VirtuDesk: Clients may share their positive experiences with your company on social media platforms. These posts can include praise for your products, event attendance, or collaborations. Rusine: these are some of the best UGCs!
A5) Stepanov: Written or video testimonials from satisfied B2B customers can be a powerful form of UGC. These testimonials can be featured on your website, in marketing materials, or on social media.
A5) Host answer:
- Case studies and success stories
- Webinar or Event Testimonials
- Customer-Generated Video case studies
- Customer Satisfaction Surveys
- Collaborative content
- Guest blog posts (content intersects with your product/service)
DCSC replied, Great Ideas!
Q6. Because we’re using content from our clients, we need to think about this next question. How can you maximize UGC to provide practical solutions to common industry challenges?
A6) DCSC: I’m not sure of this is right, but I want to start an on-line group chat for my clients to discuss things freely that they’ve solved in their operations and how. I’m trying to think of the best format though. Social Success Marketing: I can recommend options for you. Feel free to text to chat.
A6) VirtuDesk: First, pinpoint the key challenges businesses in your industry often face. Conduct market research, and surveys, or engage with industry experts to gain insights into these challenges. Rusine: yes! Great answer!
A6) Packer answered that USA Manufacturing Hour is an example.
A6) Host answer: Encourage business clients to share not just their success stories but also the problems they’ve overcome.
Q7. Are there legal considerations when using user-generated content in B2B marketing?
A7) Packer: I can only think of the following issues: Non-disclosure agreements, Revealing customers to competitors, Copywrite. Rusine: The NDA especially now with 3rd party vendors – outsourced- is a serious matter to me. Packer: Yes, I have the same issue with past clients and a client I am working with. There is so much exciting stuff I could use in their website and SM accounts, but it is all “Commercial in Confidence” till they are ready.
A7) DCSC: Well, again guessing, I think you need to have an authority in that company approve of anything shared publicly. You also don’t want to share confidential information either. Keep in mind, your client’s have competitors too. Be careful. Rusine: I like what you said on the last part. Yup, that is one reason why clients often keep it mum, too.
A7) Host Answer: Yes, there are legal considerations when using UGC:
- Copyright
- Privacy breaches
- Trademark violations
VirtuDesk: Totally agree with all of these!
DCSC: I did not even think about Trademark Violations, good information Ruby. Rusine: I had a customer who wanted me to grab images that are clearly trademarked/copyrighted to include those on what we were working on. I declined. Needless, to say, they didn’t like us. We got “fired.” DCSC: I had a company steal my verbiage down to a word I “Made Up” and put it on their brochure. I took care of it. Great job today, Ruby, you gave us some great ideas.
Your Turn: What is ONE tip you’d like to offer a business that is using UGC content that we haven’t covered here?
Hourly: Highlighting the most enthusiastic and authentic-sounding content on multiple social platforms and your website would be wise! Rusine: That can be done, Jules!
DCSC: It’s already been stated but I think being authentic is important. Even @NigelTPacker mentioned you should not talk over your customer’s head but speak in their language. Rusine: Nothing can replace authenticity, ever.
DCSC: and nothing can replace our beautiful friends from across the pond that support us every week and our other friends that join the #USAMfgHour Community. Nigel T Packer: Thank you Kirsten. Always a pleasure.
Packer: Consider a small customer conference and invite the marketing people from those companies. Create a strategy that benefits everyone in the supply chain. Work collaboratively with each of the members and bring in outsiders as they become new customers.
Social Success Marketing, Ruby Rusine: And that’s it for today’s #USAMfgHour! Thank you for joining us and sharing your thoughts here. We hope you enjoyed the chat and learned something. See you next week! Want to host this chat? Talk to the co-chairs: @DCSCInc, @Radwell_Intl, @SocialSMktg
@go_hourly: Thanks for hosting, I got some ideas percolating from this chat!
@DCSCInc: Great job today, Ruby, thank you to everyone who joined #USAMfgHour today.
@NigelTPacker: Thank you Ruby for another insightful learning experience. These #USAMfgHour hours are a great time to reflect on the how we are currently exploiting SM and help to figure out new strategies. Your questions prompt us to think about the subject. Thank you so much.
@SocialSMktg: Nigel that is a huge compliment coming from you. Thanks for joining us today and for sharing your insights. @NigelTPacker Always a pleasure Ruby.
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