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Why B2B companies need to embrace Facebook

01.08.16

As Content Strategist at affinity I speak to a lot of B2B companies about social media and one of the most common comments I hear is that Facebook is not relevant for their business. While not that long ago this might have been the case, today not being on Facebook, even for B2Bs, can have a detrimental impact on the success of your business.

The reality is that social media is a normal part of daily life and Facebook is one of the very few platforms that is used by all demographics. This means that whatever type of business you have and in whatever sector, your customers are going to be using Facebook. If you’re still in doubt about whether or not to set up a business Facebook page here are just some of the reasons why this social media platform is vital for B2Bs.

The new Yellow Pages

Remember those chunky yellow books that used to be delivered to your door? Well now Facebook is fast becoming the online version. 86% of the UK’s social media users have a Facebook account and 82% of these are active users (statistics from Econsultancy’s Social Media Statistics Compendium 2016). These users are no longer just using Facebook to post about their family holidays and what they ate for lunch, instead many are using it to like and keep up to date with their favourite brands.

As well as this, for young business professionals, the barrier between personal life and work has become increasingly blurred, meaning that many will use their personal Facebook pages to look up businesses that are of use in their professional lives.

Relaxing social media policies

Whereas once businesses were strict about social media use during work hours, with the growth of smart phones and tablets being used for business purposes social media policies have relaxed in many companies. This means that business owners and professionals are likely to be logging onto their Facebook page throughout the day, making it a convenient tool for searching for and communicating with other businesses.

Essential marketing tool

A business Facebook page is an essential marketing tool for businesses from all sectors. Facebook makes it simple for businesses to promote themselves on its platform, for example opening hours, address, websites and telephone numbers can be easily added to business pages. As well as this, using the events tool allows businesses to promote any upcoming events they are hosting. Along with this, timeline updates give companies a chance to promote their products and services.

Another type of a business website

Once a person, both a professional and a consumer, has heard about your business one of the first places they will look for more information is on Facebook. As well as this, many business professionals in their early 30s and younger have accepted Facebook as another communication tool, alongside phones and email, so a vast number will contact your business via your Facebook page. This trend is only set to continue as the next generation, who have grown up with Facebook, enter the workforce.

Boosting your business

One of the most useful tools Facebook has for business users is the ability to boost posts to reach a specific target audience within a specific area. This means that B2Bs are able to boost their posts to reach local managers or other business owners, helping to ensure that their promotional posts and events are being seen by potential customers and clients.

 

While Facebook is unlikely to overtake LinkedIn when it comes to the most important social media platforms for B2Bs, it is fast becoming an essential platform for business in all sectors. 

 

Written by Derin Clark, Content Strategist 

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Why B2B companies need to embrace Facebook

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