The B2B Benefits of Social Media

BtoB Magazine released its “Emerging Trends in B-to-B Social Marketing: Insights from the Field” report last month that details how B2B marketers are using social media to engage customers, prospects and even internal employees.

The survey found that 93 percent of all B2B marketers use social media platforms to reach target audiences.  The top channels are:

1. LinkedIn – used by 73 percent of respondents
2. Facebook – used by 71 percent of respondents
3. Twitter – used by 67 percent of respondents
4. YouTube – used by 48 percent of respondents
5. Blogs – used by 44 percent of respondents

While all of these platforms have unique benefits and broad audiences, LinkedIn is favored by B2B marketers because of the professional networking site’s lead-generation power.  LinkedIn recently announced that is has surpassed 100 million users worldwide, and is continuing to add one million users per week.

So, why are some companies still resisting social media?  Seventy percent of BtoB Magazine survey respondents cited a lack of resources while 57 percent cited poorly defined ROI metrics, and 44 percent said “lack of knowledge about social media” prevented them from moving forward with social media programs.

Since launching c21i, our interactive practice group, communications 21 has helped B2B clients overcome these hurdles and implement social media campaigns that increase search engine optimization and drive traffic and sales.  For example, after taking over the Twitter account for QTS, the third largest data center provider in the United States, followers increased by 30 percent in just three months.  And Palladium Energy, a leading manufacturer of high-performance lithium–based battery packs, experienced a 92 percent increase in views on its blog after c21 began developing creative content that tied to current events.

Check out some of our great B2B clients and contact us if you’re interested in learning more about our B2B social media strategies.

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— Anna Ruth