Why Social Media Isn’t Just for B2C Marketing Anymore
Social media. It’s everywhere in our daily lives. So why are B2B companies late to the party? Discover why now is the time for B2B to embrace social media and learn how to harness its power to build relationships, generate leads, and drive sales.
You’ve ignored it long enough — it’s time to jump on the social media bandwagon, B2B companies. There’s no denying that social media has become an integral part of our day-to-day life. It's not just a platform for individuals to connect and share their personal lives with friends and family anymore. While B2C companies have quickly adopted social media for their marketing efforts, B2B companies have been slower to embrace it. If your B2B social media presence is lagging rather than leading, It’s time for that to change.
Read on to discover the 5 reasons why social media is a game-changer for B2B marketing. And then get ready to jump — because the social media bandwagon is very much here. and you don’t want to get left in the dust.
Reason #1: Boost Brand Visibility and Awareness
In a highly competitive market, social media provides businesses a powerful platform to expand their reach, showcase products and services to a vast and diverse audience, and attract new clients and partners. Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook have millions of users — that’s a lot of new eyeballs to view your products and services. By enabling businesses to share content with their followers and other users, who can share that content with their networks, B2B businesses potentially reach a significantly wider audience. A bonus? Creating and sharing content on social media platforms is generally free, making for a cost-effective marketing strategy.
89% of B2B marketers prioritize increased brand awareness as their primary goal for social media marketing.
Source: Content Marketing Institute
Reason #2: Cultivate Better Engagement and Relationship Building
Social media platforms offer an excellent opportunity for businesses to engage with their target audience and build relationships with potential customers. By creating engaging content, responding to comments and messages, and participating in industry-related conversations, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders and build trust with potential customers. That trust can go a long way. According to a survey by Forrester, 74% of B2B buyers who consulted social media before making a purchase report that they ultimately chose the vendor they engaged with on social media.
Reason #3: Improve Lead Generation
Social media provides several unique opportunities to generate and nurture leads through the sales funnel. For example, targeted ads pinpoint specific groups based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and other criteria, allowing businesses to promote their products or services to the most relevant audience and increasing the likelihood of attracting potential customers who are interested in what they offer. Additionally, by promoting gated content, such as an e-book or whitepaper, businesses can attract potential customers willing to provide their contact information for access. Once they have the contact information, companies can launch targeted email campaigns, personalized messaging, and other content that addresses their specific needs and interests.
Reason #4: Drive Website Traffic and Enhance SEO
Simply put, by sharing relevant content on social media, businesses can drive more traffic to their website. This traffic increases the number of visitors to their site, leading to higher engagement, more leads, and, ultimately, more sales. While social media does not directly contribute to how Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) rank content, search engines like Google take into account social signals, such as likes, shares, and comments when determining website rankings. This means the stronger the social media presence and frequently shared high-quality content, the greater potential to rank higher in search. It’s a win-win.
58% of B2B marketers said that social media has helped improve their search engine rankings.
Source: Content Marketing Institute
Reason #5: Analyze Data, Gain Insights, and Refine Strategies
Social media delivers a wealth of information about customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing engagement metrics, such as likes, shares, comments, and clicks, businesses can determine which platforms drive the most engagement, resonate with their audience and adjust their social media strategy accordingly. Additionally, social media listening tools allow companies to monitor social media conversations, including reputation monitoring about their brand, industry, and competitors. All of this data helps to identify trends and opportunities for businesses to refine their marketing strategies and improve their content.
Ready to Jump on the Social Media Bandwagon?
Stop lagging and start leading. Now is the time to jump on the B2B social media bandwagon and see what its power can do for your company. And we’re ready to help.
It’s time to get social.
Let's Chat.
Written By
Lori Weisberg
Lori lives by the mantra, “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” As Director of Content and Client Strategy, Lori is the wordsmithing wind beneath many of our clients’ wings. Known for capturing our clients’ brand voices with compelling clarity and consistency, she also is a frequent Tuna blog contributor. When not perusing a thesaurus, Lori can be found adding more zing to her arrabbiata sauce or searching for an easier way to pill a cat.