It’s easy to dismiss social media as an entertaining toy that has no place in serious business communication.
But that would be a huge mistake, and here’s why:
- Your customers are there: Business leaders are joining the conversation in record numbers. In fact, Fortune 100 CEO engagement in Twitter is up 50{c95fff97bd311b33abb8a49440b2d1cc4da1b8e50900ba0cddc780aac49df277} over the last year alone. And of over 25{c95fff97bd311b33abb8a49440b2d1cc4da1b8e50900ba0cddc780aac49df277} of online CEOs are now on LinkedIn.
- They’re talking business: Whether it’s through regularly scheduled Tweet Chats, niche LinkedIn groups, or specialized discussion forums, decision makers are looking to each other for industry insights and recommendations about which companies they should or should not choose. If you’re not part of these discussions, you’re out of the running for a great many of your prospects.
- They expect it: This is a relatively new development, but over the last few years we have seen a new norm emerging. The highly personalized experience that’s become common in the B2C space is raising the bar in B2B interactions and B2B customers are shifting attention and dollars to companies that engage them across digital channels, track and nurture engagement, and customize messages and experiences.
In recent years, social media has matured to become a powerful B2B tool to build awareness, trust, and loyalty. It won’t replace your sales team any time soon though, but it certainly will give them a much stronger hand to play in the marketplace.