Social Media B2B

B2B marketers who are looking to start social media programs at their companies have to fight many battles. They fight the budget battle. They fight the resource battle. They fight the “but it’s free” battle. But the biggest battle is one of perception. Bosses, colleagues and even prospects have their own deep-seeded ideas about social media for B2B companies. Not only are many of their commonly-held beliefs wrong, but they are not even based in fact. The best way to describe them are as B2B social media myths.

And we are about to bust them!

1. Myth: B2B companies don’t benefit from social media.
62% of businesses rated social media as a means to generate leads as being more important. (source)

2. Myth: B2B companies are too traditional and conservative to adopt social media and digital marketing.
67% of B2B marketers use search marketing, and 75% have an integrated approach with tactics in five or more channels. (source)

3. Myth: Blogging is only for thought leadership and doesn’t drive leads or revenue.
57% of companies with a corporate blog have acquired a customer through blogging. (source)

4. Myth: Social media is only important for online activities and is not relevant to offline activities.
B2B marketers spend more on trade shows than any other tactic. (source)

5. Myth: Mobile doesn’t matter for B2B companies.
59% of B2B purchase decision makers have used their smartphone to research products and services when they are considering purchases. (source)

6. Myth: Email Is Dead
84% of B2B Marketers focus on email as part of their marketing efforts. (source)

7. Myth: My competitors aren’t investing in social media.
Social media spending will increase 3% in the next 12 months and 9% over the next five years for B2B companies. (source)

8. Myth: Mobile Doesn’t Reach Decision Makers.
64% of B2B decision makers currently read their email via mobile devices. (source)

9. Myth: Traditional advertising will continue to work in the future.
US online display to reach nearly $15 billion in 2012. (source)

10. Myth: LinkedIn is not for companies. It’s for people to find jobs.
61% of B2B companies acquired a customer through LinkedIn. (source)

What other myths about B2B social media have you encountered and busted?

Jeffrey L. Cohen is the Managing Editor of SocialMediaB2B.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter at @jeffreylcohen.