I was going over some data at the marketing charts website and was kind of surprised to see a report stating that business to business companies don’t have much of a social media presence. I read the report, and it got me thinking. What could these companies accomplish with social media, and how should they use it to their advantage? It seems we (as marketers) focus alot on business to consumer social media marketing, especially when it comes to Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, and maybe that’s the major problem. So I’d like to discuss some ways that business to business companies can use social media to their advantage. Let’s start by discussing…

Top barriers to social media for business to business companies

According to the report, there are 4 main reasons why b2b companies don’t focus as much on online marketing. Here we go…

1. Insufficient personnel to maintain - It’s not surprising that this is number 1. So many companies have downsized, and they are continuing to do so (HP just let go of a ton of people the other day). However, why do you need to hire more people to do this? Here’s what I think. I would solicit blog entries from employees and offer some sort of reward for entries that are picked. Wow, pretty simple. Every one of your employees should have a presence on LinkedIn. If not for the company, then for their own good. Encourage them to post and answer questions. Now you have a social media presence and you didn’t even have to hire anyone.
2. Lack of organizational knowledge - I’m not sure what they mean by “organizational” knowledge, but I think that if you don’t know something you need to go and figure it out. There are a ton of online resources to find out more about online marketing. There are tons of books out there. If you don’t have time to research them yourself, then pick a different career. To think, these guys call themselves marketers. You should always make time to educate yourself.
3. Preference for traditional marketing - Let me say something here (like you have a choice). I prefer traditional marketing. And yet, I still engage in online and social media marketing. Why? Because I see the advantages, and also because a marketer needs to use any and all weapons at his or her disposal. If you aren’t using social media, you’re leaving a big weapon in the armory collecting dust. There’s no reason for that.
4. Perceived irrelevance to their field - Bottom line: you have to go where your customers go. This is 2010, take a deep breath and say it with me now, twenty-ten, soon to be eleven. People go online to find information. When you go fishing, you probably go to the lake where there are tons of fish. Why is marketing any different. Sure you’re dealing with a company, but that company is made up of individuals. And individuals like to go online to educate themselves. If you have a presence online and provide relevant information, then those individuals will find you. That’s called marketing.

What can b2b companies do to take advantage of social media

1. Start a blog - We’ve talked about it before. People go online to find information. Provide useful information to people and they will find you (and your company). Provide information on all aspects of your industry and your business. Like I said before, solicit entries from your co-workers (you’ll be surprised at all of the great ideas and talent that you have on board). If you can become an industry expert, then you can’t help but increase your brand awareness… and your profits.
2. Get on LinkedIn - People go to Facebook to interact with friends, relax, and play games, and all that good stuff. People get on LinkedIn to interact with other professionals, and to learn. You and every one of your co-workers should have a presence on LinkedIn. You should spend time asking and answering questions, linking up with other professionals in your industry, and basically becoming a part of the community.
3. Be one of the few - The fact that not many b2b companies are using social media means that the ones that do are ahead of the game. Going back to the fishing analogy, if you’re the only one at the lake, you’re going to catch alot of fish. Get started, stop making excuses and do it. Your competition will hate you, but your customers and prospects will love you.

What do you guys think? How can b2b companies take advantage of social media? What other obstacles do they need to overcome?

The sixth trend that Seth Godin discusses in Meatball Sundae is “Outsourcing.” It’s no secret that outsourcing has become a way of life for business people today. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to get things done, and can really boost your productivity. That being said, you should use caution when choosing to outsource; just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. The best tasks to outsource are those by-the-book things that are necessary for business, but are too expensive to do in-house. If you are a small business, outsourcing things like payroll or accounting may be the only way to get things done. Rather than spend the money to purchase a new server it may be a good idea to hire a web hosting service. Instead of paying for a silk screening machine, perhaps you should order T-shirts from a company that already has the equipment.

So when shouldn’t you outsource? When it involves your customers, when you can genuinely do a better job in-house, when you have a specific process or philosophy that cannot be duplicated, etc. One thing that always bothers me when companies choose to outsource customer service. How can you say you care about your customers when all you are doing is putting them off on someone else. Who else understands your clients better than you? Sometimes it’s best to take matters in your own hands, especially when it’s something that the customer is going to see.

It’s possible that you are currently in a job that may be outsourced. It’s a scary thought, but the sad reality is that if something can be outsourced, it will be at some point. The best way to cope with this is to do something in a way that cannot be duplicated. This means that you need to have the freedom to take on your tasks in a creative way. If successful, it can be a great way to differentiate yourself from other companies that rely on the one size fits all strategy of outsourcing.

Notable quotes from this section:

• “No industry is going to be untouched by the move to outsource anything that saves time or money.”
• “If a job can be codified, it will be outsourced, usually for less money.”