A report from IDG Enterprise suggests that social media marketing’s popularity among B2B marketers is on the rise with nearly half of these companies relying on the channel. Moreover, a similar number of businesses said that they believe social has proven to be an effective element of their strategy. Developing a social marketing strategy that focuses on expanding visibility on the web and reaching prospects on multiple platforms can help organizations create a better presence.
Often, marketers view social media as a channel most effective for B2C companies since their audiences can make purchases directly on the web. However, social strategy for B2B marketers can be used to consistently building brand authority, maintain touch points with buyers and guide prospects throughout the conversion funnel. In fact, more than 40 percent of responding businesses said social has been effective for their company.
To help B2B companies and all marketers, Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms have rolled out a number of new features this year. Allowing companies to target content more effectively and providing more options for fan interaction expands the value of social even further.
With so many different options in terms of social media marketing platforms, it’s especially important for companies to find the right mix of sites for their brands. According to IDG’s data, more than 80 percent of responding companies using social are active on LinkedIn.
Other reports have also placed LinkedIn among the fastest-growing sites for businesses. As Facebook and Twitter have already fully established themselves as valuable brand-building tools. Burgeoning networks in a position similar to LinkedIn have early adopter advantages for companies that incorporate them into social marketing plans. Brafton recently reported, for example, that 2 million businesses currently use LinkedIn Pages.
