Is B2B Social Media Irrelevant
If you’re a B2B association and you’re trying social media marketing (as opposed to social networking where members network with members) and you’re not getting results and your skeptical boss is ready to say “I told you so,” well, you’re not alone.
A new report from White Horse says that almost half (46%) of B2B marketers think that social media is irrelevant to their company. Most (88%) of B2C marketers do see value in it. B2B marketers say they have social media accounts but they’re not doing anything with them, at least nothing they’re very committed to.
And the skeptical boss? One-third of B2B marketers say that executives are not interested in social media. About the same number say that their social media is not integrated with their other marketing efforts, like paid media.
So:
- Skepticism
- Lack of executive commitment
- Low levels of activity
- Lack of familiarity
- Very little integration into the rest of the marketing plan
Is it any wonder this isn’t working?
What Do You Want?
The good news is that this is your chance to be a hero. Swinging the vote from 46% against is a huge opportunity as long as you’re clear on what it is you’re trying to accomplish.
- In-bound marketing. You’re trying to “get found” in an age of media clutter and ever-more effective ways of blocking your marketing messages. Outbound marketing—advertising, direct mail, trade shows, PR—will always be necessary but our patience with that sort of messaging evaporated a long time ago. You want to be where your potential members are and position yourself as an organization with interesting, worthwhile things to offer. They come to you rather than you beating on their door begging to be let in.
- Lead generation. You’re trying to find them without renting a list or paying the trade magazine in your industry to do it or buying a booth at a trade show in order to collect business cards. If you are in the right social media groups and you’re paying attention and posting content that the group cares about, you will find potential members (and speakers and sponsors and contributors).
- The Deep Sell. We had a wonderful client at Pier 1 Imports years ago. He called content “the deep sell.” You are not selling Papa-san chairs. You are selling relationships, access to a network of smart people who share interests and want to have substantive, valuable exchanges of information. You can’t do that in a one-page ad. Social media enables you to explain yourself, to market yourself based on value rather than on price.
How Can You Get It?
Prove it. The only way to convince the skeptical boss is to prove that it works. Some of that is data—lots of data from any relevant source—but most of it is results. Do your homework. Come up with a plan. Execute the hell out of it. Measure. Adjust, tweak, evolve as necessary. Report.
One of the beauties of social media marketing is its measurability. Unlike other marketing channels, especially those that are below the line, you will know if social media is working.
