Should B2B Companies Use Social Media?

Do you have a B2B business and struggle with whether or not you should invest resources in building a social media presence for your company? Perhaps setting up a LinkedIn page is intimidating, or you’re not sure how much of your marketing budget to invest in advertising on Facebook. Ultimately, you wonder if there is value in establishing a social media presence in the B2B space. For the answer, let’s look at the numbers.

As of spring 2017, over 65 million businesses had a Facebook page, and in 2015, 41 percent of small businesses used Facebook. Almost 2.8 billion people (that’s a 37 percent penetration) were active on social media. And social media isn’t going anywhere soon. The number of social media users increased tenfold from 2005 to 2015 and has increased 21 percent between 2015 and 2017. Data shows the question, “Why should my B2B company invest in social media?” has a simple answer: Companies can’t afford not to establish a social media presence. Here are more reasons B2B companies should establish themselves on social media.

Cold calls are out, social media lead generation is in.

Through social media, businesses are able to distribute content that attracts and delights both other businesses and potential end users for product or services.  Therefore, they avoid wasting resources on those that aren’t interested. Using LinkedIn, which boasted over 467 million users in 2016, businesses are able to target and retarget other business owners and employees in their industry. The Facebook pixel allows advertisers to retarget users who live in certain regions, work for certain companies, or are in the market for certain products and much more.

Other social media platforms are following Facebook’s example and building powerful tracking and retargeting tools, so businesses can use social media to track conversions more accurately than ever before. It’s also cost-effective. Social media has reduced costs for 45 percent of businesses. In 2014, 67 percent of B2B marketers said lead nurturing has led to a 10 percent increase in sales, and 90 percent of all marketers indicated social media has generated more exposure for their business.

Your B2B social media posts matter for search engine optimization (SEO).

B2B companies that blog over 11 times per month have 3 times more traffic than those who blogged less. Why is blogging important for B2B companies? Why should you post that description of your new product release on Twitter, or that article your CEO wrote about your services on LinkedIn? It’s because everything and everyone is connected online. Optimizing social media posts has become a best practice in the industry because a significant majority of B2B researchers – 71 percent – start their research with a generic search.

The more optimized your posts and the more websites and people share those posts, the higher your company will appear in those searches. Just make sure your metadata and tags are correct and that you are regularly commenting on other companies’ posts. If that’s intimidating and you’re not sure where to start, head over to our page on ways Brew City Marketing can help improve your company’s SEO.

Social media facilitates relationships and grows your reputation.

Social media stands up to its moniker. Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, Instagram and other social media platforms are among the most accessible tools businesses can use to connect in an authentic way with a wider community. Posting articles and content on these platforms gives businesses the ability to establish their reputation as thought leaders in their industry. Additionally, through social media listening, businesses can see what their competitors are doing. In fact, 92 percent of B2B buyers want content with input from industry thought leaders. Businesses who use social media effectively can also connect with their own employees to create brand ambassadors, find talent through job postings, and manage their brand’s reputation online.

Contact Us Today

Brew City Marketing provides social media set-up, consultation, and management. Contact us today to customize your social media program based on your business, industry, and specific goals. Our office is conveniently located in Milwaukee, near Wauwatosa, just a few blocks south of Mount Mary College.

 

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