To Share Our Expertise, Or Not Share Our Expertise...

Submitted by Michelle Rothmeyer on Mon, 01/30/2012

When I meet with clients about content marketing and the power of social media, there is often some trepidation. Why? Because businesses realize that what differentiates them isn’t simply their products and service — it’s their people and the knowledge between their ears. To share that unique knowledge via content marketing puts them on edge. They fear they’ll lose the edge they have over competitors. That if they “tell all,” the guy around the corner is going to run away with their expertise and do it better.

Here’s the problem. If you don’t share what you know, people don’t know what you know. You’re not a product or thought leader — you’re simply another wolf in the pack. And that’s a problem. If they’re finding interesting, engaging, relevant information from the other guy; if the other guy is giving them the answers they seek; if the others guy is helping them make an informed purchase decision — then they are going to go to the other guy come purchase time. And they’re going to remain loyal to him. And talk about him on social media networks — helping him build more fans who will make more purchases.

If you’re not convinced, here are a few 2011 social media stats you might want to consider:

  • 79% of Americans use the Internet
  • 78% of Internet users conduct product research online
  • 10.3 billion searches are conducted per month on Google
  • Average U.S. Internet user views 2,750 web pages a month
  • 1/3 of American consumers spend 3+ hours online every day
  • 24% of adults have posted online comments about purchased items
  • 9 out of 10 Internet users visited a social networking site each month in 2010
  • 1 out of every 8 minutes online is spent on Facebook
  • Twitters generates 90 million tweets a day
  • More than half of Internet users read blogs at least monthly
  • And spend three times more time on blogs and social networks than email
  • 40% of Facebook users are over 35
  • 64% of Facebook users are fans of at least one company
  • 70% of the links searchers click on are organic, not paid
  • 40% of Smartphone users compare prices while in the store
  • 1 in 5 adults have used mobile phones to make a purchase
  • More than 1/3 of US companies use blogs for marketing purposes
  • Companies that blog get 55% more web visitors
  • 67% of B2C and 41% of B2B businesses have acquired a new customer via Facebook
  • 57% of companies have acquired a customer via their blog
  • 42% of companies have acquired a customer via Twitter
  • 51% of fans are more likely to buy from a company they fan
  • 79% of Twitter followers are more likely to recommend a brand they follow

 Share. Your. Expertise.

 

Stats are thanks to Reciprocate LLC via Hubspot.

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