Within the past year, social media advertising has become wildly popular for both B2B and B2C companies throughout the nation; however, B2B and B2C are vastly different in the ways they use these social media channels. Specifically with business-to-business marketing, companies rely on the interest of fewer customers, so fewer overall views are required for success. Conversely, widespread visibility is essential to the growth of consumer marketing. So which social media platforms are best for each type of marketing? Let’s take a closer look.
B2B Marketing
B2B firms generally target very select audiences because unlike B2C, their products and/or services may not apply to everyone. As a result, B2B marketers need to be just as selective with their social media channels to generate more leads.
1. LinkedIn: This social media channel has remained at the forefront of B2B advertising for years. According to SocialMedia Examiner, LinkedIn is 66 percent more effective for business-centric companies. It’s a great place to post links to your blog or news channel, as well as spark conversation on an industry-related topic. LinkedIn is also highly recommended for its sponsored updates feature, which allows you to target campaigns toward very specific demographics. It’s a cost-effective purchase because unlike Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn does not require your company to cough up more dough if someone likes, shares, or comments on your sponsored updates.
2. Facebook: According to a recent study by eccolo media, 51% of participating Facebook users reported that they were “most likely to consume vendor content” from a B2B Facebook advertisement. This social media platform is particularly useful for sharing success stories, detailed technology guides, and white papers; however, it may require an investment on your part to do so more effectively.
In both instances, these platforms can help you develop and cultivate relationships that help with either your personal awareness or company’s brand or product. What we often forget is that no matter what form of marketing that you choose to adopt, repetition and consistency are the keys here. Use these platforms to help you develop awareness and cultivate existing or future relationships.
B2C Marketing
Unlike B2B firms, B2C companies offer products or services that apply to a wider range of people. To appeal to these different audiences, it’s important to use social media platforms that can easily reach larger numbers.
1. Facebook: As of the second quarter of 2016, Facebook had 1.71 billion monthly active users—that’s a lot of viewing potential for a B2C marketer! Although a cost-per-click advertisement may be a little costly, this social media platform allows B2C marketers to target wide audiences, thus multiplying their number of website or ad views in a much shorter period of time. Retargeting with Facebook specifically allows customers to be reminded of the pair of shoes (for example) they were recently looking at on a different website. It’s a great way to target online shoppers and encourage them to make that purchase.
2. Twitter: Many Facebook users are also Twitter operators, so this social media channel allows B2C marketers to easily highlight the same message across different platforms. The best, most cost-effective way to reach your target audience is to browse the followers of Influencer accounts. Buzzsumo is a great tool you can use to do this. The thing that you need to know about using Twitter is that sponsored ads are just that, so an investment on your end will be required.
To that end, most marketing channels do cost money to get you either started or help foster your cause along for more exposure (calls, leads, clicks, hits, you name it). Many customers sometimes think that the silver bullet is simply signing up and waiting for the phone to ring. We often tell people that marketing is being in the right place at the right time. The real issue is that you need to put yourself or your company in that space to get the results. You may not know where that will be, but you never will know if you don’t do it. DOIT!
Now, no matter which social media channel you decide to use, make sure your content is consistent and professional. You should rely on your content to spark conversation and engagement, unlike our friends below.