Facebook/Snapchat/Instagram for business

mrawkward

I am mentoring a small specialist service type business and we would like to use one of the popular social media platforms to gather the RFQ (Request for Quotation) information.

The idea would be a form/template which can capture about 10 short standardised data/info fields plus directly loaded photos/videos > Click & Send.

We had considered a bespoke app but the need to download it may be too much of an effort for the customer to bother , then factor in development costs for something that may or may not work...using a popular existing platform seems to be the way forward, to at least verify the concept.

Can any one on here do this or recommend a developer?

Private messages welcome!

DUBLINBUSGUY

For business, the best social media platforms would be Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Yelp. Instagram and YouTube are also good options (depending on what the business is). Snapchat is an option too for messaging with the customer but most of the platforms mentioned above provide a messaging service.

I would also create a website. Most businesses, big and small, have a website. It helps them find out what the business is about and encourages them to buy the product. It can also be an online store.

mrawkward

DUBLINBUSGUY wrote: »

For business, the best social media platforms would be Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Yelp. Instagram and YouTube are also good options (depending on what the business is). Snapchat is an option too for messaging with the customer but most of the platforms mentioned above provide a messaging service.

I would also create a website. Most businesses, big and small, have a website. It helps them find out what the business is about and encourages them to buy the product. It can also be an online store.

The business is B2B and has a number of websites. This application needs to offer an easy user friendly and fast transfer of both data and images from a mobile device. Simply looking for options to execute the functionality set out above.

dudara

Something that allows development is your best option. I don’t think Snapchat, Twitter or Instagram would work too well, both in terms of functionality or demographics. Facebook or LinkedIn might suffice but I don’t know what’s technically possible there.

An alternative might be to develop a webpage using Wordpress?

But personally, I’d be sceptical of submitting RfQ, RfI etc responses via a social media platform. I’d prefer to submit them directly to the vendor on their own systems or via a secure system such as Ariba.

Are there small, cheap, cloud-based procurement systems that could be used to run the tender process?

mrawkward

dudara wrote: »

Something that allows development is your best option. I don’t think Snapchat, Twitter or Instagram would work too well, both in terms of functionality or demographics. Facebook or LinkedIn might suffice but I don’t know what’s technically possible there.

But personally, I’d be sceptical of submitting RfQ, RfI etc responses via a social media platform. I’d prefer to submit them directly to the vendor on their own systems or via a secure system such as Ariba.

Are there small, cheap, cloud-based procurement systems that could be used to run the tender process?

Good point. If it were on FB, the actual customer post would only be seen by the page host. We will be driving the target traffic to the page by different means. I had suspected that FB is probably the best platform, especially given its reach and user interface.

PS It is for repeat customers so most likely a closed page!!

ironclaw

You can use Lead Advertisements with facebook. They can capture fields you define but I'd need to check if you can upload pictures (I doubt it). You can also set up Messenger Bots to ask customers a flow of questions, and capture the responses. Two things here though:

- Works for new customers, wouldn't be good for old. It's purely for warm lead generation.
- It's not exactly cheap depending on your sector and budget.

For a PoC, I'd develop some good facebook Ads for new customers and push them to a one pager on a website. Would be very simple to set up a form (WordPress + Ninja Forms would have you up and going in half a day) and you can run from there. For old customers, just send them a link to the page.

From my experience, customers can be hesitant to fill out forms. The more fields, the less likely completion it. If you can get it to 3 or 4 questions, even better, and be sure to capture some contact details. Your chance of a sale is far higher, especially for new customers. You could also A/B. A short form for new customers, a long one for old customers. Would get your conversion rates sorted and also allow you to spot gaps or duplicated data i.e. We don't really need photos but we really should ask for the material they want us to use!

mrawkward

Thanks for the feedback, the points made greatly assist in bringing clarity to what is actually needed.

Target users are repeat B2B contacts, so a once off registration to record contact details etc is probably the way forward. Then all that is needed for each rfq is a multiple photo/video direct upload function plus 6-8 very short info fields > send as email.

Sounds like an app to me, if this is correct where should I go to get proposals?

Thanks

Cianos

The main barrier here is the uploading of images/video. This requirement would change it from a very basic job that could be done with a simple Wordpress landing page that'd take a couple of hours to put together, to something more along the lines of an app that could take weeks/months of work to put together, as well as all the associated complications such as building for iOS/Android, maintaining it for OS updates to both, etc etc.

Is this necessary at this step of the RFQ or could it be facilitated with a follow up email after the other details have come through?

You mention that it's for repeat customers, so hopefully it's not dependent on obtaining all the content in one go?

This approach could greatly help with conversions too.

Getting media content via Wordpress can be done too of course, but I'm guessing from your leaning towards an app that the requirements here might put it outside that - if you're able to give an indication of what it's for I might be able to advise further.

ironclaw

mrawkward wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, the points made greatly assist in bringing clarity to what is actually needed.

