Planning an Online B2B Community
The social Web is expanding into the workplace. According to a recent Forrester Research study of business buyers, 91% use social technologies and 69% use them for professional purposes. In that context, more companies are discovering the potential of branded online communities aimed at the B2B market.
That trend is less visible than the growth of other types of social networks because B2B communities are often aimed at highly specialized populations and may even be closed to outsiders. However, a growing number of enterprises regard their B2B communities as a secret weapon that gives them a powerful competitive advantage.
What's an Online Community?
Simply put, an online community is a website where users can publish content and form relationships with one another. For B2B users, an online community can be a networking opportunity, a chance to collaborate, a place to gather and share knowledge.
A company that launches a B2B community is opening a direct line for engaging in an ongoing conversation with those users, which can lead to enormous business benefits.
Special Requirements of B2B Communities
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Comments
Nancy, this is great advice for B2B marketers looking to start a community (i.e. forum, Ning network, etc.).
I think the biggest challenge for B2B marketers is "activity level." Communities ebb & flow and there won't always be constant activity... It doesn't mean that the community is a failure. As part of the activity level, B2B marketers also need to watch their level of engagement. Too little and too much both can have negative have side effects!
I'd like to recommend Nancy's & Anna's book "Online Communities Handbook: Building Your Business and Brand on the Web." It's an easy read and chock full of tips!
Beth Harte
Community Manager, MarketingProfs
Retweeting using the button gives an error saying that the url points to the wrong story
As a B2B marketer I appreciate that you deliver on your headline. But do you know of any more examples of B2B customer communities? You quote an agency whose clients are almost all B2C (Overstock.com, Turtlewax) rather than B2B (as in your Amex Travel example).
User groups have performed this function for decades. It would be a logical first step for many B2B companies to nurture the formation of a UG -- and supplement F2F conferences with the online equivalent.
The question, then, is whether the company needs to retain control over that community. Many UGs gain independence and become more valuable (to customers) in the process.
Those interested in the subject of B2B communities should be sure to check out our conference on the use of social media in B2B high tech marketing, called SocialTech 2010. The program will certainly cover the subject. Check out the conference website at http://www.socialtech2010.com and visit regularly for program updates.
how did you solved your retweet error "url points to the wrong story"