The role of social media within industrial marketing

Social media is a cornerstone for business promotion across all sectors, providing an opportunity to engage directly with potential customers and display new sides of a company that highlights values and moves beyond product capability messaging. While this is the same for businesses in B2C or B2B areas, there are some key strategic differences when looking at industrial social media communications when compared with other industries.

Long term thinking
The social media buying journey of a consumer is often a rapid decision. Whether it is the latest technology or clothing, a consumer typically makes their purchasing decision within the first or second viewing – having decided that the product meets the price and capability requirements. The journey for B2B marketing is much longer, involving multiple stakeholders and many more social media touchpoints. When looking at industrial marketing specifically, this process is extended even further as any buying decision will likely be in place for many years and play an integral role in industrial operations. That same buying decisions must also be discussed by multiple expert professionals and decision-makers, furthering the need for a robust social media communications plan.

So, how do these very different approaches appear in practice? B2C is all about the product, the right messaging at the right time can prompt an impulse purchase and lead to a successful sale. Industrial B2B however must focus on nurturing relationships and building trust over time, both as a company entity and individuals consistently. Industrial communications do not have the luxury of leveraging buzzword or other social trends, the professional and formal communications must resonate with industry decision-makers through educational content that delivers value even beyond a specific product. It is much more likely that when a customer is engaging with an industrial business, they will review all social media posts to find the most authoritative voice covering issues most important to them. For example, a manufacturer looking at investing in robotics for the first time will not be swayed by a shiny image, they will investigate the topics most important to them by answering specific questions like; has this company deployed robotics in my sector previously, how did it impact energy efficiency, is there a complicated installation process, what will maintenance cost me, and does this company’s values align with mine? It would be impossible to answer all these questions in a single post, they can only be answered by consistent communications.

People dealing with people
While the need for professional and educational content for industrial social media paints a picture of stale communications that deliver repeated corporate messages, this is an outdated way of thinking and moves away from the very reason social media is an important tool, people will always look to deal with people.

Looking towards LinkedIn, as it is the most used social media platform for industrial B2B communications, company pages offer a real insight into values and often a repository for key information, but it is the communications of thought leaders and industry experts that often move the needle in industrial marketing. Where as B2C social media prioritises immediate engagements, industrial B2B requires prolonged conversations to drive meaningful business results. For example, a thought leader on industrial AI that has shown to be speaking with other leaders in the sector, providing actionable advice, and actively engaging with posts on the same topic will more likely reach potential customers than say a single advert that promotes an AI solution. Just as the industrial B2B buying decision requires multiple stakeholders, those same stakeholders want to engage with an authoritative voice rather than a corporate communication. No matter how intuitive social media gets and how important it becomes to marketing strategies, people will always need to deal with people, especially within industry where that relationship will likely span multiple years. Therefore, industrial marketing strategies should always account for the human factor, a single well-crafted social media post that proves experience and aims to solve a problem will deliver far more value than 10 faceless corporate messaging posts.

Lessons from B2C
Having established where B2B industrial social media differs from B2C, there are still lessons to be learnt from the fast-moving consumer world:

• Visual content – industrial B2B social media doesn’t need to follow the quick cut/dance style of a viral TikTok post but leveraging exciting visual content will work to entice that first level of engagement from a potential customer. Behind-the-scenes content, product demonstrations, and team activities with the human element at the forefront act as a way to humanise brands and build trust.
• Interactive content – B2C marketing strategies often involve encouraged engagement through polls, quizzes, or live Q&As to develop that sense of community. This can be replicated in the industrial B2B space with the right language and again serves as a way to build trust. Consistently engaging with the audience will support the potential customer’s long purchasing decision process at multiple touchpoints.
• Influencer marketing – leveraging an influencer in B2C is vastly different to B2B. Rather than using an established audience to promote a product, industry voices should be leveraged to lend credibility to a company’s messaging. For example, discussing with an industry organisation that delivers CPD for the next generation workforce about what’s changed in the sector and how the day-to-day operations have advanced by digitalisation will position a business as a thought leader on industrial skills. Therefore, when a potential customer is looking for a solution to upskill their workforce, they are much more likely to engage with an established thought leader.

While B2C and industrial B2B social media marketing strategies will differ widely, there is a shared lesson that people will deal with people. Marketers looking to leverage these distinctions should be pushing industrial professionals to get out there, make their voice heard, and most importantly be a human. Talk on the topics that are important to you, share your experience with key technologies, and start building trust with potential customers.