IBM Bolsters Social Media For SMBsIBM Bolsters Social Media For SMBs

Like many of their small and midsize clients, a number of IBM business partners are interested in the possibilities of social media as a way to increase revenue -- yet the overwhelming majority are uncertain how to use the technology as an effective sales tool, a new survey by IBM found.

In fact, 45% of the 1,000 business partners polled are experimenting with social media, according to the 2010 IBM Business Partner Social Media Survey, released Thursday. But 74% want education on social computing, with many saying they are overwhelmed by the number of social media outlets available. These business partners, many of which are small and midsize businesses, are seeking training on specific tools such as Facebook, Twitter, RSS, wikis, videos, and setting up private networking communities to communicate with customers and partners, IBM said.

Small and midsize businesses are struggling in the face of so many options, Sandy Carter, vice president, IBM Software Business Partners, told information.

To help business partners create their own social media strategies -- and, in some cases, create a practice to help clients tackle the same challenge -- IBM today is launching social media initiatives, she said. Partners can access training sessions and a social media guide via the vendor's PartnerWorld website, and tap the company's webcast and podcast series on Web 2.0 social media opportunities and successful strategy implementations. IBM also will hold a live session on leveraging social media during its October Information on Demand Conference in Las Vegas, and will provide partners with virtual and in-person workshops through its IBM Virtual Innovation Center and 40 worldwide IBM Innovation Centers.

Perhaps the most important step is to develop a social media plan, said Carter. In addition to addressing the social media outlets to target, this also should include a "digital disaster plan" to cover negative comments and related issues, she said. "Fifty percent of their [social media] time should be spent listening online -- what customers are saying; what competitors are saying. Depending on industry and size of company, it could be 30 days minimum for listening," added Carter. "The worst offenders are people who just go out there and start talking and don't listen to what people are saying."

Many business partners have made an initial social media foray, with 80% saying they have experimented with LinkedIn. Of those, 56% visit LinkedIn daily or weekly, she said.

YouTube is the second-most popular social media site: 77% of respondents have experimented with the site, while 56% leverage it daily or weekly, Carter said. Facebook ranked third, with 68% of respondents having visited the social media site and 46% using it daily or weekly, according to IBM. Half the respondents know how to use Twitter, with 29% logging on daily or weekly, Carter said.

"Unlike some customers we consult with on social media, where they have a social media team, here the smaller companies have executives who are leveraging social media. These are primarily the four tools they use," she said.

Concerns about privacy and security, coupled with time constraints, lead executives' list of social media challenges, said Carter.

Those solution providers that overcome these hurdles have seen business benefits, she said. In 2009, the Zobrist Consulting Group, for example, expanded beyond its tradition of e-commerce solutions to develop a social media practice, said Teresa Zobrist, principal at the nine-year-old firm, in an interview.

"We embarked on a mission to teach our customers how to leverage social media," she said.

Zobrist Consulting first used its burgeoning social media expertise to boost its own presence and sales, seeing a 700% increase in web traffic within nine months, said Zobrist. As a direct result, sales increased and businesses in the United Kingdom and Japan contracted with Zobrist Consulting, she said.