Have you been wondering if social media should be a part of your B2B marketing strategy?
You don’t have to wonder anymore.
New research from Octopost shows the growth of social media as a B2B marketing tool and the value it brings for companies. “The 2021 State of B2B Social Media Marketing,” found that social media was the top growing marketing channel at 82%, followed by websites at 67% and PPC/Search at 39%. Email came in fourth at 37%.
B2B marketing findings for 2021 must come with a caveat, of course. Strategic planning was challenging with marketers forced to recognize the necessary flexibility required for any plan. But with traditional media opportunities shrinking or unpredictable and social media offering the most flexibility and cost-effective options to engage audiences, it was a clear winner.
Additional research shows that the trend won’t slow anytime soon. Ascend2 says in their report entitled, “The Outlook on Performance Marketing,” that 33% of marketers plan to spend the majority of their budget on social media.
One motivation for prioritizing social media is the awareness that other B2B marketers are favoring that channel, but there are other good reasons why social media is great for B2B marketing:
- It humanizes your brand, especially if you include video and humor in your posts
- It allows you to engage in conversations by posting questions or polls
- You gain business insights from your audience, whether that’s through their comments, questions or complaints
Is it time to abandon email marketing or other channels? Of course not! Email marketing is still one of the strongest channels you have for personalizing messages, adding value and making connections with potential buyers. Your website is still foundational for your brand awareness. All of these things work best as a package.
But if you’ve been thinking that social media is strictly for B2C marketing, it’s time to take another look. At SJC Marketing we have great ideas for fun and creative B2B marketing that engages your audience and drives more traffic to your website. Contact us to get started.