LinkedIn, Social Media ROI, social media trends

B2B Social Media Strategy Developments in 2013

Many B2B brands are still playing catch up to consumer brands with the sophisticated use of social media. Traditionally B2B brands believed that if they were not selling a service directly to consumers social media had little worth. However, it only took a few progressive thinking companies to quickly prove that this was not the case. This initial reluctance of many B2B brands to embrace social media has up to now resulted in the vast majority of B2B brands having an undeveloped social media strategy. However, at agency: 2 we foresee that 2013 will see a rise in the number of B2B companies focusing on enhancing their social media presence.

We believe that social media can provide as much, if not more, benefit to B2B companies. Many B2B companies are already effectively using social media for recruitment purposes and exploiting the benefits of LinkedIn. However, social media has far more potential to reach into all areas of B2B. Social media is all about building relationships and connecting people, a process that is just as important in B2B companies as consumer brands. After all, it is still the people that are the heart of any business and individuals that drive decisions.

Social Media is also a valuable tool for companies wishing to gather and share data. This data could be key market trends, or having a clear insight into what their competitors are doing.  Furthermore, for global B2B companies social media can provide the perfect tool for collaboration across different departments, or markets.

Social media enables companies to establish themselves as clear experts in their fields. Through Twitter, blogs and specialist forums B2B companies can attract new business by ensuring that what differentiates their company from competitors is made clear. In 2013 we will see B2B companies begin to harness the power of social media and at agency: 2 we are excited to be involved in helping B2B brands continually push the boundaries of social media.

Facebook and Mobile Usage 2013 Predictions

Mark Zuckerberg recently proclaimed at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference that he believed that Facebook’s future lay with mobile devices: “We think we’ll make a lot more money than on desktop”. With click-through rates already 14 times higher on mobile devices this news is hardly unexpected. Zuckerberg admitted past mistakes Facebook had made with mobile apps for multiple devices; yet asserted that his company had learned from these mistakes and Facebook is “now a mobile company.”

With more than half of Facebook users already using mobile devices to access their accounts (including Facebook’s CEO himself), this is a key area for development. It is critical for Facebook to get mobile technology right if they want to secure their success and the loyalty of their investors.

So what should we expect for Facebook in 2013? There have been a number of rumours circulating that Facebook is looking to create its own mobile devices, however Zuckerberg has firmly denied this rumour.  We believe that mobile advertising will become increasingly better targeted towards individual users, as Facebook collects more information about users through engagement.  What is clear is that Facebook will continue to push new features for brands to drive revenue through mobile ads and that we will see an increase in commercial activity. With Zuckerberg claiming that Facebook is “just getting started” at agency:2 we are eagerly monitoring and responding to each new development.