While Facebook is traditionally seen as a B2C marketing platform, many B2B brands find themselves asking “Is Facebook important for B2B marketing too?”. 2.23 billion users are active on Facebook each month, making it the largest, most successful social media platform ever. With such a vast audience, Facebook provides B2B marketers with incredible opportunities to reach new clients across many demographics.
Social media’s rise has been drastic the past several years, and it happened so fast that some companies are struggling to keep up, especially those in the B2B sector. Many B2B companies are unaware of the opportunities social media can provide in terms of business growth.
Every business, whether B2B or B2C, must have a solid online presence in order to be successful. A recent study showed that the average Facebook user spends about 38 minutes per day on the platform. That’s a huge window of opportunity for marketers to get themselves in front of those desirable target customers.
Implementation of an effective Facebook presence can be tricky for B2B businesses, but the benefits are well worth it. Keep reading to find out why Facebook is a worthwhile marketing channel for B2B businesses.
Facebook Advertising
The Facebook Ads application allows for very precise targeting, which makes it perfect for getting to those key decision-makers. Facebook Ads can target users based upon their annual income, job titles and much more. You can utilize these precise targeting metrics to reach those who are higher up in their companies and are therefore more likely to have involvement in the decision making process.
According to a study done by Facebook, business decision-makers engage far more frequently with the platform than other Facebook users, so there is loads of opportunity to reach these individuals. These prospects are spending hours upon hours on the platform every day, which means your ad is bound to be seen by them.
This also takes a lot of work out of the prospecting process for you and your company. It can often take multiple meetings or phone calls before you can get a chance to speak to the key decision-makers in a company. Facebook’s advanced algorithm allows Facebook Ads users to target individuals by interests as well. This means you can ensure you are not only reaching buyers but more importantly buyers in your target audience who are actually interested in what your company has to offer. Having resources that allow you to target them directly takes out the middle-man, and allows you to get straight to the point.
The B2B buying process is far more complex than the B2C buying process, so these advertisements may not lead directly to conversions, but that’s okay. The advertisements will certainly increase brand awareness, which is still a very important component of a successful marketing strategy. If prospects become aware of your brand and begin to interact with the content you are posting, this provides you with a great opportunity to connect and engage with these buyers until they are ready to move forward.
Buyers Preferred Platform
According to LinkedIn, a staggering 75% of B2B buyers search for information on social media when making a purchase decision. While research can give you a pretty good idea of the platforms your target customer is likely to be using, you can never be fully sure. Failing to utilize a platform as large as Facebook to the best of your ability can lead to some serious loss of business.
Most individuals have a preferred social platform that they use as a part of their research process. Whether it be Linkedin, Instagram, or Facebook, you never want to be that company that doesn’t have what the buyer is looking for. For example, if a prospect looks for your business on Facebook and is unable to find it, this may lead to confusion, frustration or even lack of trust.
In fact, a recent study showed that 24% of B2B buyers say Facebook is their preferred social channel when seeking information on a purchasing decision, ranking it ahead of all other social platforms. However, nearly a third of B2B marketers say they do not plan to add Facebook into their marketing strategy. That means these companies could be missing out on impressions and engagement from nearly a fourth of B2B decision-makers.
Get More Personal
Although B2B brands target companies, it’s important to keep in mind that you are still interacting with individuals within the business. One of the most effective ways to engage prospective clients is by interacting with them on a more personal level. There is a common misconception that B2B doesn’t require the same emotional engagement as B2C, but this is false. B2B customers still expect to connect with your content on a personal level.
Traditional marketing tactics that are still used by many B2B industries are typically impersonal and meant to reach a broad audience. A billboard or magazine ad doesn’t give you an opportunity to connect with your customers on a deeper level like social media does.
Facebook allows you to share the personal side of your business, such as your holiday office party, or employee of the month photos. People love to get an inside look at the operations of your business, and Facebook is the perfect place to showcase it. Don’t be afraid to show your business’s personality, or even add a little humor to your posts. People want to support companies that represent themselves well, both personally and professionally.
Final Takeaways
All in all, Facebook is an incredibly valuable tool that B2B businesses need to be taking advantage of. If you take the time to develop a relevant and targeted social media strategy you can increase engagement with key decision-makers and create more brand awareness.
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