B2B Social Media Case Study: Dell Vostro V 130 #TradeSecrets Campaign: getting the small business community talking

Posted by: Krishna De | Posted on: April 20th, 2011 | 4 Comments | Posted in: Content Marketing, Marketing online, Social media, social media marketing, Social networking, word of mouth marketing

Are you looking to build more visibility about your business online through outreach and connecting to your customers? Then take a look at the Dell Trade Secrets programme that was launched earlier this year.The programme was established to get their small business customers to talk with them as a company and with each other and at the same time build awareness for a new product in the Dell range – the Dell Vostro 130.

The campaign was all about how to create a great first impression – just as Dell believe that the Dell Vostro V 130 does as a lap top for the business traveller. the Trade Secrets campaign encouraged Dell customers to share their own ‘secrets’ to making a good first impression. This was done through Twitter where people were encourages to share tips using the #tradesecrets hashtag or directly on the Dell Facebook Page on a Trade Secrets app.

At the beginning of the campaign to boost awareness and kick start the conversation, several Dell Vostro V130’s were sent to bloggers who connect with small businesses in the US and UK who were invited to join the programme with a personalised video invitation and a fully loaded and ready to roll Dell Vostro V130 and they were invited to share their opinion of the laptop.

I had first hand experience of the campaign when I attended an event in the UK hosted by Dell and at the event we were invited to share our opinions of the Dell Vostro V 130 through Twitter – you can see the collection of my eight tips here. As a result of my engagement in the campaign, I was also one of the lucky winners of a Dell Vostro V 130 (which you will see if you ever meet me at one of my digital marketing or social media workshops). I have to say it’s been a great laptop to work with and I’ve been super impressed about how quickly it boot’s up – especially helpful if you want to get a session off and running fast!

What I particularly like about the Dell Trade Secrets campaign is that as the programme is coming to a close, Dell have created a lasting reminder of the tips shared by people who engaged in the campaign. Yes there are blog posts that have been created and online video reviews – see one of my favourites below from Heather Taylor who has created a video that I think is one of the most interesting un-boxing video’s I have seen.

To date there have been over 1500 contributions to the Trade Secrets programme across Facebook, Twitter and blogs – Dell have not yet released what that has meant in terms of sales of the Dell Vostro V130 but I am sure that it has increased visibility of the product online and with the reviews assists people who are considering purchasing a laptop in making a decision based not only on Dell information, but from people who have first hand experience of the laptop.

As a lasting reminder, Dell has created a crowd-sourced ebook with a selection of the tips that have been shared throughout the campaign (they did ensure that permission was obtained from contributors signing a release document – I know as I am included in the ebook). It’s a little like the 100 Voices in Business ebook I created as part of the celebrations of International Women’s Day earlier this year.

Watch Heather’s clever ‘unboxing of the Dell Vostro V130 video here:

The tips shared include bite sized advice on preparation and research, appearance, introductions and handshakes, initiating a dialogue, adding value and virtual meetings. It also includes tips from people who are authorities in helping small businesses – here are some of my favourite tips from the collection:

When you’re discussing setting up virtual meetings with colleagues or customers, remember that phrases like“tomorrow morning at 10am” or “next Tuesday afternoon at 3” may not be that for them if they’re in different time zones to yours. Avoid confusion and make yourself look professional by being specific and clear, e.g.,“Monday Jan 24 at 2:00pm GMT.”
-Neville Hobson of nevillehobson.com

Google them before the meeting. This way you will have relevant things to bring up that hit a chord regarding achievements or recent experiences. Also, pop over to http://google.com/news and pick out a few key stories to bring up saying, “Did you hear about?”
- Adria Richards of butyoureagirl.com

Think about others, in addition to yourself, and share knowledge with everyone around you. Be active in the social media space and consistently provide great value.
-Tamar Weinberg of techipedia.com

You can access the complete ebook with all the tips – it’s worth downloading and reviewing as I am sure you will get some great ideas for creating a great first impression whether you are hosting a meeting, speaking at an event or attending an interview. I’ve uploaded the presentation which you can access here:

So if you are in a business to business market I hope you get inspiration from the Dell Trade Secrets campaign about how you can engage your customers and create advocates for your brand.

Remember though – as i always say – model don’t copy the campaign – how could you build on this idea?

What other campaign’s have you seen recently in the business to business market that have caught your attention in terms of online word of mouth and advocacy programmes?