More business-to-consumer (B2C) companies value social media compared to business-to-business (B2B) companies, according to a new survey from Clutch, a leading B2B ratings and reviews firm, and Smart Insights, a publisher and learning platform that helps companies plan, manage, and optimize their marketing.
The findings indicate a growing consumer preference to make purchasing decisions based on their social media activity, a reality that favors B2C companies.
Nearly 60% of the B2C companies surveyed report that social media helps increase their revenue and sales, compared to 46% of B2B companies. Experts say the current social media environment is ideal for consumers and the B2C businesses that have a presence there.
"[Social media] makes more sense for B2C companies because of the mindset people are in when they're on social media," said Steve Pearson, CEO of Friendemic. "They're in consumer mode, not business mode."
B2C companies prefer consumer-focused social media channels, such as Facebook and YouTube, while B2B companies prefer LinkedIn and Twitter because they can easily target other businesses.
B2C companies (82%) also tend to post more original content to social media than B2Bs (74%).
"B2B lends itself to curated content, where brands can help their audience by sharing curated news and best practice content to help individuals develop their skills and careers," said Smart Insights CEO Dave Chaffey. "In B2C, there is less scope for sharing news and advice, so instead, brands tend to share more original content related to their products and services."
B2B businesses typically use social media with the objective of becoming an authority in their respective industry, while B2C companies are driven to influence customers to buy something.
The study also identifies the social media content that engages consumers best—articles, videos, and images—and the challenges social media marketers face, such as not having enough resources and problems with refining social media efforts into a formal strategy.
Clutch's 2017 Social Media Survey included 344 social media marketers at companies from around the world with more than 10 employees; the respondents are split evenly between B2B companies and B2C companies.
Read the full report here: https://clutch.co/agencies/social-media-marketing/resources/social-media-survey-2017.
For the raw data, a comment on the findings, or an introduction to the industry experts included in the report, reach out to Kristen Herhold at 176398@email4pr.com.
About Clutch
A B2B ratings and reviews firm in the heart of Washington, DC, Clutch connects you with the agencies and software solutions that help you enhance your business and meet your goals. Our methodology maps agencies and software solutions based on customer reviews, the type of services offered, and quality of work.
About Smart Insights
Smart Insights is a publisher and learning platform that helps members plan, manage, and optimize their marketing using downloadable planning templates, guides, and interactive learning tools. They help individuals improve their personal digital marketing skills and businesses increase their leads and sales by creating action plans to transform their use of digital media, technology, and data. They have 150,000 active members across 100 countries and a monthly readership of ½ million.
