B2B: with Regards to Social Media

B2B Marketing: With Regards to Social Media

* Introduction

Business-to-business (B2B) describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer.

B2B (business-to-business), also known as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services, or information between businesses rather than between businesses and consumers.

B2B sales often take the form of one company selling supplies or components to another. For example, a tire manufacturer might sell to a car manufacturer. Wholesalers often sell their products to retailers, who then turn around and sell them to consumers. Supermarkets are a classic example: they buy food from wholesalers and then sell it at a slightly higher price to individuals.

Business-to-business sales can also include services. Attorneys who take cases for business clients, accountant firms that help companies do their taxes, and technical consultants who set up networks and email are all examples of B2B service providers.

Social media is a term used to describe a variety of Web-based platforms, applications and technologies that enable people to socially interact with one another online. It itself is a catch-all term for sites that may provide radically different social actions. For instance, Twitter is a social site designed to let people share short messages or “updates” with others. Facebook, in contrast is a full-blown social networking site that allows for sharing updates, photos, joining events and a variety of other activities.

Why would a search marketer - or a site about search engines - care about social media? The two are very closely related. Social media often feeds into the discovery of new content such as news stories, and “discovery” is a search activity. Social media can also help build links that in turn support into SEO efforts. Many people also perform searches at social media sites to find social media content. Some examples of social...