March 16

The Biggest B2B Social Media Myth That Needs Busting

Every day I hear B2B Marketers, B2B Sales Directors, and a host of C-Level folks repeating the same old undisputed law of B2B Social Media Marketing — LinkedIn is THE B2B social media platform. 🤦‍♂️

In some cases, their opinions are based on a simple fact: LinkedIn is the business social media platform, therefore, it's the place to conduct B2B social media marketing and sales outreach. Ok, that makes some sense. But it overlooks one key fact, the proverbial 800-pound gorilla lurking in the social media corner that no one really talks much about but that I'm going to share with you today.

Why People Believe That LinkedIn is The B2B Social Media Platform of Choice

Sales and marketing professionals continue to buy into this B2B social media marketing myth because everywhere they turn, they see blog posts, articles, and "research" saying things like:

B2B marketers report 80% of their social media leads come from LinkedIn, and 40% say LinkedIn is the most effective channel for driving leads.

Or as a recent report from Statista showed, 41% of the 1,000+ respondents with a B2B focus named LinkedIn as their number 1 choice, with only 30% of them citing Facebook as the preferred network.  

Infographic: B2B Marketers Choose LinkedIn Over Facebook | Statista You will find more infographics at Statista

Why YOU Should Question The Theory That LinkedIn is The B2B Social Media Platform of Choice

Ok, so why am I adamant that you need to rethink this whole LinkedIn as the best B2B social media platform? 

Because, when you triangulate the data, the hypothesis falls apart pretty quickly. Sure, lots of business people have a LinkedIn profile — 808.4 million worldwide as of January 2022. Now that's a lot of folks, but it's still only 10% of the worldwide population. (source)

Conversely, Facebook had 2.912 billion monthly active users in January 2022. That's not just 2.9 billion profiles or 58% of the worldwide population with access to the platform, that's actual people using it. (source)

And then there is Twitter with 436.4 million users, Instagram's 1.478 billion users, and everyone's newest dance partner, TikTok, purports 1 billion users worldwide. 

All of this to say, while yes, LinkedIn IS a business-focused social media platform, it's kind of small when shown alongside the "consumer" social media platforms. That's right, I said it. Size matters

Another Reason to Question LinkedIn as The Go-To B2B Social Media Platform

Let's assume that your target audience exists enmass on LinkedIn for a moment. Maybe there are more than enough of them to fuel your social sales prospecting efforts for quite some time. Chances are, for most social selling prospectors, LinkedIn offers a very target-rich environment. 

Or does it? 

If you set up a profile on a social media network but never actually use the social media network, is that social media network a proper channel for a salesperson to reach you? 

Here again, let's triangulate some data because as I'm often telling folks, if you torture data long enough, you can make it say anything you want. Specifically, let's look at daily and weekly usage of the four major social media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. 

LinkedIn vs Major Social Media Daily-Weekly Usage

Wow! Look at the difference between LinkedIn's daily usage vs. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And while the difference in weekly usage isn't nearly as bad, LinkedIn is still a distant fourth from the ever-dominant Facebook. 

Truthfully, this isn't all that surprising to me, especially if you look at "favorite social network" survey research. 

Data-Reportal-Favorite-Social-Media-Platform-By-Age

source: DataReportal

LinkedIn isn't even listed. So why is that? Why aren't LinkedIn users consistently using the platform daily? And why doesn't anyone seem to love it? Well, honestly, neither of those answers matter. 

But what does matter is the trendline. And folks, it isn't good. Because according to Statista Data, LinkedIn's usage rates are flatter than an east Texas prairie. 

Statistic: Average monthly time spent with leading social platforms in the United States from 2018 to 2020 (in minutes) | Statista
Find more statistics at Statista

So what is all of this data telling us? It's telling us what many assume, maybe even think out loud, but what far too many B2B social media agencies fail to point out — for many folks, LinkedIn is just their online resume. They have a profile, but they don't do much with it unless they're hunting for a new gig. 

Don't get me wrong. LinkedIn has a place in many, if not most, B2B social media sales & marketing plans. But it has a PLACE, alongside other Propinquity Points that can be as, if not more, effective at helping you start conversations that convert to customers. 

Have you read: The 5P's of Successful Social Selling?   

Click Here to Read Next

What Does This Mean for B2B Social Media Marketers?

It means that B2B social media success, ESPECIALLY SOCIAL SELLING SUCCESS, rests on finding your target prospects' Propinquity Points and then repeatedly and reliably parking your taco truck at those points in hopes of making friends and starting conversations. Conversations that convert to customers. 

Feel like you might need a little advice or even help with your B2B social media sales or marketing efforts? Maybe we can help. Why not click here to schedule a Zoom call with me right now. 


This post was originally published on Painless Prospecting, the weekly sales and marketing blog created by the fine folks at Converse Digital. If you want to learn how to create, engage in, and convert conversations into new clients and customers, give them a call


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About the author

Tom is 30 year veteran of the sales & marketing industry with a penchant for stiff drinks, good debates and showing others how to combine the power of digital platforms and technology with the science of persuasion to turn conversations into customers.

He is the founder of Converse Digital, a former contributing writer for Advertising Age, and author of The Invisible Sale regarded by readers as a "must-read for any marketing and sales team."

The Invisible Sale has been described as: showing the reader how to rip down the communication barrier between sales and marketing teams in an easy-to-digest look at how both teams can work together to attract, measure, and close prospects in today's online landscape.

In the book, Tom breaks down his entire business development process, honed over a decade of practice, to create the ultimate field guide for anyone tasked with creating an effective business development program for themselves, their agency, or company.

And for those seeking to learn more about the art and science of persuasion, modern digitally oriented prospecting, effective lead nurturing without becoming a nuisance and closing more business deals, Tom has authored hundreds of articles available via his Painless Prospecting Newsletter Archives.

He is also a highly sought after sales & marketing keynote speaker who has graced stages in 52 cities, 27 states, and 7 countries spread across 4 continents.

He primarily speaking on topics of sales, business development, social selling, social media and the power of consumer experiences shared via social media as the ultimate form of advertising.

Tom's probably best known for his incredibly successful, groundbreaking social media campaign to rebrand Mardi Gras from "girls gone wild" to "family friendly fun" using nothing other than social media. That work led him to create his signature tourism marketing keynote -- The Soundtrack of our Life: Leveraging Visitor Experiences To Drive Visitation.

Too learn more about Tom's most requested talks, or check his availability, visit his professional speaker page.

You can also follow him on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.


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