Where do B2B decision makers go on the social web for purchase-related research? The answer is LinkedIn, according to a report from TriComB2B and the University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration. In fact, LinkedIn has a big advantage: 35% of respondents used the professional social network to get info while a mere 13% tapped Facebook.
Why is LinkedIn the preferred social network for B2B decision makers? There are clues in additional research findings, notes Frank Reed on Marketing Pilgrim. The buyers cited informal contacts within the industry as one of the most important resources for purchase decision info—and those informal industry contacts are LinkedIn’s bread and butter.
While LinkedIn may be the preferred network for B2B decision-makers, it doesn’t appear so for the SMB. According to preliminary results from a survey conducted last month by Office Arrow of the networks small business audience, their members are not even sure where to start. The survey’s initial findings also suggest that small business have serious concerns in social media engagement, including:
- Privacy – they do not like to overshare personal and professional information
- Management of social media - too many social media sites and communities to manage and no time to manage
- Information overload - inability to streamline information
Throughout the small business survey, there were two additional themes; 1) measuring the ROI “Seeing a real, measurable ROI for investment” and 2) Security concerns “We have concerns over lack of security or inappropriate content”. Stay tuned as more of OfficeArrow’s survey results will be released in the upcoming weeks.
It all starts with listening. Online intelligence will pinpoint where your target buyers are socializing, researching, recommending, and sharing on the social web. Again, stay tuned, as there will be lots more to come from Social Strategy1′s suite of services.
Connect with Ilona on Twitter via @eyelona.
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