Industrial and B-to-B Marketers Can’t Ignore Social Media Anymore

by tradesmeninsights | Mar 28, 2009 | Marketing Tips

We need to realize that social media is not a fad.  The faster B-to-B manufacturers realize that social media isn’t  just for “consumers,” the better off they will be.

Social media allows manufacturers to engage customers in more creative ways, build relationships and stay ahead of their competitors.

According to the “The ROI on Social Media Marketing” report from the Aberdeen Group, that Visible Technologies sponsored, 63% of the companies in their survey planned to increase their social media marketing budgets this year. eMarketer estimated that social network advertising alone will rise over 17% this year to $2.35 billion, up from $2 billion in 2008.

“Things are finally starting to change. Companies are learning how to leverage social media and tap into the rising tide of consumers participating in social network sites, blogs, wikis and Twitter.

Marketers have developed the tools and methodologies to drive
marketing ROI by listening to and learning from customers and
prospects. As so, the dollars are following this rising tide,” says Blake Cahill, Visible Technologies.

Five Compelling Facts from the Research, Providing Actionable Benefits for Readers:

• 58% of  companies have dedicated resources devoted to social media marketing.
• 61% of companies have online community platforms (e.g., discussion forums, ratings and reviews, etc.).
• 68% of  companies increased their investments in social media marketing, while 34% are keeping their investment level the same as last year.
• 84% of companies aim to track and measure the ROI of their social media marketing activities.