Social media marketing in B2B is slowly coming of age. Having arrived in the marketing world of B2B companies, social media marketing is playing an increasingly important role. However, for the success of social media in B2B Social Media Marketing, the acceptance of the channels and a central strategic approach are essential. But what does it look like now and what is happening in the world of B2B social media marketing?
When you talk to B2B companies, Facebook is at the top and is usually introduced first. This is due, among other things, to the popularity of the social community and the reach that B2B marketers hope for. According to our study “B2B Social bc data hong kong Media Marketing in Practice” ( see B2B study ), Facebook, XING and YouTube are the most important social media channels for B2B marketers in Germany. In the USA and England, however, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are of the greatest importance. According to the “B2B Social Media Report” by Brandwatch, forums are the second most important channel, both in Germany and England. In addition, according to the report, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are the most relevant platforms.
Most important content and goals
The most successful content for social media activities in England are videos and images. As in Germany, the goal is moving away from lead generation and more towards increasing brand awareness. This implies that B2B marketers exclusive: most online active b2b companies (study) are increasingly using social media to improve their company image and to inspire enthusiasm for their brand. This means that fewer customers and leads are to be reached via social media in B2B Social Media Marketing, but increasingly multipliers. Above all, there is a well-known and never unimportant goal: increasing website visitors.
The messages on the social web are dominated by products and services, company news, investor relations (IR) and employer branding (HR). Service topics and trade fairs make up the smallest share of social media content at 17%.
Challenges in B2B social media marketing
The majority of social media investments are made up of content creation and support and moderation. Most B2B marketers find it extremely difficult to prove the success of investments in social media marketing in B2B. According to the “Social Media Benchmarking Report”. This is also the biggest challenge, followed by a lack of resources and a lack of strategic planning.
Conclusion
No matter which B2B industry you look at, one thing is clear. All industries are not using the potential of B2B social media marketing. It is important italy numbers that each B2B company determines its own individual list of relevant social media channels. The need to develop a social media strategy remains essential. Which channel is used for which goal and which content is also determined individually. Facebook is and remains the top dog, Twitter is used to increase reach for IR and HR. Blogs should not be underestimated in connection with SEO and content marketing.