These B2B companies are getting the most out of social media

Social media are also a perfect tool for B2B companies to engage and attract new customers. Yet not all marketers are getting what they can out of their social media channels. These companies have learned how to manage social media to a tee.

The social media landscape is now much more versatile than it was roughly 10 years ago. From ‘classic’ network sites and chat apps to platforms for specific types of content and everything in between. Every channel comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Facebook has for example the most users (1.7 billion), but Instagram scores better in terms of interaction. TrackMaven calculated that Instagram had 10 times more interaction per post than Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter in the first half of 2016.

B2C versus B2B

Companies will decide which social medium they will use on the basis of their sector and clientele . It would of course be too easy to simply divide social media into B2B and B2C channels. Research by Social Media Examiner has demonstrated that the focus for B2B is on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ en SlideShare. B2C marketers are aiming more for Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest. This doesn't mean of course that these channels do not have any value for B2B companies.

Facebook is for example very suitable for showing the human side of a corporation or company culture. While YouTube is very suitable for spreading educational videos that can strengthen your thought leadership. Admittedly a hip social medium such as Snapchat with a young target group will most likely be a B2B marketer's first choice. And you wouldn't associate B2C immediately with the businesslike LinkedIn. The overall strategy and content are far more important than the platform.

Let's look at this more closely. Good B2B content has to meet certain requirements:

1. Specific knowledge and facts

Whereas B2C content often has a high entertainment value, this may be the opposite for B2B. Companies want informative content with facts and figures that is useful to them in their professional lives. B2B content must therefore be geared specifically toward their sector and field. The message they are passing on is that they have the expertise and knowledge that will be of use to your company. 

2. Business tone of voice

The tone of voice must therefore be appropriate. Most companies are not waiting for funny movies or entertaining lists. They want to be taken seriously when it comes to their need for information. Business texts or infographics may of course contain the odd joke. But use them sparingly! A good B2B influencer is an expert who has interesting opinions, he or she is not a jolly vlogger. 

3. Long-Term Goal

A B2C campaign often revolves around experience and quick sales. This brand is cool and it is our products that you need! Sales is definitely a final goal of B2B marketing. Bear in mind though that when it comes to social media, gaining trust by sharing knowledge is more important than creating a long-term relationship with the client. Generating leads and data will follow naturally.

That said, there are also many similarities between B2C and B2B. A constant flow of content has to be delivered to both target groups. Your blogs and posts should consistently be of a high standard and be of a 'shareable' nature. I would say that the most important rule in this regard is that you have to pay close attention. Social media may also be harmful to (your) business.

Even small mistakes may end up in the media. Just ask Blackberry. At the start of 2015 the smartphone producer tweeted a photo of a BlackBerry Classic. They made a painful, at the bottom of the photo it showed that the tweet was posted with an iPhone. Even more painful, the singer Alicia Keys, the Global Creative Director of BlackBerry, had already committed the same mistake before. Even though she claimed a hacker did it.

The success stories receive less media attention, which is particularly the case for B2B. This is a shame because there are certainly B2B companies who set themselves apart in a positive way. Here are 5 examples:

Novartis

A pharmaceutical company that is active on Instagram? It may seem bizarre but the Swiss pharmaceutical Novartis proves it is possible. Beautiful pictures, microscopic images and illustrations in relation to their current projects are posted regularly on Novartis' Instagram page Whether it relates to increasing awareness about psoriasis, fighting pneumonia in children in Bangladesh, our nerve cells or a new batch of scientists . The account has almost 14,000 followers. Not too shabby for B2B concepts.

Gartner

Gartner is an established concept in the business. Professionals from all over the world view the market research agency as an authority in their field. Their reputation does not maintain itself of course. This is one of the reasons why Gartner is very active on social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Every few hours followers receive blog posts, keynotes, reports and other informative content, such as this infographic on the digital workplace. Gartner furthermore assesses SAP services. As a result we were recently named ‘Leader’ in the Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools-report.

Maersk Line

You can easily call Maersk Line a B2B pioneer in the social media field. How many likes do you think the Danish shipping company has on Facebook? No less than 1.1 Million! Apart from information on their services, they provide all kinds of multimedia content. “Facebook is too big to ignore and enables us to spread the message in a subtle way”, says Davina Rapaport, Social Media Manager of Maersk Line, in an interview. Maerks Line manages more than 30 social media accounts. LinkedIn and Twitter are also pillars of their success.

General Electric

General Electric, one of the largest companies in the world, has a prominent presence on social media. You will find them on Facebook and Twitter, but also on Google+ and Pinterest. My personal favorite is their YouTube channel, good for a total of 37 million views. Besides the obligatory advertisements, it contains scientific short movies explaining how wind turbines and MRI scanners work in clear language and delivered to you with a sense of humor. They also discuss more serious topics, take for example this video on a new treatment for leukemia with the HIV virus.

PwC

PwC has been the sponsor of the Oscars for 82 years and wanted to generate attention for this through social media, including attention from their staff. The campaign revolved around the journey of the briefcase with the winners, the #BallotBriefcase, to the award ceremony. Snapchat was chosen as the primary platform for #BallotBriefcase in order to target a younger target audience. The results were amazing. The amount of possible impressions on Twitter was 136 times as high in comparison to previous PwC Oscar campaigns and the campaign was also positively received on Instagram and Snapchat.

Some B2B marketers do not go near social media, because they think their field is not appropriate for the medium. I am of the opinion they are wrong. It is your job to bring the matter to life! A bit of creativity may achieve things that you didn't consider possible.