Social Media B2B

Over the past year, as we have written blog posts, attended events and talked to people about the implications of social media for B2B organizations we have continued to encounter one idea. The idea that social media isn’t right for B2B companies and some even assert that it is a complete waste of time and a fad. I have made arguments against these points in the past, but recently I got a major boost to my side of the argument: Google.

Explaining Social Search

Before I hit you over the head with my new backing in the battle for social media for B2B, I first need to provide some background. This is a post that is dedicated to social search.

Have you ever stood on a street corner and asked a group of friends if a restaurant nearby was any good?

That simple question is an example of social search in an offline setting. What if you could ask a question to your friends, coworkers and business partners and could see anything they have said online about the question? This is an example of online social search. As data is created everyday on the web: product reviews, videos, blog posts, store ratings, etc. it only makes sense that search engines like Google would be working to integrate this data into search results.

I recommend taking a look this video that outlines Google’s newly announced test of social search and shows exactly how social search works.

Social Search: The Pending B2B Opportunity
When a potential customer is connected with you or someone within your organization on a social network and is shown your business or product in their search results page because of it, the game as we know it has changed. The day that social search is a standard feature your business is on a different playing field.

In a world with social search, it matters how engaged your business and employees are online. Currently, organic search engine optimization (SEO) is a priority for many B2B organizations, but social search makes SEO much less important. Social search shows content by connection and shows you how you are connected to that person. (see example below)

Social search makes it a requirement for businesses to be engaged online, as well as encourage employees to engage online. As social search use rises, those not active will be left out of inbound marketing opportunities entirely. Google is not the only search company working on social search. The future of organizing online data is about context and social connections provide great context. Businesses who publish smart and establish organic relationships will win. Others will get left behind.

Try Google Social Search Yourself
Google’s social search is still an experiment but you can try it out by enabling it in Google Labs. Right now the social search results are at the bottom of the page. It is easy to see how social search could help provide more trusted content and thus be an important part of researching business purchases.

Kipp Bodnar is publisher of SocialMediaB2B.com. Follow Kipp on Twitter @kippbodnar.