If You’re a B2B Company Asking “Why Social,” You’re Asking the Wrong Question!

The biggest buzz in digital marketing today is social media marketing and how that will continue to shape the way we promote our businesses.  We have seen many examples of B2B companies that have embraced social successfully and have witnessed a transformative effect on their marketing programs.

But for many others in the B2B space, this is still a “new” thing and taking the plunge into Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks can feel like a daunting task.

If you fall into the latter category, we’d challenge you to shift the way you’re framing this.

The Question Isn’t “Why B2B Social Media?”  It’s “Why Not!”

Social media marketing can actually be more valuable for a B2B company than B2C.

Think of it this way: In B2B, you commonly see a higher average price point for products, and you are likely targeting a narrower customer base. With higher dollar purchases, more consideration goes into the decision – so we often see greater influence from customer referrals, word-of-mouth and your business’ reputation.

Enlisting your customers as brand advocates returns a much greater reward when manufacturing a $50,000 piece of industrial equipment than when selling a $5 bag of tortilla chips. Social media helps B2B businesses acquire and retain clients, demonstrates their authority as experts, and builds their reputation even in exceptionally tough markets.

The Top Platforms B2B Marketers Should Be Considering

The top social platforms of choice for B2B marketers are Facebook (80%), Twitter (78%) and LinkedIn (51%). LinkedIn is proven to be almost 3X as effective as Facebook and Twitter for lead generation, although 49% of B2B companies aren’t using it.

Niche social networking sites are also widespread and have grown professional communities that help their members solve problems and share their experiences. Consider also how B2B buyers tend to rely on third party feedback (both online and offline) in making purchase decisions, and you can see the value of social networks in various stages of B2B buying process.

Key Benefits of Going Social

Certainly, social networking is about nurturing relationships with your most loyal customers. It’s a unique forum for two-way communication and community building.

But beyond that, a strong presence in social media can also help elevate results of your other digital marketing channels from boosting SEO value to helping with content marketing promotion.

Some of the other most important benefits include:

*       generate exposure for business

*       increase traffic to your website

*       improve search rankings – from content sharing and links.

*       create in new business relationships

*       generate qualified leads

*       improve sales

Making the Leap to a More Social Digital Marketing Program

We’d love to hear what questions you have.  What’s holding you back from launching your social media presence?  What barriers are you running into with your program today?  What goals are most important to your company?