B2B marketers are increasingly using social media to connect with their customers, but oftentimes they are not using those tools effectively. One report found that only 32% of B2B companies engage with their customers on a daily basis via social media. Anotherdiscoveredthat 46% of B2B marketers thought social media was irrelevant. And another found that 60% of B2B firms have no staff dedicated to social media and just 10% of B2B firms use outside agencies or consultants. While the vast majority (86%) of B2B companies use social media for marketing, it’s clear there’s considerable room for improvement.
Increased online investment is one sign of change. Forrester Research is betting that interactive spending will double from 2009 to 2014 to total $54 million. While it’s not clear how much of that money will go into social media, the report was bullish on the new tools provided they’re used correctly. “Social marketing is great for building more intimate relationships with your clients and prospects,” wrote Forrester’s Michael Greene. “But many marketers are diving into social marketing without a coherent social marketing strategy.”
Chris Chariton, vice president of marketing services and product management for GlobalSpec, couldn’t agree more. “Trying to make use of all of the available social media tools can be overwhelming to industrial companies [GlobalSpec’s specialty], especially if you are faced with limited resources,” said Chariton. “So we recommend that you approach social media with a vision and defined goals. Don’t look at social media as a stand-alone marketing tool. It is just one tool in your online marketing toolkit, so whatever steps a company takes in social media, they must be taken hand-in-hand with other marketing efforts. Social media goals should support overall marketing goals.”
Senior Account Executive Deanna Ferrari of WordWrite Communications suggests first learning how and if an intended audience is using social media. “I always recommend doing targeted searches to see where your customers are. Perhaps they just read blogs — so start your own blog and comment on others, leading prospects back,” said Ferrari. “It may be harder to find the right audience, but once you do, you can create a channel so that prospects and customers can interact and engage with you, learn your product or service, and hopefully become a lead or a sale.”
November 11, 2010 by Alexander Hotz
