What was your journey until taking on this role in the company?
I worked for about ten years in a company where I was responsible for administration. It was a growing reality, especially on the foreign market, therefore, given my passion for languages, I proposed to carry on these foreign projects. I started organizing the first fairs and then, for personal reasons, I moved to the Cividale area and looked for something closer. I joined Labiotest as they were looking for a figure to take care of the back office and the sales network in Italy. Little by little I learned to organize and manage the various aspects, from the commercial area to relationships with foreign professionals. Subsequently I moved into the field of Marketing, starting the first training courses and understanding how to structure corporate communication. From here we started with a series of events around Italy dedicated to information related to our sector: we were pleasantly surprised by the feedback we received and we understood that we had a lot to tell. Now I am Marketing Executive and Management Assistant: I take care of the entire strategic part of the projects, organizing and planning the various steps.
What do you think about social media in the B2B market segment?
I noticed that abroad, brands and distributors are very active on social media, especially on LinkedIn. There is also more involvement at the level of interactions and reposts: they create a network linked to the sector that shares and interacts with the contents. In Italy I see that this concept is somewhat lacking: we still have some gaps to fill in this sense. Labiotest operates in a market niche that changes between Italy and abroad and, inevitably, this is also reflected on social media.
Which social network is more in line with your business model and which is less?
Labiotest's main social network is certainly LinkedIn. It allows us to reach our target, made up of sector professionals, distributors, customers and similar entities, more easily than other social networks. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are still far from our brand because they prefer more visual and captivating content. Facebook offers us some features in common with our target but it is a platform that is used for leisure and not for work like LinkedIn.
The data shows that having a low number of followers damages the brand image, what do you think?
This data is often interpreted in a negative way or as an indicator of the quality of the work carried out. At Labiotest, however, we are aware that this is a non-fundamental metric. We have recently started to focus on the social aspect and, therefore, we want to immediately create communication that fully reflects us, giving priority to the relationship with followers rather than their number. Furthermore, in B2B, social media is dedicated to brand awareness rather than sales, as in B2C.
How important are online reviews, are they important?
I believe that in B2B reviews are still less relevant than in B2C. Labiotest's niche is very particular: since these are technologies aimed at improving the air and reducing smelly emissions, our customers often don't want to let it be known that they use our products to avoid bad odors. This is a perception associated with something negative and, therefore, difficult to communicate even in the case history section of our site. Personally, I willingly leave and read reviews, especially when it comes to experiences or products that I would like to try.
Have you ever collaborated with professionals regarding the social sphere?
For the moment Labiotest does not collaborate with external entities because we have an internal team dedicated to social media. In the future we want to expand our fan base to be able to reach all sector professionals, monitoring and creating an effective strategy for social channels. We would also like to create an internal network via the personal profiles of our employees. I believe that relying on external professionals, in general but especially in the social sphere, can help broaden knowledge and create a very productive synergy. It is true that, on both sides, we must be willing to question ourselves to reach a strategy that can work in the reference sector. As regards the website, we collaborate with a company that follows us in a proactive and dedicated manner.
What are the future corporate communication projects?
For this year the most ambitious objective we have set ourselves is to come out with a sustainability report for the Luci Group, of which Labiotest is also part. Then we would like to dedicate ourselves to Labiotest's social channels in an even more effective way and, in the future, create a collaboration with an external reality that also supports us in this. We are working on the launch of a new brand, even more niche, which we don't want to give any spoilers about.