Developing B2B Social Communities KEYS TO GROWTH, INNOVATION, AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY /

• Main Authors: Brooks, Margaret. (Author), Lovett, J. J. (Author), Creek, Sam. (Author)
• Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
• Format: Electronic
• Language: English
• Published: Berkeley, CA : Apress : Imprint: Apress, 2013.
• Subjects: Computer science.; Computer industry.; Computer Science.; The Computer Industry.
• Online Access: https://ezaccess.library.uitm.edu.my/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4302-4714-2

 Developing B2B Social Communities: Keys to Growth, Innovation, and Customer Loyalty�explains why business-to-business companies need a robust online community strategy to survive and flourish in today s changing economy and shows you how to design and execute your company s strategy successfully. Seminars, publications, market research, and customer care centers remain important tools in every B2B firm s toolbox for understanding, attracting, and serving customers while keeping them loyal. But in a world of fierce global price competition, increasing transparency of business practices, and ever-rising complexity, these traditional customer interaction channels are no longer enough for most B2B companies. That s why smart organizations both large and small are tapping into online communities to gain a huge competitive advantage: the ability to get much closer to customers and become more valuable to them. Developing B2B Social Communities delves into the generators of business value in online communities: immediate customer access to expert information within the company and from other customers; inexpensive delivery of custom technical help; demonstrations of how customers can to get the most from their products; and forums where customers can share tips, air gripes, reveal unmet needs, and suggest improvements. � Three veteran community managers show you how to harness the knowledge of the crowd to help shape your company s strategic direction, develop new products and services, identify trends, sell more, serve customers more efficiently, and provide better product support. Fleshing out precepts with real-world examples and case studies, the authors detail the transformational opportunities and pitfalls for creating online communities.