B2B

Only Half of B2Bs Are Active on Social Media

Published January 5, 2015 | By Elaine Fogel

Although 95% of business-to-business (B2B) companies have set up social media accounts, only half are actually using them regularly. In addition, 60% of respondents weren’t using any Social Media Intelligence (SMI) tools on their active accounts, according to a recent study by SiriusDecisions.

Even though we know that using Facebook and Twitter to gain organic reach is next to impossible now, it’s still important to monitor social media accounts for customer service purposes. That includes customer and prospect questions and inquiries, issues, problems, and compliments. If you ignore these social media channels, customers may not seek out your business in other channels, hence you’d lose an opportunity to engage with them.

Here’s the infographic based on this research: Continue reading →

Posted in B2B Marketing, Business, Customer Service, Marketing Study Results, Social Media | Tagged B2B, business-to-business, customer service, customers, Infographic, marketing study, monitor social media accounts, organic reach, prospects, Social Media, social media channels, Social Media Intelligence tools

Do You Treat B2B Customers Like Consumers to Win Their Online Business?

Published October 30, 2014 | By Elaine Fogel

If your company’s target market segments include other businesses, how are you treating them online? Do you view their buyers differently because they represent organizations, or do you treat them like individuals?

If you approach B2B online marketing the same way you would if customers and prospects were consumers, you’re ahead of the game. According to a recent study by Forrester Consulting for Intershop, and reported by eMarketer, “Business-to-business (B2B) end-user buyers—nonprocurement business professionals who purchase products and services for work-related activities… want a consumer like experience when researching and making business purchases online.”

Now, how do these buyers find your online presence? Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Content Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Study Results, Product Marketing | Tagged B2B, B2B end-user buyers, B2B online marketing, brochures, business professionals, business-to-business, consumers, content, content marketing, customers, Forrester Consulting, how-to documents, instruction manuals, mobile marketing, online business, online purchasing experiences, prospects, purchase products and services for work-related activities, search engines, Small Business, Social Media, specification sheets, target market segments, webinars, websites

Overwhelming Majority of B2Bs Use LinkedIn to Distribute Content

Published October 17, 2014 | By Elaine Fogel

In the business-to-business world, LinkedIn is the king of content. In fact, 94% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content, making it the social media platform used most often.

The 2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends - North America from Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs also demonstrates that respondents find that LinkedIn is the most effective of all social media platforms. What’s interesting is that 55% of respondents represent micro and small businesses in North America.

So, why is LinkedIn number one with B2Bs? Continue reading →

Posted in Content Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Study Results, Social Media | Tagged B2B, B2B marketing, content, content marketing, demographics, Infographic, LinkedIn, small businesses, Social Media, social media platforms, social networks, typical LinkedIn user