WebVoyaging®
An Innovative Web 2.0 Business
Development and Media Relations
Platform
Howard Oliver
What If What Next™
Copyright © 2009 What If What Next™ All Rights Reserved
Overview of What If What Next™
 Company delivers high value and integrated:
• Thought leadership and strategic marketing for Web 2.0
technologies
• Social media optimization platforms
• Market research
• Social media driven business development and media
relations campaigns
 Leverage proven processes, existing relationships and
technical expertise of your industry to rapidly deliver results
 Experienced team can work independently to provide an
“outsourced” resource, reducing internal costs and resource
allocation
Copyright © 2009 What If What Next™ All Rights Reserved
Biography
The founder and CEO of What If What Next, Howard Oliver for more than 20
years has been an entrepreneur, writer, thought leader, PR Guru, business
development strategist, technology evangelist, manager and consultant for
numerous service industrial and high technology companies.
Howard is a passionate evangelist of Web2.0 PR and Social Media Optimization
for Business Development. Clients in technology and other industries recognize
him as a driven, highly creative and disciplined thinker. He current publishes
The Canadian BioTechnologist2.0 Blog (http://cbt20.org) and other social media
sites.
Copyright © 2009 What If What Next™ All Rights Reserved
What Is WebVoyaging®?
 An integrated strategic marketing, media relations, social
media optimization and business development program for
small and large companies
 WebVoyaging® offers:
• A self-funded program
• Optimization of web assets and use of social media/networking
sites
• Social media advocacy and outreach
• Strategic alliances to broaden market penetration and brand
awareness
• Customized, content-driven, company sponsored online
magazine (e-zine) and/or blog
• Extend company’s sphere of influence and deal making
capabilities
• Expand media coverage and company awareness
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What is WebVoyaging®? (cont’d)
 Resource allocation
• Dedicated project/social media manager to implement
WebVoyaging ® strategy
• Senior Web 2.0 and social media creative director
• Fully staffed marketing and technical writing team
• Web-based competitive intelligence and information collection
manager
 Time commitment
• Three to six months for preliminary campaigns
• Year long contracts or multiyear contracts for ongoing social media
programs
Copyright © 2009 What If What Next™ All Rights Reserved
Trends
 60% of Baby Boomers consume socially-created content
(Forrester)
 51% of businesses use social networking sites like Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter, WordPress, SlideShare, Blogs and other
specialty sites (Sage – North America)
 It can certainly help to enhance the process of identifying
customers, especially in niche markets. (International Council of
Small Business)
 This is the year for business to figure out social media or get left
behind (On Online Networking for Business (The New York
Times, June 2009)
Conclusion: Social Media Campaigns are now bread-and-butter for
industrial markeitng
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Implications: A Dramatic Change of Social Structure
Hierarchy
Flat
Authors
Publishers/Distributors
Consumers (End Users)
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For business development you
must be linked as authors, editors,
synthesizers, distributors and
consumers
Challenge: Where Do You Go To Get Noticed?
Low cost of marketing-people
Linked (Word of Mouth)
Attention
Sales
Traffic
Easy reach to value search
Democratization
participation
Short Head
Copyright © 2009 What If What Next™ All Rights Reserved
Leverage the Long Tail
Web Voyaging® Process
Launch
 Scan LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for your 50,000 potential customers
 Deliver strategic WebVoyaging® Plan:
• Build a list of targeted key words, key phrases and search phrases
• Build tracking and reporting tool for relevant conversations in social media
• Identify WIWN relationships
• Create Strategic Marketing Communications Scenarios
 Create white paper(s) highlighting company distinctiveness
 Write media kit, press releases and other material
 Launch ezine/blog
 Weekly reviews/monthly reports with metrics
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Web Voyaging® Process (cont’d)
Ongoing Campaign
 Create necessary alliances to broaden market penetration and presence
 Ongoing business development: outreach, correspondences, calls,
meetings and presentations
 Build presence in social media: Linkedin, Forums, Facebook, Twitter,
SlideShare, industry media and local sites
 Build unique blog, build content and traffic
 Build 100 high-value inbound links monthly to web assets, including
blogs and landing pages
Copyright © 2009 What If What Next™ All Rights Reserved
Web Voyaging® Process (cont’d)
 Write media kit, press releases and other material
 Pitch stories to relevant media
 Complement trade show, road shows and other sales and
marketing activities
 Conduct media campaign
 Build word-of-mouth interest through Web 2.0 tools
 Provide ongoing market intelligence to management to guide
decision making
Copyright © 2009 What If What Next™ All Rights Reserved
Thank You
holiver@whatiwhatnext.com
www.whatifwhatnext.com
905-709-8582
Copyright © 2009 What If What Next™ All Rights Reserved