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A “State of B2B Social Media Marketing” story and infographic on Mashable illustrate some of the barriers still existent in the world of social engagement–within the realm of B2B marketers, of course, but also quite prevalent among B2C marketing at the regional and local levels.

First, a couple of caveats: The data referenced in this infographic comes from a March, 2010 research study; in the world of social media, that’s several cycles ago. On a related note, the methodology for the research isn’t clear: sample size, scope, markets surveyed, and so on. So in no way should we look at this data as a quantitative, representative look at the whole world of B2B and social media.

However, we can make a few qualitative observations, backed up by our experience working with both B2B and B2C brands engaging in social media. Let’s look at a few of the statistics:

• 86% of B2B firms are using social media, compared to 82% of B2C companies. (This seems somewhat high, in our experience, unless “using social media” means having a Facebook presence or a Twitter account. But it’s interesting to note that B2B usage is at least equal to B2C application.)

• 46% of B2B companies say social media is perceived as “irrelevant” in their organizations, while only 12% of B2C companies say the same thing. (Again, while we might disagree with the overall numbers, it’s probably safe to say that B2C brands are more comfortable with social media than B2B brands.)

• 10% of B2B companies use outside consultants for social media, compared to 28% of B2C companies. (Again, those figures are probably overrepresented in regional and local circles, but there’s a definite DIY mentality that exists in social media…and that mentality is probably much more prevalent in B2B settings. We surmise it has a lot to do with that “irrelevant” factor mentioned previously. Marketing people at these firms undoubtedly know social media is relevant, but if they feel they’re battling a misperception about such relevance, the most logical step is to take matters into their own hands.)

When we see information and data like this, we come back to a few of our oft-repeated mantras. First, we’ve yet to work with a company that can’t benefit, in some way, from social media. In fact, we think social media may have even more utility for biz-to-biz firms, because the markets tend to be more vertical, and therefore easier to track. For starters, biz-to-biz uses for social media include reputation management and monitoring, tracking of marketing activities, unvarnished market research, employee recruitment, and competitor analysis. How is any of that irrelevant?

Finally–and this holds true across the board–we still sense a general “look, but don’t touch” attitude toward social media in general. That is to say, many companies are interested in the research and numbers, but have a difficult time leaping into actual engagement. Our response is: the only sure way to fail at any business proposition is to never do it in the first place.

Business implications:

• Find the current state of social media in your spheres of influence. What are your competitors doing? What are people saying about you and your brands? Who are the opinion leaders in your niche?

• Don’t get analysis paralysis when it comes to engagement. It’s already an oft-repeated cliche: “Social media is conversation.” That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to start the conversations. Often, it simply means finding existing conversations, listening, and contributing in a meaningful way.

First came the iPod and iTunes, which combined to form a cultural phenomenon. The explosion of interest resulted in a slew of iApplications and iProducts (iLife, iChat, iWork, etc), including the iPhone and iPad–objects on wish lists everywhere.

So it’s no surprise that Apple recently announced $20 billion in quarterly revenue (much of it due to iPhone sales). It’s their biggest ever, and is only expected to grow. (Read the whole article.)

During the quarter, the iPhone sold 14.1 million units and saw 91 percent growth in sales compared to the same quarter last year. The iPad sold 4.19 million units (numbers Apple said are low due to supply shortages). With the iPhone likely to become available to other cell carriers in the coming year, and smart phones competitors flying off the shelves, well, it ain’t all that difficult to see where this is all heading.

Apple is leading the pack when it comes to mobile internet devices and the competition is getting fierce (Samsung, RIM, Amazon, Barnes and Noble have all produced competing iPad products). Already smart phones dominate the marketplace. Soon, the public will be flooded with mobile device options at varying price points.

It’s time to prepare for the mobile and tablet PC revolution. The era of the desktop computer is evolving. Maybe even disappearing. Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley says by 2013, mobile internet will surpass desktop internet usage. (See accompanying graph at the top of this post.) We wouldn’t be surprised if it happens even before then, as we see the growth curve accelerating.

