Going Social with Business to Business Marketing

Social media has drastically changed the marketing landscape. Prior the explosion in popularity that these services experienced, business to consumer marketing (B2C) was seen as a much more efficient marketing model than business to business (B2B) strategies. Now it is becoming clear that B2B models that take advantage of this tool can be efficient and effective.

The efficiency of B2B marketing is due to its ability to target a smaller, higher-value group of potential customers. When marketing to consumers, we create a series of ads with the intention of reaching as many people as possible, each new customer a small fraction of the total clients. When marketing to a business over social media, there is an opportunity to interact with a smaller number of professionals who are responsible for making high-volume purchases. This specific focus is how B2B can work with the social explosion.

Interaction is the primary advantage of social media in B2B marketing. In B2C marketing, unidirectional communication with customers might be sufficient, because they are not necessarily risking much by purchasing a single unit of your product. This model is not appropriate when a business client wishes to make a large order, and requires several meetings to discuss whether your product meets their specifications.

For example, if you\’re a manager responsible for purchasing snack food for an enterprise, you need to be certain that the product you are buying meets your specifications and budget. You\’ll have very detailed questions for the salesperson. By comparison, a retail customer buying a single chocolate snack bar has a smaller investment, and is not expecting the same level of service.

By allowing rapid lines of communication with your experienced customer support staff, social media allows you to meet the needs of business clients. Offering timely customer support online is a great way to leave a lasting impression that sets your brand apart from the competition, a crucial aspect of B2B marketing strategy.

Developing a comprehensive strategy to use social media as a B2B marketing tool is essential. It cannot be a free-for-all where anyone can attempt to offer customer support. Instead, it is necessary to use social media to empower existing customer service channels. This ensures a higher quality of customer service on what can be a chaotic medium.

Despite the sometimes chaotic nature of social media, it provides an opportunity to test whether your company needs to adjust its marketing strategy. The tighter focus of B2B marketing allows you to measure what people are saying about your product at a greater level of detail. The volume of public response, as well as its content, allows any change in marketing strategy to be well-informed.

It\’s easy to get caught up in the metrics, and forget that the real strength of social media in B2B marketing is something more qualitative. The lasting impression a client gets when you\’re able to help answer their concerns rapidly and professionally is paramount. Of all the ways a brand can set itself apart, this is the most positive, and also the most enduring.

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Going Social with Business to Business Marketing