The B2B Business Case Composition For Social Media

1. The B2B Business Case Composition For SocialMedia 10BENEFITS

2. Make no mistake: ”Social” Media is BusinessMedia.

3. Yet many B2B are not convinced that these game- changing media demonstrate significant benefits for their business sectors & unique challenges

4. This attitudeis Costingthem Potentialprofits, Businessleads, Industry relevance and market share to their smarteronline competitors

5. 10 Benefits The need of thehour? A better understanding of the tremendous B2B business case for socialmedia

6. #1 B2B branding is High Touch and is mainly established through directly interfacing with customers and relationshipbuilding (Vs. Ads & campaigns inB2C) Extend Branding and Relationshipbuilding Efforts Social Media provides an array of new touch points for B2B brand executives to interact with prospects andcustomers. • Due to two-way, real time attributes, social medial tools enable a highly personla branding experience for B2B customers and prospects. • The convenience if social medai allowsmore B2B executives to build relationships with current and prospective buyers...and building relationships is core to all B2B marketing and salesefforts.

7. B2B professionals actively network online to find jobs, share knowledge, solveproblems & build their network of industry contacts #2 Tap Professional Communities • B2Bs can build professional communities centered on knowledge sharing &reducing challenges that professionals face every day – AND leverage these interactions to build brand, reputation andprospects • Company’s can participate in existing communities and networks to share insights and help solveproblems • Through the value of their community participation, Companies can increase their standing and improve thepotential of positive third partyreferrals

8. The B2B market seems smaller than the B2C market thus, expanding reach is imperative for recognizing and creating new businessopportunities #3 GrowReach • With social media, companies now have access toa world of new markets...and new businessleads • Through monitoring online conversations, B2B executives can learn of changing needs and emerging opportunities that can fuel newofferings and practice areas to drive new revenues for the organization • With their newfound reach, B2Bs can alsoidentify companies with which to establish revenue generatingpartnerships

9. B2B relies onthought leadership to communicate, differentiate and position theirofferings #4 Support Thought LeadershipPrograms • Through text, audio and video, social media gives thought leaders adynamic new platform to demonstrate their expertise and gainexposure • Companies can create rich, in-depth conversations, professional forums and knowledge exchanges around theirunique ideas, articles, perspectives, reports and methodologies • Can ”rejuvenate and repackage” their existing thought-leadership content in new ways for these new channels – andthereby maximize the ROI from existingcontent

10. B2B buyers are heavily influenced by third-party feedback intheir #5 Increase Third- Party Influencers (Word OfMouth) purchasing decisions – both to identify solutions and to limit risk to theirorganizations • Due to providing objective, third party experiences and feedback, favorable WOM (word-of-mouth) reduces buyer-side risk of big-ticket B2Bpurchases • Programs implemented through social media help to facilitate brandadvocates that can help sell B2B offerings through spreading positive mentions and endorsements

11. Unlike impulse-driven, low-risk purchases, B2B sales cycles are far longer, with buyers doing lotsof research and referencechecks #6 Dramatically shortensales cycles • Educating prospects throughout the purchasing cycle is a core role of B2B marketers, with social media providing them tremendous new outlets for knowledge sharing that can facilitate faster salescycle • Social media tools and platforms provides new ways to communicate information and answer buyer questions about their offerings much morequickly • In providing two-way communications, companies not only inform prospects, but also build trust and credibility that can work to increase sales in shorterperiods.

12. #7 Social Media is the MOST cost-effective media.Ever. • While social media requires an investment of budget andprofessional resources, it’s nowhere near the cost associated with othermedia • Even in tough economic climates, B2Bs can afford social media programs and use these initiatives to gaincompetitive advantage • As the cost of each sale acquired through social media is significantly lower, ROI and profit margins can increase Decrease MarketingSpends

13. B2B offerings are often very complex and necessitate a learning curve for buyers,both pre – and – postpurchase #8 Minimize Complexity ofServices • The information exchanged, and relationships built, through these social channels helps to decrease confusion and, in turn, increase the purchasing rates of B2B products andservices • Informing and helping prospective buyers through social media can help position B2Bs as trusted advisors and decrease the concerns associated with high learning curves

14. #9 Creating competitive& sustainingadvantage Companies must identify ways to Strengthen and improvetheir competitive advantage – of both their offerings and their marketing strategies • B2Bs must remain relevant with existing & potential clients - they must be active in the media that their markets deem relevant and activelyuses • Since many B2Bs are slower to adoptsocial media, many companies can leverage first- mover advantages within theirindustries • Due to the insights gleaned through monitoring online conversations, companies can identify new offerings and needed improvements around which to strengthen their competitiveadvantage

15. Due to smaller market size and higher-priced offerings, the value of each B2B customer is much greater than B2Ccustomers #10 Intensify CRMEfforts • Social media technologies enable new CRM methods for B2Bs to improve their customer communications, extendcustomer service and shareknowledge • Social media tools and programs, B2Bs can not only inform but involve clients in every step of the brand development process and in return, deepen theserelationships

16. Want To Learn MoreAbout Social Media Marketing ForB2B? • ContactUs • Phone:866-978-0288 • Email:contactus@exporthub.com • Blog:https://resources.exporthub.com/blog/