From Boring to Scoring:
How B2B’s can build brand
trust using social media
Presented by AddShoppers + Plum Tree Group

I. Introductions
II. Why you need a B2B social life
III. Social behaviors of B2B customers
IV. Building in the right places
V. How to actively start conversations
VI. Make it mobile
VII. Q&A
Agenda

Your presenters
Peter Messmer
Director + Growth,
AddShoppers
Maria Delgado
Community Manager,
CommerceBlend
Gene Ferriter
Solution Specialist,
Plum Tree Group

AddShoppers
We track and optimize the Shopper Journey
with our suite of marketing Apps designed to
increase our clients’ Average Revenue Per
Visitor (ARPV).
1,000+ Clients Worldwide

CommerceBlend
CommerceBlend is an online community that
provides support and assistance to
ecommerce merchants and digital marketers
through forums, partnerships and online
resources.
Our offers take deep root in research,
experience and bring a diversity of voices
into every topic

Plum Tree Group
Plum Tree Group is an Integrated Digital
Agency.
We help companies design, create and bring
to market products, services and
experiences across digital and traditional
channels.

Don’t forget your free templates!
Use the links shared on the chat window to
download now!
Social Media Plan Template Google Analytics Social Dashboard

Why you need a B2B
social life

75% of B2B buyers
search for vendors on social media

Social Behaviors of
B2B Customers

B2B buyers
breakdown
by industry
Professional Services and Computer
Hardware are the top b2b industries
with a social media presence.

B2B buyers
breakdown by
industry
However, companies that compete within the engineering, machinery,
biotech and financial industries are the ones that show the major follower
growth and engagement.

The 4 major forces shaping B2B
Millennials Mobility Direct Selling Procurement Processes
They’re trending as the
new B2B buyers. This
implies changes on
procurement processes.
They’re digitally oriented
and prefer to do research
by themselves and to have
a self-service web
experience, before being
reached out by a sales rep
through cold-outreach.
8 out of 10 B2B buyers
said they would use
smartphones to access
digital content, according
to Schieber Research on
April 2016. Plus, 42% of
researchers use a mobile
device during the B2B
purchasing process.
However, UX across these
devices is as important as
contextual relevance.
The Age of the Customer,
intense competition and shifts
in purchasing behavior from
young procurement
professionals force B2B
merchants to leverage their
sales’ growth digitally and take
control over their online
positioning and branding, in
order to optimize costs while
understanding who they’re
selling to (web analytics).
Research done by Forrester,
HBR and IDC not only show
that 74% of B2B buyers
conduct more than half of their
research online before talking
to a salesperson, but also that
75% use social media to
research vendors through
customer ratings and
word-of-mouth.

74% of B2B buyers conduct more than half of
their research online before talking to a
salesperson. In the end, 54% to 71% of the
decision is made before contacting a supplier,
and the vendor with the best content wins.
Search: The first touchpoint

Self-service + outstanding cx =
Recurring customer/purchases
$$
Higher AOV

Self-service + outstanding cx = $$
prefer to gather
information online
on their own.
prefer not to
interact with a sales
rep.
believe it is more
convenient to buy
from a website.
prefer to buy online
when they’ve
already decided
what to buy.

B2B Customer Lifecycle

B2B Customer Lifecycle - Content & Channels

B2B Customer Lifecycle - Content & Channels

The How
How do you start executing campaigns that are measurable
and successful?

Build it in the right places
What networks should you be on?

What makes a network unique?
It’s important to recognize that not every network is a good fit for your brand. Take the
time to understand your brand voice, customers, and product.
Brands should be accessible, but their presence should be purposeful.
Start with Why. Why do I want to be on this network? Why is this network right for my
customers?

● LinkedIn: For neutral, professional
correspondence.
● Twitter: For quick, often quirky
interaction with customers, partners,
employees, etc. Excellent for inciting
immediate action.
● Facebook: For more long-term
interaction. Facebook isn’t a place for
constant updates, making it the perfect
network for housing meaningful content.
● Instagram: Allows for a “behind the
scenes” look at your company. A strong
Instagram presence is often indicative
of a trustworthy brand.
What networks
are my customers
on?
Be present where your customers are
already active. Don’t waste your time
building up a presence on networks that
your audience doesn’t value.
The following are the more popular
networks and their intended purposes...

Be multi-faceted,but don’t change
your messaging.
No matter what networks you decide to focus on, make sure your content brings your
marketing full circle. Stay consistent.
Brands can develop deeper, more meaningful emotional connections with customers
through content excellence and conversational storytelling.

How to actively start
conversations
Build it with the right people

Employee
Advocacy
Give your social presence a jump start by
implementing an employee advocacy portal.
Incentivize employees sharing content to
their social following for prizes/bonus’/etc.
Communicate to your employees that the
company succeeds when they’re active in
promoting it.

