Many aspiring or emerging business entities largely perceive the highly popular networking platforms as cost effective and easy-to-use avenues to meet their business goals in today’s highly competitive and challenging times. Facebook, Twitter, as well as LinkedIn largely serve the purpose of personal interactions, public debates and an open exchange of ideas.
Increasingly many B-2-B companies are also leveraging their reach and power. What most business owners typically strive for is:
- To retain existing customers
- To attract new potential clients
- To keep in touch with stakeholders
- To keep track of other players in their business domain
“It’s definitely something, which has really taken off or on the verge of taking off in the last six months or so,” stated Michael Greene, a Forrester analyst. However, as we have found in the previous post, achieving success on social media can be a real challenge for B-2-Bs, especially smaller ones. A recent article in Fox Business by Sarah Needleman tries to analyze why finding and sticking to ‘Facebook ‘Friends’ can get a tricky exercise for ‘B-2-B’ Companies.
Intricacies of social media usage in B-2-B space
B-2-B doesn’t obviously have that same immediate aura that consumer brands enjoy.
Making fans of other business entities, in comparison to generic consumers may, at times, appear counter-intuitive to social networking.
As a business owner, who has recently begun using LinkedIn, reveals, “The kind of people (users) we are trying to engage with belong to a certain category. They are not the ubiquitous kind of audience that is going to have a Facebook page or be twittering for personal reasons.”
The experience of chief executive and founder of Bill.com, René Lacerte, in this regard offers some explanation. Facebook is so much consumer dominated or consumer driven that it takes out quite a bit of time and energy to find a voice, which can effectively cut through what’s already out there, he points out.
Mr Greene points out that in general, B-2-B companies have been less nimble and hence a bit slower in adopting new marketing technologies than their B-2-C (business-to-consumer) counterparts. Now the scenario is changing, as they are finally catching up. A survey in this regard released a couple of months ago, gathered experiences of more than 200 B-2-B companies.
Forrester Research Inc conducted the research. It showed that about 24% were employing Facebook, Twitter and other networking channels to market themselves. Another 36% of B-2-B companies surveyed revealed they intended to do in the near future.
The key is to employ innovative ideas, use the right avenues, and pick the correct tools. It’s a chain of interlinked decisions that should be dictated by the domain a business operates in. The choice must also guided by the kind of clients and prospects you want to target in a sustained manner. Patience always pays…
