In times when Internet is almost on the same level as food on the hierarchy of human needs Social Media and Inbound Marketing are becoming the essential tools for businesses to get found and engage with their target audience. More and more companies are using their social network profiles to promote their brands and services. This strategy earned well deserved respect among small and B2C businesses. But does it work for B2B enterprises as well?
There are couple of Online Marketing tools that businesses are productively using to build brand awareness, acquire sales leads and increase unique visitors rate. One of them is to set a Facebook Business Page. Profiles such as Intrepid Travel, Demandware and Easy Lunch Boxes with hundreds and thousands of fans are examples of successfully implemented Facebook campaigns. It clearly works for businesses focused on attracting masses of common customers. The question is should B2B entities bother with setting up a Facebook Business Page?
According to Alexa.com, Facebook is holding a second spot on the list of the most popular sites in the world right behind Google, and according to ComScore, it's the most popular social network on the web. With more than 750 millions of users it is the largest online congregation with continuous growth. Half of the US Facebook users are in 25 to 64 years old demographic segment. To get an access to this big and qualified of an audience is already a great reason to create a Facebook Business Page.
It also very easy to do and free of charge. The Page could be created based on a personal or a business account by following simple prompts. In fact one of the reasons why Facebook became so popular are their user-friendly interface and easy to follow instructions. Just remember to capture business' name as a username because in search it works just like an Internet domain name.
Here is one more reason to get a Facebook Page. Above being a communication device this social network is one of the biggest content accumulators on the web which serves businesses as a free platform to create and distribute information that eventually will become a business lead. Through quality content Facebook works for any entity including B2B businesses.
Before jumping into fast-stream of social media marketing think about why key-decision business people would want to connect with your company? What message and image an entity wants to create to attract and engage those kind of people? In other words what information is needed and thus could be provided? Facebook Page can help businesses to create brand awareness and establish themselves as experts in their field which is a very valuable asset in building trust and reliance base.
Couple words about promotion. If a Page is created based on a personal profile people tend to send invitations to their friends to join the fan base. These tactics might not be a good idea for a B2B enterprise because:
People don't like to mix business with friendshipProducts or services don't apply to their needsFacebook user can only "Like" up to 500 pagesIt's simply annoying
What works is adding the Facebook Page web address to business card, email signature box or printed marketing materials distributed among potential clients; embedding widgets to the company's website along with using Facebook Apps and Ads; sharing the information about Business Page with email and Ezine Article subscribers and linking it with Twitter account; creating Facebook landing page gate to allure and engage visiting people substantially converting them into fans and content consumers.
Every business is unique and there is really no optimal remedy for each and every one of them but through perseverance and intelligent approach to modern technologies and communication vehicles Facebook Business Page can work for B2B businesses as a digital and social media marketing machine.
About the Author:
Yuliya Karnaukh is an Online Marketing Specialist at Astound Commerce, Inc. She spent twelve years engagingly studying fascinating art of Online Marketing and is happy to share her knowledge with fellow Marketing professionals and anyone, who's willing to spare their time and mind reading her articles.
http://www.astoundcommerce.com/ is a preferred Demandware Certified E-commerce Solutions Provider for top-brand online retailers.
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