…a series of case studies. Just Google “B2B social media case study” and you’ll find a wealth of examples that prove social media works in our corner of the universe.  No, we’ll be focusing on how to get B2B companies to embrace social media. To tap its full potential.

I often talk with people about why B2Bs have been slower to adopt social media than consumer brands. Why in some quarters, it’s all but forbidden. They tend to give three reasons: Cultural inertia, regulatory restraints and lack of resources.

Also, it’s not like consumer companies sat up one day and embraced social media.  Many were dragged kicking and screaming onto the web because of a crisis.  B2Bs have smaller audiences and so that’s happened less often.

They’re all good reasons.  There are legitimate, must-to-be-addressed differences from consumer.  But there’s another difference that I think trumps all of those.

With all due respect to our consumer PR cousins, I believe social media will pay off 10 times more for B2B companies than consumer.

Consider:  In B2B, the audiences are smaller, harder to find.  But what medium makes it easier to find precise targets than social?  The fields B2B work in are complex, with lots of detail, the need for explanation and nuance.  But what medium allows you the space to fully convey your ideas more than social?  And in a world where at the end of the day, whether it’s a B2B product or service, what you’re really buying is an expert opinion.  And what medium lets you spread thought leadership faster, farther and more targeted than social media?
Not advertising, not direct mail, not even traditional media relations.  These are still critical channels. They’re needed for integrated marketing.  But their relative importance to our customers has shrunk.  Social media has crowded its way in and the other channels are getting crowded out.  According to Forrester, just looking at the 45-54 year old demographic, 71% of people regularly read blogs, 38% have joined a social network, 37% regularly offer their comments online and 19% have gone so far as to create their own social media channel, like a blog or Twitter feed.  Those numbers go up the  the younger you go.

So if your heart rate is up. If your palms are sweaty.  If you have that feeling in your stomach you get when you’re about to take a big step forward, then you’re in the right place. Because the forbidden dance is about to begin.  Thank you.