The impact of digitization has generated growing complexities, and in the B2B sector it requires a greater effort, due to the intricate ecosystem of relations among different business stakeholders. This new scenario calls for fresh reflections on critical marketing and communication skills, especially on social media.

Among the most popular channels, LinkedIn proves to be the ideal platform for B2B social media marketing, with 9 out of 10 B2B companies having a presence on this platform. Lead generation on LinkedIn is considered to be very effective, and over half of B2B buyers use this social networking site to make informed purchasing decisions. 

Twitter, which ranks second in terms of usage, focuses on informative content, as well as on the presentation and launch of new products. Facebook is considered the third most effective social networking site followed by Instagram, which is enjoying increasing success in the B2B arena.

Finally, the fifth most popular social media is YouTube, that holds this position thanks to its video content format enabling companies to improve their ROI.

However, if we take a broader look at social media sites, we see that nowadays digital platforms have become increasingly important in the B2B sector. We notice how these websites served as the basis to create platform business models, requiring better critical marketing and communication skills from companies.

What drives the adoption of social media as a communication tool by B2B companies?

First of all, social media are a business tool to increase turnover, boost traffic, and collect market insights.

They also enable companies to build social capital, that encourages customers to interact and engage with the organisation, and to establish solid relationships.

As a result, customers will have a greater trust in the company and there will be an increase in their willingness-to-pay — the maximum price customers are ready to pay for a product or service. The brand reputation will thus improve, and a closer connection with the customer will allow the company to capitalize on its network and to create a digital co-creation space with the client.

Lastly, social media allow for a contextually rich data collection, and with data analytics companies can improve their business processes and internal organization.