B2B brands have it tough. Marketing to both the business and technical decision makers requires persistence, consistency and patience. Sales cycles are painfully slow and overly complex, and building a brand requires time in the trenches. And you know what? There’s nothing that a smart social media can do about it.

Social media is not a panacea for a weak sales force, off-target marketing or irrelevant products. Social media will not don tights and a cape and fly in at quarter-end to save the day. So why bother? Because social media can amplify smart marketing, educate and engage interested prospects, and give your customers a reason to talk to one another among other things.

Just because it’s harder for B2B brands to be social doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. A few words of caution for before you start:

1. You’re not Starbucks. Set benchmarks appropriate for your size and reach. Look to B2B brands with similar target markets. Study your competition, suppliers, vendors, partners and customers too.
2. There is no Adult Swim. If you’re waiting for the lifeguard to blow his whistle and kick all the screaming, splashing kids out of the water, you’re out of luck. Brands that want to leverage social media channels have to put a toe in the water… or just dive in. Either way, you have to be willing to get wet.
3. You’re the tortoise, not the hare. Some of you may remember when email was brand new. Truth-be-told, I remember inter-office envelopes. There will always be new and exciting ways to go to market. Mobile, video, social… Which will work best for you? The only way to know is to try.

Smart marketers by nature are tinkerers, always looking for a faster route to market, a clearer message, and more ways to engage… Social media can help you do just that if you’re willing to try. So put on your floaties and come on in. I’ll meet you at the shallow end… the water’s fine.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 26th, 2010 at 9:00 am and is filed under B2B, Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.