Member Login | About Us | Become a Member | Contact Us

N E X T

Top

How B2Bs Can Create a Thriving Facebook Community [Slide Show]

by Christian Gulliksen |

August 16, 2012

| 17,716 views

Take the first step (it's free).

Sign in with your preferred account, below.

Slide 1 of

B2C brands have Facebook figured out. But B2B brands? Not so much. Yet, it doesn't have to be that way.

BrandGlue helped Eloqua—a provider of marketing automation and demand gen solutions—grow its community by 2,500%. And you can use lessons from their experience to help your B2B find its Facebook audience.

Start by stopping what doesn't work

You might be scaring prospects off—or annoying them—with uncool behavior that requires an immediate cease-and-desist order. Do you log in at erratic intervals? Perhaps you bombard fans with a repetitive message? Or you ignore referral traffic? That all needs to stop.

Attract and engage new fans

How do you build a community almost from scratch? Everyone likes to win something—and a sweepstakes is a great way to attract and engage new fans. Don't go overboard with communication, though, or you'll irritate your fan base.

Work over the weekend

Facebook often blurs the line between work and personal life: Prospects might not check their work email over the weekend, but there's a good chance they'll visit Facebook.

And if you're not there, you're missing an excellent engagement opportunity.

Show, don't just tell

Text-only updates are no way to engage your fans. Eloqua's engagement rates increased as the media it used got richer—from links to photos to videos.

Slide 1 of 5

Christian Gulliksen is a writer who has authored several of the Get to the Po!nt newsletters for MarketingProfs. A former editor at Robb Report, he has also contributed to Worth, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter.

B2B Marketing, Facebook, Lead Generation, Sales

Subscribe Today

IT'S FREE! Become a member to get the tools and knowledge you need to market smarter.

we respect your privacy.

Stay connected!

Don't miss a bit of MarketingProfs ... join the 600,000 marketers following us.

Editors' PRO Picks

Seminar: Create Meaningful Experiences for Your Brand

Brian Solis shares why great products, creative marketing, and delightful customer service are no longer enough to win customers. more
Take 10: How to Leverage Your Online Community

Presented by: Paul Chaney
In just 10 minutes, we'll share six practical tips that will help you tap into your online community to grow your business and benefit your customers. more
How-To Guide: Build Your Content Marketing Dream Team

In this 22-page guide, you'll learn how to identify the key hires to get your team started, what traits and skills to look for in your key hires, how to manage freelancers, and much more! more
SmartTools: Email Campaign Planner

Through eight simple to follow, well-defined steps, SmartTools: Email Campaign Planner will help you establish an effective email marketing program to gather and convert leads. more
How-To-Guide: The Perfect Pitch: Hit a Home Run With Every Headline, Subject Line, and Call to Action

Learn how to write headlines that will inspire your audience to read and want more. more
Seminar: SEO—How Customer Experience Impacts Search

Learn the most important elements of, and key changes in, customer search behavior. We'll also cover how to drive conversations through SEO, content, and social media. more
Take 10: Three Steps for Using Influencer Video to Increase Your Bottom Line

Presented by: Mark Lerner
In just 10 minutes, you'll learn three simple steps to source quality influencer video and use it to impact your bottom line in a meaningful and measurable way. more

MarketingProfs uses single
sign-on with Facebook, Twitter, Google and others to make subscribing and signing in easier for you. That's it, and nothing more! Rest assured that MarketingProfs: