News & Information

Social media is certainly a digital marketing channel. However, what makes social media uniquely beneficial to your business is that it’s a lot more than that. It’s also a customer service channel. It’s a crisis communications channel. It’s a talent recruiting and retention channel. It’s a media and investor relations channel. And, as we all know, it’s a networking channel.

This is why social media should be a priority for your business. It isn’t just a channel to drive sales. It’s a channel meant to support the multiple layers of external business communication you may have, while reaching and influencing multiple audiences.

We’ve all seen the current trend: everyone is talking about the 95-5 rule  and the need to communicate efficiently to the 95% of out-of-market buyers. However, to focus on just your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) diminishes the value of social media by limiting your audience to only one group that contributes to company growth. Audiences easily reached on social media include investors, media, employees, job seekers, peers and internal stakeholders who are keeping an eye on what you post daily. The last audience will ultimately decide your successes and failures, and social media is something readily available and visible to them. So, be silent on social media at your own peril.

As all of these audiences that can help company growth are on social media, it doesn’t make sense to focus on only one. If you have any doubt if these audiences are on social media or that appealing to a larger pool of them on this channel will support your B2B business, here are some quick data points to help you decide:

Social Media Monitoring by Executives: 92% of communications leaders report that the C-suite has increasingly sought their counsel in the past year, highlighting the growing importance of social media monitoring in executive decision-making. (Cision)

Customer Service and Crisis Communications Matters on Social Media: More than 65% of social media users across platforms expect brands to respond to their inquiries, highlighting the importance of social media in customer service. (RTI International)

Investor Relations Impact via Social Media: 75% of investors use social media to inform investment decisions, highlighting its role in effective investor relations. (Pew Research Center)

Social Media Enhances Employer Branding and Recruitment: 86% of HR professionals agree that recruitment is becoming more like marketing, highlighting the importance of social media in attracting talent. (Business Insider)

Social Media Drives B2B Marketing and Sales: 84% of B2B marketers report that their content marketing built brand awareness in the last year, demonstrating social media's effectiveness in B2B marketing and sales efforts. (Semrush)

This list should give you enough information to think about social media for B2B as more than just a “cost of doing business.” If you play your strategic cards right, it can be an essential cog in the machine driving your company’s profits and growth.

If you’re fully convinced but don’t know where to start, Warner Communications has you covered. Check out “How to Build a Truly Holistic B2B Social Media Strategy."

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