• excellent customer orientation, profiling and customization of information and services to different customer segments
• focus on priority needs of the customers
• compliance to usability standards
• high quality information and advice in effective and user friendly formats
• integration of information, advice, tutorials and tools
• excellent ‘cross selling’ of ‘related’ information
• integration with social media like Facebook, Twitter and You Tube
• subscription services to newsletters and  alerting systems

Last but not least, these portals are completely open to any user. There is no need to login to access certain sections or services. Therefore, we recommend to have a look at these portals as good practices in the area of  trade promotion portals.

Austrade

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

UK Trade and Invest

We started in the 3rd quarter of 2009 with setting up a Facebook Page, Twitter page and YouTube channel together with process descriptions on the effective and integrated use of the social media. At the same time, we also worked on a SEO program. Apart from including the proper tags, improving link popularity, content and submission to popular directories, we also converted the dynamically generated URLS with query strings into Search Engine Friendly (SEF) URLs. Within a few months, site traffic increased by around 50% and listings in Google improved superbly.

As an example, if you search in Google on e.g. ‘export services cebu’, the BSO will be listed number 1. Search on ‘cebu eporters’: number 1. Try ‘Philippine export coaching’….. You guessed it. Now if you search on ‘market highlights philippines’, the Facebook page of the organization is listed number 1…. (note: the search engine result page listings were measured monthly in the first half of  2010). A case that demonstrates that SEO and Social Media campaigning can definitely pay off to drive traffic to the BSO website. And that’s where the actual conversion needs to take place!

:: Background

Philexport Cebu is an umbrella organisation, with more than 250 members, both exporters and export associations. At the start of the intervention, the situation was as follows:

• Core business advocacy
• Decreasing membership and revenues
• Main revenue stream: One Stop Export Documentation Services
• Limited service portfolio
• Low visibility, poor image with donors, associations and companies
• Need to diversify revenue stream, develop new customer based services, enhance image
• Specific request to set up a training centre

:: Targeted results

The intervention aimed at extension of the service portfolio, structurally embedded in the organisation, with enhanced capacity of staff and local experts (LEEs), leading to:

• diversified and sustainable revenue streams
• higher customer satisfaction
• increased membership
• strongly improved image
• established alliances with national and international support organisations

:: Realized results

The results achieved include the following:

• Export Training and Coaching Center (ETCC) established, branded and operational
• Market information service (iSearch) established, branded and operational
• Organization strategies, structure and work processes adjusted and documented
• More than 35 LEEs and staff trained (of which approx still 50% actively engaged after 1 yr), working under guidance of a Code of Conduct
• Break-even for trainings realized
• Customer satisfaction significantly increased
• Membership up
• Membership fee up, justified by extended service delivery
• Image up, with organisation recognized as a key player in the field of export marketing training and coaching services  among all stakeholders
• MOUs signed with GTZ, DED, CIDA, DTI to have Philexport Cebu as preferred supplier of MI and Training and Coaching services (EU project in pipeline)
• DED to provide structural capacity building support to Philexport
• Requests for training and coaching coming in from beyond the region
• Government providing Exporter Support fund to Philexport to implement training and coaching services to enhance competitiveness of export community in times of crisis

:: Main activities implemented

• Focus group discussions with Philexport members
• Needs analysis with associations and company representatives
• Interviews with donors
• Brainstorming sessions with Philexport management and staff
• Development and implementation of Business Plans for Training and Coaching Center and Market information services
• Training and coaching of Local Experts and staff
• Development and implementation of training calendar and curricula by Local Experts and phased out coaching by international experts
• Development of a Premium Membership model
• Development and introduction of ‘light’ Market information services (highly automated – syndication based)
• Development of branding campaign
• Design and implementation of Donor Road show

:: How was sustainability arranged?

• Embedded in long term strategy, adjusted organisation and documented work processes
• Based on proper and continuous analysis of customer needs and commercial viability
• Business plans as guiding and monitoring documents
• Focus on different market segments (private sector, government, international organisations)
• Institutional and commercial arrangements with diversified number of national and international stakeholders

More information: Philexport Cebu

The iSearch service is structured as follows:

Benefits

• value added pre-processed statistics, tables, charts and graphs on key market trends per industry sector
• unique, short and up-to-date market reports for 8 major sector, including competitor reports
• customizable data search where you can search using your own parameters
• high quality links for further references and resources
• an alerting system by sms and email so that exporters are the first to know the latest trends in the priority markets

Sectors covered
Philexport has prioritized its service to cover a limited nr of sectors

furniture | housewares |holiday décor | costume jewelry | fine jewelry | footwear | leather goods | health and wellness

Special research
iSEARCH is also capable of undertaking fee based special market studies for interested clients. Examples of such studies include identification of new potential markets, competitor profiles, market trends analysis, and credit background information on potential buyers from Dun & Bradstreet. Fees vary depending on the scope of work and time required to complete the studies.

Note: The service has been developed with support of the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI), Pearl2 project from CIDA and the German Development Service (DED).

One of the Bolivian BSOs we work with has done a pilot campaign displaying advertisements in Facebook. A short campaign (approx 4 weeks)  generated thousands of new visits to the website which resulted in 40% conversions, meaining subscriptions to a webbased service. It was very clear that  the campaign was successful, it exceeded the expectations.

We are confident that active use of social media can bring substantial benefit to BSOs. However, it should be well planned and integrated as a social media strategy in a wider  trade promotion strategy.

Note: The centre has been developed with support of the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI).

JTI has reformulated client services to meet changing market needs. For example, it set up a web portal for buyers and suppliers. A new Cluster & Linkages Department is helping businesses take advantage of opportunities offered by working in clusters and is linking local suppliers to foreign investors, particularly in the booming tourism industry. Other areas of achievement include setting up an Export Centre and Business Information Points, together with the Caribbean Business Opportunity Service. JTI is better serving its clients through its Corporate Finance Broker Unit, which helps companies to access finance.

JTI is also taking the lead in advocating for an enabling export environment and has commissioned a Strategic Plan for the Export of Professional Services that will be integrated into the national export strategy.

Read the full article on ITC’s TPO-net

The NZTE is only established since 2003, in order to realize New Zealand key economic goals, which is to become a global, innovative economy. NTZE’s model takes an integrated approach to economic development that includes a focus on investment, trade, export and domestic capability to overcome challenges such as lack of scale and distance.

It is all about realizing opportunities. NTZE connects the in-market knowledge of its offshore staff and their networks with on-the-ground capability building at home. To identify businesses and projects, NTZE has developed an intervention framework and a net economic benefit calculator, enabling it to work with the right firms at the right stage in their lifecycle, with the right mix of support.
The Beachheads programme helps companies expand their presence in international markets and accelerate their market share. Better by Design is helping boost economic growth through better use of design. Path to Market helps companies assess and realize their export potential. On top of that, the Export Year 2007, a public-private initiative, boosted the country’s long-term export potential through awareness raising activities and helping businesses realize opportunities.

Read the full article on ITC’s TPO-net

More information on the IBCE website.