By Alexandra Reid
Readers of this blog likely know that we work exclusively in the B2B marketplace. It has been common knowledge for some time now that social media is not limited to B2C companies; rather, B2B companies are succeeding (if not dominating) in engaging with online communities through social media channels. It is an exciting time for our clients, who are both intrigued and excited about the potential social media presents for allowing them to engage with prospects, customers, journalists and industry thought leaders.
B2B companies are excelling past their B2C counterparts in social media in many areas. Just check out these data points from a study conducted by Brian Solis:
- 81 per cent of B2B companies maintain company-related profiles on social networks, compared to 67 per cent of B2C.
- 73 per cent of B2B companies monitor brand mentions, compared to 55 per cent of B2C.
- 66 per cent of B2B companies engage in discussions, compared to 43 per cent of B2C
- 50 per cent of B2B companies upload content to social networks, compared to just 32 per cent of B2C
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This is the 20th article in a continuing series that examines the state of the ecosystem necessary to successfully bring technology to market. Based on dozens of interviews with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, business leaders, academics, tech-transfer experts and policy makers, this series looks at what is working and what can be improved in the go-to-market ecosystem in the United States, Canada and Britain. We invite your feedback.
By Francis Moran and Leo Valiquette
Throughout this series, we have often referenced startup accelerators and the important role they play in the commercialization ecosystem, as well as where government support fits into the equation. So we thought it was time to take a closer look at these entities by profiling three different ones from Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
We caught up recently with Jon Bradford, the man behind The Difference Engine and Springboard, two U.K.-based startup accelerators that took their inspiration from TechStars and Y Combinator in the U.S. The Difference Engine was an initiative supported by public funds that launched in the north east of England two years ago. The goal was to address the lack of quality VC deal flow for startup technology companies and prove, as TechStars had in Boulder, CO, that an accelerator didn’t have to be based in a high-tech hotspot such as Silicon Valley, or even a major city.
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By Linda Forrest
Steve Jobs. Mark Zuckerberg. Bill Gates. Jeff Bezos. Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. Larry Ellison.
I probably don’t need to tell you with what companies these executives are affiliated because they’re such well recognized ambassadors for their respective brands.
Some of these execs, as you likely also know, have had their share of bad press thanks to their behaviour either on or off the record. The media’s fascination with the online indiscretions of an unfortunately named U.S. congressman has reminded all public figures that their activities in the age of social media are never truly private. Leaders’ personas and personalities, good or bad, are tied to their organizations’ reputations in the marketplace.
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As part of our ongoing series examining the ecosystem necessary to bring technology to market, we asked veteran technology executive and angel investor Ron Weissman to share his thoughts on how startups can overcome the challenges of securing early-stage financing. This is the first of his commentaries and we welcome your comments.
By Ron Weissman
Why do some first-time CEOs find it hard to get to first base with investors? The product story that CEOs want to tell has often little to do with the business story that investors need to hear before they will invest. Product- or engineering-driven CEOs new to the VC world beg, “Please let me demo my product! It will change the world. For $500,000 you will own a piece of the next Facebook.”
But the story that investors need to hear is different. “How does your business work? How will you scale to become a profitable market leader? Is this the kind of business that meets my investors’ financial objectives?”
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By Linda Forrest
Since my blog post last week, I’ve seen a lot of coverage regarding the issue of women in technology.
A Rabble.ca article shared the following:
During a town Hall meeting this April attended by President Obama, it was announced that women make up only 25 per cent of the technology workforce, and only 18 per cent of those taking computer science courses.
The numbers are even smaller when it comes to startups. Women head up only 10 per cent of startups in the U.S., despite the fact that 40 per cent of all businesses are 50 per cent or more owned by women.
The good news is that there are a number of accelerators working to boost those numbers.
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May Roundup: What does it take to get technology to market?
June 09, 2011 by Alexandra Reid
Thank you for being with us for the third month of our new blog. Although a bit late, here is a recap of our posts from May in case you missed them, beginning with, in chronological order […]
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So you have the right invention, do you have the right circumstances?
June 08, 2011 by David French
While a good patent always starts at the beginning with the good invention, the circumstances of the market are equally important to having a successful product. Even if you have a product that will appeal to customers and can be delivered at a price that customers are willing to pay, if there are alternate products already available in the market that are nearly equivalent, then you’re going to have difficulty […]
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How to develop a killer social media strategy and carry it through
June 07, 2011 by Alexandra Reid
I am a fortunate community manager because I get to write social media strategies and carry them through. This seamless process allows me to have a firm grip on the day-to-day online activities of our clients with the foresight to effectively steer these activities to reach long-term goals […]
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Accelerated: TechStars harnesses the power of mentorship
June 06, 2011 by Francis Moran
Throughout this series, we have often referenced startup accelerators and the important role they play in the commercialization ecosystem, as well as where government support fits into the equation. So we thought it was time to take a closer look […]
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Polar Mobile’s Kunal Gupta epitomizes Waterloo’s electric buzz
June 03, 2011 by Linda Forrest
Earlier this week, I traveled over to Canada’s newly-crowned Silicon Valley North with our Francis Moran. To say that the energy and dynamism of that tech community is inspiring and exciting would be a profound understatement. The place is positively electric and everyone we encountered was friendly, welcoming and eager to interact, share and connect. […]
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Where’s your next VP of sales or marketing coming from?
June 02, 2011 by Francis Moran
It has been a common lament of technology companies in Canada that this country lacks high-quality sales and marketing talent, driving CEOs to source their c-level executives from south of the border […]
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Do you have the sound bites to drive your business?
June 01, 2011 by Tony Bailetti
When bringing technology to market, a supplier typically produces a set of sound bites in order to feature and describe how its products and services benefit potential customers, partners and investors. A sound bite is a very short piece of information considered to be an important feature the supplier wishes current and potential stakeholders to remember […]
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Five advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing social media
May 31, 2011 by Alexandra Reid
Outsourcing social media has received mixed reviews and it seems that this debate is growing fiercer as businesses become increasingly more aware of the enormous impact social media can have on their reputation […]
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By Alexandra Reid
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