Target users are repeat B2B contacts, so a once off registration to record contact details etc is probably the way forward. Then all that is needed for each rfq is a multiple photo/video direct upload function plus 6-8 very short info fields > send as email.

Sounds like an app to me, if this is correct where should I go to get proposals?

Thanks

I'd avoid a native App. Apps were all the rage in enterprise 5 years ago but quickly rowed back when the maintenace cost hit the accountants. You should work towards a WebApp or similar, and keep it agnostic to OS. HTML5 and JQuery, along with the host of libraries that are available in that realm, is the way to go in my opinion.

Your difficulty however will be that iOS doesn't allow one to upload images via Safari.

You could get really personal and build a chat bot in the likes of Telegram. Would be a very 1:1 experience for B2B users and you could further pull the data in CRM.

sysprogrammer

Facebook messenger bot all the way , don't go building a website as you'll lose people with each click.

A chatbot will engage the user and ask the questions needed , I think it is an excellent tool for customer engagement.

mrawkward

This is simply a tool to get a minimum of at least 6 photos and 8 info fields. The video element would be a bonus. It has nothing to do with getting new customers or engagement other than to as quickly and simply as possible receive an email/message with the required data collected. Both parties need a record.It would not be live manned.

Cianos

In that case, a simple online form would be best.

Either;

Simple online form on the client's existing website, using the free Contact Form 7 or the superior Gravity Forms (~$40/year).

or

A Google Form, which can just be linked to and doesn't need to be embedded on a website (but can be).

You could either;

A) Design the form to collect all data there and then or
Design the form to just request text information, then send an automated mail to follow up to request additional media (the images and/or video).

The latter would be best for maximising conversions, especially if you want them to submit video content (which is hassle to submit and would usually not be done in one sitting on the user's end).

If you need assistance setting it up feel free to PM

ironclaw

@Cianos, how are you planning for someone using iOS to upload a photo when on-device Safari has no access to those fields?

Moomat

As others have mentioned, it does seem a chatbot would do what you need. Might be worth having a nose around something like https://chatfuel.com/

mrawkward

I am clearly making a very poor fist of communicating what it is I am looking to source here. I am no techie but I know what I want in terms of functionality.

A system/bot/app/web page/facebook page/gizmo/wingwang from which a user using any smart mobile phone/tablet from single screen can privately email a series of photos or video with about 8 specific fields of data. I wish to obviate the need to save and then attach the pics/vids to an email. It should only send if the fields are all filled.

I don't want to chat to them or engage with them on any level or on any topic at all. They only want me to reply quickly with my offer in writing by email/message.

dudara

Could a Google doc or Survey Monkey survey do this for you?

I get what you’re trying to achieve, but I’m wondering if it’s being over-engineered? I’m inclined to think that subscribing to an existing service might be the most efficient way forward.

mrawkward

A very skinny version of the adverts.ie mobile platform for the "sell something" function is a very clear example of what I am after.
If a few pics or a vid and a few text fields is over engineered, I am clearly wasting everyone's time here.

Axwell

The solution mentioned by Cianos is the most straight forward and will suffice what you are looking for.

a) Use one of the many contact form plugins available dropped on to the clients website with the relevant fields. Data is emailed directly to an email address you provide when setting up the form.

or

b) Use a google form to capture the data (doesnt need to be embedded on the website but can be if required).

Axwell

ironclaw wrote: »

@Cianos, how are you planning for someone using iOS to upload a photo when on-device Safari has no access to those fields?

AFAIK that isn't an issue since iOS 6.

I know for sure on Nex Forms which I use it works no problem and lets you take photo with the camera there and then or chose one from the camera library. I am sure contact form 7 and gravity forms which Cianos mentioned are the same.

Mrs OBumble

sysprogrammer wrote: »

Facebook messenger bot all the way , don't go building a website as you'll lose people with each click.

A chatbot will engage the user and ask the questions needed , I think it is an excellent tool for customer engagement.

Only if you are certain that enough people from the demographic you are targeting are willing to use 1) Facebook AND 2) Messenger (some FB users are not happy with Messenger being separate).

There are a good few people who flatly refuse to use FB and a number of B2B situations where it's hard to imagine a consumer tool like that being acceptable.

Cianos

Yep after reading further I believe a landing page with Gravity Forms would be the way to go.

The main reason being what you can do after a submission is entered.

Gravity forms allows for CSV download so it can be imported to Excel.

But if it was me I would also integrate with something like Trello so that as submissions come in, they're going straight into a sorting system for really easy reference and organisation, ie list X for good leads, list Y for low quality leads etc.

This would all happen automatically, without further participation from the user, using filters and conditional logic.


Trello works really well on the phone too.

Only question would be whether the person submitting the content would go to the trouble of uploading photos, but if they would I think this would work quite well.

Happy to advise further should anyone need it.