Seven Reasons B2B is Built for Social Media

It's generally said that B2C is better at using social media than B2B. I'm not so sure this is true.

The fact that there are fewer B2B examples of the use of social media is probably due to the maturity of that sector with regard to the use of technology and has nothing to do with how much it uses social media.

1. For social media to have an impact, companies have to foster collaboration and develop a community feeling. This is typically done through the mixing of three main ingredients: passion, help between members and mutual benefit. These ingredients are usually commonplace among existing B2B communities. Look at P&G's crowdsourcing success for inspiration.
2. B2B communities are niche and tend to be about passionate experts who can debate specific subjects in great detail. Comments may be few and far between, but rewarding,
3. The ability to include customers in the development of a new service has been a staple of B2B marketing for years. Customer advisory boards, product and client user groups are all commonplace in B2B environments already.
4. B2B is less exposed than B2C, so B2B players run fewer risks when engaging in online collaboration. There are few B2B equivalents to the Kryptonite or Nestlé blogstorms.
5. In the B2B world, co-creation is old hat. Most B2B offers are and have been developed in close partnership with clients and third-party providers to add value. Comments in social media aimed at improving products are mostly welcome.
6. TV and outdoor advertising is out of reach for most B2B companies. Hence the importance of digital and social media. Indeed amongst B2B high-tech companies, it is common to use nothing else but digital advertising,
7. B2B is made of ecosystems. Social media is ideal for fostering discussions and brand advocacy through such ecosystems.

(Pic: googlisti cc2.0)