A recent study by digital marketing firm White Horse amply illustrates the social media gap between B2B and B2C companies, yet the results portend some progress on the part of B2B to meaningfully deploy social media.
As shown in the accompanying charts, a combined 59% of B2B marketers have only a basic social media presence (45%) or are not actively engaged in social media marketing (14%). In contrast, a combined 44% of B2C marketers have only a basic social media presence (26%) or are not actively engaged (18%).
CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY
“This data shows that some B2B companies view social media as irrelevant,” says Pam Sieple, PR director of HubSpot, a maker of marketing software. “I believe that if you are a B2B communicator, you have the opportunity to take charge and be a social media leader in your industry, and make yourself known as a thought leader.”
Being a thought leader in social media practices is a no-brainer for HubSpot, says Sieple. “Our whole philosophy is to create content and optimize it for SEO and social media,” she says
Sophie Ann Terrisse, CEO of PR agency STC Associates, puts the low B2B social media quotient another way. “Twenty years ago, I remember reading a similar survey with a question, ‘Should you have a Web site?’ It’s exactly the same thing today with social media, particularly in B2B.”
EXECUTIVE CONCERNS
Terrisse adds that in her experience, many organizations still consider social media to be a liability, particularly those in the C-suite. That belief is validated by another finding in the White Horse report, that the biggest obstacle to implementing social media in B2B is lack of executive buy-in.
“Executives need to be shown the tremendous value and versatility of social media,” says Terrisse. “CEOs like numbers, and when he or she needs quick data for a presentation, you can easily monitor relevant conversations on social media platforms and get qualitative and quantitative feedback almost instantly.”
CEOs are skeptics, continues Terrisse, and many leaders are afraid of the legal and reputational pitfalls of using social media. But social media’s popularity is beginning to overshadow that argument.
Sieple suggests arming yourself with examples of other companies that are using social media. “Show leadership plenty of charts and statistics on organizations getting good returns from social media,” she says.
BRIDGING THE GAP
Scott Townsend, director of marketing at Oklahoma-based B2B United Linen & Uniform Services, says he’s not surprised that B2B lags behind B2C, but he predicts that gap will be closed, and soon. “In today’s changing marketplace, B2B companies have to learn how to develop relationships through social media,” says Townsend. United Linen uses Twitter to monitor openings of new restaurants, which sets its sales force into action.
“I think this year you’ll see more and more B2B companies come out of their shells in terms of social media,” continues Townsend. “B2B has always been about relationships with buyers, and social media can foster those relationships.” PRN
CONTACT:
Pam Sieple, [email protected]; Sophie Ann Terrisse, [email protected]; Scott Townsend, [email protected].
Level of Social Media Engagement (% of Respondents) |
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Type of Marketer |
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Degree of Engagement |
B2B |
B2C |
| Extensive use, integrated into paid media | 9% | 4% |
| Daily social engagement, but no paid media integration | 32% | 52% |
| Basic social presence, but no significant marketing | 45% | 26% |
| Not actively engaged in social media | 14% | 18% |
Source: White Horse |
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Executive Sponsorship/Acceptance of Social Media (% of Respondents) |
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Type of Marketer |
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Degree of Engagement |
B2B |
B2C |
| Executives support and are directly engaged | 14% | 13% |
| Executives support, but not engaged | 27% | 39% |
| Executives curious, but need education | 23% | 39% |
| Low interest in social media | 36% | 9% |
Source: White Horse, May 2010 |
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