Partner Input...
Partnerships exist to build up business for
one another. Building up your social
presence is something that your partners can
help with.
Each partner has a unique following, there
will always be more fresh sets of eyes you
can reach!
Retweet their content
Quid pro quo. If they notice your brand
being active in supporting them, they’re
more likely to return the favor.
Ask for help promoting
Time to cash in that favor. When you
build up an equally representative
relationship, partners tend to be more
agreeable in helping out.
Invite them to co-brand
content/events
Partners who are just as invested in the
outcome of a project as you are, make
for great results and business
opportunities. Share some credit.

…& stay consistent
Stay on top of your social efforts to keep
momentum going.
People are less likely to trust you if they see
gaps in your presence, responsiveness, and
engagement with the community.
Slack
This cloud-based collaboration tool can
be used to receive real-time
notifications from plugins, &
communicate with employees/partners.
Notify
Notification plugins like Notify are useful
for making sure social action doesn’t
slip through the cracks.
Have fun
Remember: B2Bs are allowed to have a
personality on social. Pay attention to
what your audience responds to.

Campaigns that
encourage conversation
Enhance your marketing efforts with interactive
campaigns like Contests or Refer-a-Friend
programs.
Combined with incentivized sharing these
campaigns encourage heavy socially driven
conversations.

Source Acquisition

Live examples
B2Bs that own the social media landscape

Internet Retailer
This B2B client of ours, Internet Retailer,
generates consistent action from social
networks.
They utilize our sharing buttons, and their
audience clearly has a preference for Twitter.
● 86% from Twitter
● 9% from Facebook
● 4% from LinkedIn
● 1% from direct (Google)
Popularity of clicked sources

iBuyOfficeSupply
Another B2B client of ours, iBuyOfficeSupply,
generates a ton of action to and from their
site from various social networks.
● 54% from Facebook
● 33% from Twitter
● 7% from LinkedIn
● 4% from direct (Google)
● 2% from Pinterest
Popularity of clicked sources

Bindertek
Our luxury office supply and binder B2B
client, Bindertek, has an even social media
presence across the more popular networks.
From social sharing alone they have seen 5x
ROI.
● 31% from Pinterest
● 30% from Twitter
● 29% from Facebook
● 9% from LinkedIn
● 1% from direct (Google)
Popularity of clicked sources

IronPlanet
IronPlanet is a giant in the buying and selling
of used heavy equipment. Their site is
auction based, however in some instances,
they offer discounts on items.
They have a prominent YouTube presence,
making use of this outlet to show their
audience how their inventory operates.
They boast 370,000+ YouTube views

Poppin
This office furniture supplier stays consistent
in their messaging and making it available
across multiple networks.
Poppin does well at utilizing social media to
push contests and promotions drives traffic
back to their site.
30,000 Instagram followers
8,000 Twitter followers

Grainger
Grainger is a B2B supplier for construction
goods. They supply everything from tools,
safety equipment, supplies, and more.
Grainger has a strong presence on
Instagram. What makes them stand out are
the “Everyday Hero” videos that can be
found on their Instagram and their website.
They have 4,000 Instagram followers

Make it mobile
Why B2B’s need to focus on mobile

Why a Mobile-friendly site is Essential for B2B
When visiting a mobile-friendly site:
● 74% of people say they're more likely to return to that site in the future
● 67% say that they're more likely to buy products or services on that site
NOTE: 65% of B2B companies have a mobile website or app

What if the site is Not Mobile-friendly?
● 61% of users said that if they didn't find what they were looking for right away
on a mobile site, they'd quickly move on to another site
● 50% of people said that even if they like a business, they will use them less
often if the website isn't mobile-friendly
● 48% of users say they feel frustrated and annoyed when they get to a site
that's not mobile-friendly,
● 48% said that if a site didn't work well on their smartphones, it made them feel
like the company didn't care about their business

It’s not just users who frown on a sub-optimal mobile experience...
...search engines don’t like it either
1 - Inadequate mobile can lead to a major drop in search results (avg: 27 slots)
2 - Sessions decrease 33%
3 - Bounce rate increases 37%

How to improve B2B Mobile Experience
● Mobile optimized design
● Mobile faceted search
● Streamlined purchase path
● Personalization
● Self-Service
● Omnichannel

Blake Envelopes

Exemplar: Uline

Exemplar: ADI

Exemplar: Grainger

ScrewFix

One Promo Portal.
Learn More:
PopupDoomsday.com

Don’t forget your free templates!
Use the links shared on the chat window to
download now!
Social Media Plan Template Google Analytics Social Dashboard

To learn more about AddShoppers, join
an upcoming live demo:
addshoppers.com/live-demo
Additional Questions? Follow Up?
peter@addshoppers.com
@TheBigCatSays
gene@plumtreegroup.net
@TheBigCatSays
maria@plumtreegroup.net
@TheBigCatSays
To learn more about CommerceBlend,
visit their website:
commerceblend.com
To learn more about Plum Tree Group,
visit their website:
plumtreegroup.net