It is sometimes difficult to convince business-to-business (B2B) companies that social media marketing is valuable for their brand’s growth. This stems from the belief that social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and blogs have more value for business-to-consumer (B2C) companies. While many B2C companies do gain value from the exposure social media gives them, the same benefits can be experienced by those in B2B.
Below are five reasons why social media is a good investment for B2B companies as well:
- Social media is where your customers go to find information
Social media is where your customers get industry news, thought leadership articles, and search for product information. It is where they can get a feel for a brand’s social responsibility, the unique attributes of their products and engage with the brand directly. When you are dedicated to developing your brand voice on social media, it can offer customers a more human view of your brand. This is valuable for a company when it comes to gaining trust.
- Social media can provide customer support
Customers are increasingly using social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to give feedback and ask questions. Social media is often preferred over email, live chat, and toll-free numbers for customer care because it allows for quick contact without inconvenience. B2B customers, just like B2C consumers, want to connect directly with brands and receive a human response.
- Social media improves SEO
One can leverage their social media to increase website traffic and direct users to specific pages. Paid ads such as Google ads can also increase website traffic; however, many customers are often distrustful of paid advertising. This makes organic social media an even more effective way to increase traffic for B2B companies and thus increase your customer base and sales.
- Customers use LinkedIn to connect with B2B brands
It is no secret that LinkedIn played an important role in the B2B world pre-pandemic, but during the pandemic, its role grew even more significant. This is because B2B selling and buying became increasingly digital. Four out of five users on LinkedIn drive business decisions, and 33% of B2B decision-makers are using the platform to research their purchase decisions. What does this mean? 33% of those LinkedIn users who drive business decisions are using LinkedIn to help them decide whether or not they want to purchase a product.
- Social media complements your B2B public relations initiatives
A great way to amplify your PR coverage is by sharing it and repurposing it on social media. An outlet may share the article, interview, or quote from your B2B company on their social media channels, but you should share it as well. When you share media coverage and press releases on your social media, it only boosts the number of eyes on your essential news. Sharing media coverage also helps build a relationship with the editor or journalist because it shows that you appreciate the coverage and want this valuable exposure.
At Sterling Kilgore, we encourage and support our clients to use social media as a way of establishing a brand image, connecting with customers, driving their audience to their website, and complementing our various initiatives. As the digital world continues to evolve and snowball, it is our job to monitor its advancements so that we can seize every opportunity to further your business goals.