Business Implications

• Is your content ready to be viewed on a 13 inch screen? How about a 4 inch screen? If you have a smart phone, look at your company’s web site; you might be surprised at how unusable it really is on a device with limited screen real estate.
• What can you do now to better prepare for mobile usage? People browse on computers, smart phones and tablets, yes. But their browsing habits differ on those devices–precisely because they use them in different locations. Desktops are used at home and work, which means longer users sessions. But smart phones are likely used on-the-go (perhaps even at your business location), so it’s better to highlight contact information, ordering information, and similar items on your mobile site. Think to yourself: what do people want to know when they walk through my door? That’s exactly what you need to highlight on your mobile site. (And don’t forget to ask them to rate you on Yelp or other services, or check in on Foursquare and Facebook Places.)
• What kind of apps would benefit your clients/customers? The term “app” can be a stumbling block, because businesses often think of massive programming. But really, an app can simply be information you already have in an alternate format; consider publishing your specials or news in an “app” framework.

Tony Hines, our Creative/Social Media Director, be speaking at the inaugural Ignite Spokane tonight (www.ignitespokane.com), a growing movement that began with Ignite Seattle in 2006. That, in turn, grew out of Japanese Pecha Kucha. (Not the first fun idea we’ve stolen from Japanese culture—Karaoke, anyone?)

Basically, the Ignite talk is five minutes in length, governed by 20 slides of 15 seconds each. Quick “nuggets” of information, easily digestible in an online format (most videos eventually make it onto YouTube and other video sharing sites). Worldwide, the Ignite movement has grown to more than 50 cities around the world, and it continues to expand.

Ignite is a perfect model and example of where we’ve been moving with social media in the last few years. In the early days of the Interwebs (and social media specifically), the lure was the fact that you could interact with people across the world. Geography no longer mattered. And certainly, that’s still true to a great extent. But we’ve also seen the greatest recent growth in activity among localized social media. People are interacting among niches within their own, physical communities. That’s what powers Foursquare, Yelp, Gowalla, BrightKite, and the location update feature on Facebook. That’s what powers Meetup, Gather, and thousands of spontaneous Tweetup gatherings in venues across the world. And that’s what powers one of the newest darlings of online commerce: Groupon.

So the question is: does this intersection of social awareness and localization power part of your social media presence?

Business implications:

• If you are a retail business, a portion of your online strategy should be devoted to courting “socially aware” local groups and meetings. Offer your establishment as a venue for tweetups, meetups, and other gatherings. Create special prizes and offers for people who check in at your location on Yelp, Foursquare, and Facebook. Create your own events and gatherings designed to attract heavy users of social media tools.
• If you’re service-oriented or business-to-business, you should be a part of these previously mentioned “local social” gatherings. Participation extends beyond the online world, and you’ll invariably form personal and professional relationships.

At some time or another, we’ve all been frustrated by recycling.  Why can’t those pizza boxes go in the blue curbside bin?  Do we have to remove labels from cans?  What about cardboard boxes?  And so it goes.  The process can be frustrating – especially when you are just trying to do the right thing!

But wait.  Help is on the way.  This fall, BHW1 will unveil a marketing campaign designed to help county residents understand the basics and the benefits of recycling.  Created for the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, the campaign will focus on demystifying the rules of recycling and revealing just how easy recycling can be.  Since the goal is to reduce the amount of trash we create, a premium will be placed on communicating in ways that don’t require direct mailings and other paper heavy avenues.

“The goal of the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System is to increase the county’s recycling rate.  We’re going to find unique ways to connect with our audience so we can reduce our paper usage while changing the way residents look at garbage.” said Greg Birchell, a partner at BHW1. “But really, recycling is one of the easiest things we can do to make Spokane, even the planet, a better place to live. It’s just a matter of adjusting old habits.”

The campaign will kick off in September and run through the end of the year.

Just on the edge of Rathdrum, beyond Spokane’s hustle and bustle, a specialized company has quietly developed an international footprint. Bay Shore Systems, Inc., which began in 1978, designs and manufactures drilling equipment for a wide range of applications. Today it stands as one of the premier drilling manufacturing companies in the world with markets in Russia, Asia and the U.S.

But, as Adam Minatre, Sales, pointed out, “It was apparent we couldn’t rest on our laurels. Intelligent marketing and advertising was needed to match our product status and long-term growth plans. “

Enter BHW1. Bay Shore Systems, Inc., recently hired the Spokane agency to help drive those growth plans and create brand equity around the globe.

“The construction and drilling industry is very competitive and challenging,” said Cat Hannity, the senior account manager on the account.

“And given the slow down in new construction starts, a company like Bay Shore Systems needs every advantage it can get. Our job will be to employ marketing to leverage their outstanding products. We’ll communicate with targets on many levels, no matter where they are.”