had retained an outside agency to help them with social media marketing And, possibly most telling, 46 percent of the respondents reported that they believed social media as a marketing opportunity was “irrelevant,” at least for now. All of this may come as a big surprise to such companies as Dell Computer, Southwest Airlines, Burger King and other business-to-consumer (B2C) companies that have experienced good — and in some cases, phenomenal — marketing success with social media. They might conclude that B2B compa-nies are simply slower in “getting it” and getting on the social media bandwagon. But, what is likely more accurate is that B2C companies have different relationships with their customers and prospective cus-tomers, and social media is a perfect mar-keting fit for them. Additionally, more traditional selling and marketing techniques can work and work well in the B2C social media environment. This is not necessarily true for B2B compa-nies, and that is why a different strategy, the helping approach, may prove to be the gold-en ticket for B2B social media marketing. As a matter of fact, many social media experts argue that B2B commerce, once it really takes off, will really put the “social” in social media. B2C often involves a onetime purchase of a product or service. The need to develop a social relationship between company and customer is limited. On the other hand, B2B relationships are often more ongoing and involve the buying of several products and services over time. In this type of situation, a comfortable, helpful and ongoing social relationship is typically necessary. Making B2B Social Media Work So, how can JanSan businesses make social media websites work for them? Schaffer says one strategy his company is following is posting scores of equipment maintenance tips as well as other helpful cleaning-related topics on various JanSan-focused social media sites. The tips are written by one of the compa-ny’s technical support representatives whose name appears on the tips. The representative prepares them based on end-user customer service calls to the company, making them very timely and relevant. “What we post is solid, helpful content about how to use, service and maintain professional cleaning equipment,” says Schaffer. “It is not necessarily specific to our company or our own products and there is no sales pitch.” In fact, Schaffer says his company has decided, at least for now, to avoid using social media as a traditional advertising tool. “Blatant promotions of products or manufacturers fall flat on a social media website,” he says. “[On such websites] all credibility flies out the window as soon as someone starts ‘pushing’ a product or company.” As to other B2B social media tactics, Schaffer offers the following suggestions: Write a blog. Blogs often get picked up by the search engines, so they can help optimize a company’s online exposure. It is important that the blog be updated regularly with solid con-tent. It should contain links back to the company website and have a similar look and feel as the company site. Experiment with Twitter. Twitter also gets picked up by key search engines. Posting company news items, case studies and product releases can help increase their exposure. Interact with peers. Some Linkedin groups in our industry are a “who’s who” of the industry. Interacting with these people can elevate yourself and your company. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Find two to four social media communities that matter to your industry and spe-cialize with them. Expending your efforts on more websites than you can handle is time-consuming and ulti-mately defeating. “One more thing: Pay attention to not only what your competitors are doing, but also watch what other firms are doing,” adds Schaffer. “No one owns the road in social media. If someone in the B2B market appears to be having success in their [social media] efforts, look for ways you can emulate and improve upon what they are doing.” CM Circle Product Information no. 212 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com 35
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