B2B Companies and Social Media, Friends or Foe?

Social media—the beast itself. There’s a lot of strong opinions swirling around the vast and nuanced topic of social media. Some people live for it and some people can’t stand opening up a social media app. However, many people have clued into the fact that social media can be a great asset to their marketing endeavors. Business to consumer (B2C) companies use social media extensively. Most of us have seen Instagram sponsored posts or Facebook ads pop up as we’re scrolling. For business to business (B2B) companies, social media use can be a controversial point. Today, we’ll dive into B2B companies and social media: are they friends or foe?

B2B Companies and Social Media, Friends or Foe?

Why use social media as a B2B company?

We use social interactions to see if we trust someone, or to check even if we like them. We frame our opinions of others from our interactions with them. In the same way, we as employees of companies use social media to form opinions about other companies (for better or worse, consciously or unconsciously). This leads the importance of a social media presence, for all companies. As a matter of fact, this is the big why behind social media marketing for B2B companies.

Do B2B companies use social media?

According to the Content Marketing Institute, 83% of B2B companies are using social media for marketing purposes. This means that well over half (in fact, almost all) of B2B companies are utilizing social media. Though social media might not lead to instant conversion, it has other strong benefits. As talked about above, social media is a place to build relationships and improve trust between your and your customers. Strengthening existing connections can be done on social media. Consistently posting is an easy way to keep popping up on your customer’s screens. This in turn will strengthen your connection with them—they’re remembering you and their work with you.

What are benefits of using social media as a B2B company?

Another strength of social media marketing is the gentle way you can promote your business. Your posts won’t be overt advertisements, but they’ll be relevant and soft reminders about your company. This more gentle technique of content sharing gives your viewers a very positive view of your company.

In addition, social media is collaborative. This allows your customers to talk with you and your network. Even though this is a part of relationship-building, it is also a stand-alone benefit. It’s a chance to create a collaborative community in your industry. This community builds credibility around your company and in your industry. Problem-solving in this collaborative spirit builds relationships in your network, which keeps people coming back for more.

How do I optimize my social media for B2B success?

Creating specific goals for social media allows for easily measuring success. For some B2B companies, social media is used to bring visitors to their website. So, for a measurable goal, they could aim to bring a certain percentage of visitors to their site from their social pages. If the goal is to raise brand awareness—views, shares, and impressions can be noted and evaluated.

Focusing time on social media platforms that are going to benefit your company is integral. Not all platforms are equal, for every purpose. For instance, this blog post covers what social media platforms to avoid for industrial sector companies. However, the same social platforms to avoid might not apply to marketing companies. Being aware of what platforms help your specific B2B company and which harm it is key. Once the most beneficial platforms are found, focusing energy on those will streamline social media marketing.

Social media marketing matters for growing your B2B company’s connections, traffic, and overall reach. For more information and specific marketing strategies for your company, contact us at RedMoxy.