Why a Blog Improves Social Media for B2B

I presented during a webinar earlier this week and was a bit taken aback at the response to a poll taken during the session. When asked what type of social media the attendees participated in, they responded:

• 54% - Social Networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)
• 21% - Microblogging (Twitter)
• 7% - Blogging
• 11% - Groups, Discussions, Q &A, Comments 

I'm happy to see that marketers are embracing interactive online experiences, but I have to say I was surprised that only 7% are blogging. This makes me wonder what kind of links and content they're sharing via Twitter and on their Facebook fan pages.

Most B2B marketers will tell you that they aren't sure about the impact of social media on their marketing programs or able to prove ROI. Could it be because they are participating in social media as a standalone effort?

What helps drive effectiveness with social media is to share access to content that pulls people back to your company - to divert that traffic to your playground for a bit. But that means you have to have relevant and fresh content to offer. Blogs can help with that.

For those of you not blogging, here are a baker's dozen of reasons why you should consider incorporating a blog into your marketing mix:

1. Blogging is more conversational in style and matches nicely with the need to create online dialogues.


2. Blogging doesn't require an epic effort. A few paragraphs that share an insight offer a perspective, provide how-to tips or debate the status quo can work nicely.


3. The Internet moves fast. Publishing a new article once a month on your website isn't enough to keep up a consistent dialogue.


4. On a blog, it's perfectly acceptable, even encouraged, to link to other bloggers and add your ideas to the ones they've shared. Can you say instant idea fodder?


5. Blogs allow comments longer than 140 characters.


6. Blogs enable you to take big, complex ideas and extract one point to simplify it.


7. Blogs can help you get a read on what your prospects care about by monitoring which posts (topics) they interact with the most.


8. Blogs let you share a variety of formats like embedding slide decks, podcasts, videos, graphics and charts, etc.


9. Blogs are a great way to promote your webinars and other events.


10. Blogs can offer a brief look at a topic with a link back to your website to other content that expands on that subject matter.


11. Blogs invite other people to pass along your content to their networks, helping to spread your ideas beyond the reach you have today.


12. Blogs can feed lead generation activities by offering opt-in opportunities for those who've come to value the ideas you share freely.


13. Blogs are a kind of "natural nurturing" - the more often you touch your prospects, the more your ideas are top of mind for them. (hence, your company)

A blog is a natural extension to other types of social media and can help you improve the effectiveness of your overall marketing programs (including SEO). The trick is to incorporate your blog as an integral part component of your overall marketing strategy. 

Comments

[Ian Brodie]

Hi Ardath,

Great post. In some ways I'm surprised only 7% participated in blogging - it really is such a useful strategy. On the other hand I'm not surprised. It's perceived to be harder to set up and more work to do.

One additional bonus I'd add to your list - blogs provide persistent findability in google. Long after your tweets have disappeared into the ether, a good blog will be found again and again by google searchers.

Ian

[Ardath Albee]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for your addition to the list. You're right - in fact some of my posts from 3 or 4 years ago still get read quite a bit. And I also show up on page 1 search results for keywords that it would take me forever to achieve with just my corp website.

Ardath

[Susan Tatum]

Hi Ardath,

That is a truly surprising statistic. We find many of our B2B clients resist blogging because of the time it takes to consistently create good content, but these tend not to be companies that are active on LinkedIn or Facebook either.

I wonder if the participants in your survey are using LinkedIn and Facebook for personal communication and networking more than for professional use.

Susan

[SEO Packages]

Great list. I agree that blog improves social media by B2B because most of the people are using social media and most of the site shared on social media are blogs.

[Ardath Albee]

Hi Susan,

The survey was conducted during a webinar to an audience of B2B marketers there to learn about social media for business. So it may be possible that currently they're testing the waters, but the issue is that social media needs a strategy to create results. Which I know that you know and I'm preaching to the choir :-)

[John Bottom]

Ardath - I would like to venture that one of the reasons for the statistic is one of the very reasons that blogs are so useful. They allow individuals to speak out in a way that is not so easy in other media. But while that is liberating for some, it is daunting for others.

I don't mean to say that those of us who blog have some kind of gift. Not at all. But writing that first one feels awkward. You're not sure of your voice and it takes a few goes to work out how to do it. It's like hearing your voice recorded - all sounds a bit odd. Add to that the fact that viewing figures are - to start with - inevitably disappointing, it's no wonder people are reluctant to blog, compared to the simple brevity of Twitter/Facebook. Yet, once you've found your voice, it is a fabulous platform for opinion - both yours, and to echo other opinions you agree with.

At our agency, we encourage everyone to blog, but although many appreciate the importance of blogging, it's only the determined few who end up doing more than one.

So I agree with you whole-heartedly, but would suggest this is one of the reasons for the disappointing statistic. Blogs are great - almost as good a place to vent an opinion as your comments section!

All the best

John

[Ardath Albee]

Hi John,

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I agree that writing a blog is a bit daunting for some. It's like adding an extra To-Do on your list - and who needs that?

On the other hand, it's a skill that marketers need to embrace. I'd also assert that blogging helps us become more adept at "social" exchanges. And we all need that as interactive eMarketing becomes more pervasive.

[Leah Neaderthal]

I was at a recent ISBM conference where many attendees shared that the management of their company, or their legal team, prohibited them from blogging (in fact I was one of the few who raised my hand to the question, "Whose company is blogging?"). Those who were restricted gave many reasons, but they all stemmed from management's fear of giving away too much information, losing control of the message, etc. Strangely they didn't prohibit them from Twitter or LinkedIn. I think it's a shame that in so many cases, Marketing is fighting an uphill battle for blogging. Thanks to support points like those listed in your post, I think Marketing will be able to better make their case.

[MeganDollz]

7% does not surprise me. It not only takes a lot of effort but to have a successful blog, it takes time, originality, some writing talent, hard work and persistence. Many people have one or two of these things, but very few posses all, which makes me think this statistic is on target.