Is Social Media Just for B2C Companies?
30 Jan
Look around for social media case studies and you’ll find plenty of B2C examples.
Amber Naslund of Radian 6 recently showcased the efforts of P&G, Home Depot, Sharpie and H&R Block. We’ve heard the Comcast, Southwest Air, and WholeFoods stories countless times. And the Zappos story has skedaddled way past cliche.
But where are the B2B success stories?
B2B Social Media Case Studies
To be fair, most of the companies cited above do have business customers. But to my knowledge, their social media programs are consumers-oriented. There are far fewer social media programs directed at institutional clients.
Radian 6 is one B2B company using social media, but since it’s a social media company, that’s no surprise. It’s easy to find examples of marketing and PR companies using social media. But a company outside the fishbowl? That’s a little tougher.
One of Radian 6′s newest clients, UPS, is getting active in social media. UPS is an interesting case study because they are both a B2B and a B2C company.
Shel Israel is recently profiled one B2B company, United Linen, as part of his ongoing Twitterville research. Shel has chronicled other examples of B2B Twitter use; Twitter seems to have the lowest barrier to entry for B2B marketers.
Why B2B Social Media Might Work
To understand why social media strategies for B2B firms can’t mirror the strategies of B2C shops, we must first understand the differences between B2B and B2C marketing. This table gives a basic overview of the differences:
| Business-to-Consumer Marketing | Business-to-Business Marketing |
| Individuals are customers | Organizations are customers |
| Influencers are friends, families | Influencers are committees, executives, budget managers |
| Simple products | Complex products |
| Many buyers, smaller volumes | Fewer buyers, larger volumes |
Here are some reasons B2B social media could work:
- B2B customers have people, and people are the heart of social media.
- B2B customers need to interact with their vendors, too.
- B2B can use social media research in their due diligence efforts.
- B2B marketing is more relationship-driven than B2C marketing.
- The B2B sales cycle is slower.
Why B2B Social Media Might Not Work
Here are some reasons B2B social media might not work:
- B2B customers are not people (unlike consumers), and people are the heart of social media.
- B2B sales is a negotiation-style process, and thus less conducive to true transparency.
- Brand loyalty doesn’t hold as much sway in B2B marketing as it does in B2C marketing.
- The B2B sales cycle is slower.
Social Media Tactics that Fit B2B Marketers
I cite the slow B2B sales cycle as a plus and a minus for B2B social media. On one hand, a slow sales cycle and low sales volume means fewer social conversations about B2B brands. Silence can be stifling in the social space.
On the other hand, a slow sales cycle lends itself to deeper and more multi-dimensional conversation. Social platforms give marketers one more way to remain in contact with a buyer during the decision making process and to keep warm leads from cooling off.
In a recent “Twitter 20″ interview with Jay Baer, David Alston of Radian 6 argued that “listening” is an easy entry into social media for B2B companies. While large B2C brands have more conversations to listen to, he said, conversations can happen at any size.
But what happens when B2B companies go beyond just listening? Engaging in social conversations is a more nuanced art. Paul Chaney explored the subtle art of speaking in a personal voice on a corporate blog in his post, Is ‘Slice of Life’ Content Appropriate for Business Blogs?
Listening? Check. Twitter? Check…sometimes. Blogging? Maybe. What about other social tools? Can B2B marketers succeed with sharable video? Branded social networks? User generated content? Crowdsourcing?
We’ll see.
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