In B2B Social, Vertical May Be the Right Direction

Posted on by Beth Negus Viveiros

jay-hallbergVertical social networks that target a specific professional niche can be a great way for buyers and sellers to connect and start a conversation.

Jay Hallberg, founder/CEO, Spiceworks, estimates there are now over 50 vertical networks for a variety of industries, such as SERMO for doctors, or Edmodo for educators. “They’re disrupting the traditional methods of reaching these audiences.”

Spiceworks is a vertical social network for IT pros founded in 2006. The community, which features a wide range of content including how-tos and produt reviews, gives IT pros a place to interact and fosters connections that often extend offline.

“IT can be a lonely profession,” says Hallberg who will be a featured speaker at BMA15, the Business Marketing Association’s annual conference in Chicago later this month. “If you’re the IT guy for 100 lawyers, chances are you’re not hanging out with your co-workers, because you might not have much in common.”

Marketers wanting to connect with their target audiences via these networks need to remember that you can’t go in with a traditional lead gen mentality. “You can’t just use the campaigns you use in other channels,” he says, because that won’t resonate in social. “You’ll get thrashed if you make a sales pitch.”

On Spiceworks, Hallberg says vendors who bring real technical know-how and value to the conversation succeed. “People will take good mental notes [of what you say] and remember that for later. The right technical experts can really build trust and brand affinity.”

For a preview of BMA15, click here.

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