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5 B2B Facebook Pages Worth Copying

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Categories: B2B, Facebook, Facebook Page

Facebook pages for consumer brands are sexy, they have millions of followers and  they attract all the attention. The reality is that a lot of people do not want Lady Gaga to build them a website or provide professional services or paint their house, she is there for the show. 5 B2B Facebook Pages Worth Copying

Facebook for B2B brands are seen as boring, drab and conservative and not worth asking out for a date. The use of Facebook  for  business that are not B2C requires a different approach and one that is more about educating and solving your customers challenges.

The focus should be about providing great content rather than fluff , light entertainment and a giggle.

Facebook for B2B is more about the thinking persons Facebook that provides resources and information that is easily searched and shared within the Facebook ecosystem.

Why Should a B2B Company have a Facebook Page?

So why should you even think about using Facebook for your company if you are selling to non consumer based companies?

Here are some reasons why

  1. Business leaders and CEO’s ‘are’ on Facebook
  2. It improves your companies chances of being found by search  engines
  3. It provides an environment that can spread your ideas to people who ‘like’ your company Facebook page by just posting an update such as news, photos, videos and your latest blog post to your Facebook page
  4. It collects and captures feedback about your products and services
  5. Provides another communication channel ( 2 or more is always better than one)

The other evolution that is happening within Facebook is the fast rise of all types of Facebook ‘Apps’ that can be used for your facebook page that can provide a highly interactive and richer multimedia and content experience for your Facebook fans.

So who are the companies that are doing some things right on Facebook that serve a B2B market?

5 Great B2B Facebook Pages

You will find these Facebook pages do not have millions of fans but you may be inspired and collect some ideas that your business can implement.

1. Dell

Dell sells its personal computers and other technology products and services to both the consumer and business market and this B2B Facebook page for business “Dell for Business” is different in design and function to its consumer facing Facebook pages.

The major point to note here is that Dell aims to be relevant for its target market by providing a resource and guides on how to use social media, which is currently very topical. You will not find the hundreds of thousands of fans that you will find on its B2C page but what is important is that the content provided here serves its target market by solving problems and providing valuable resources.

Dell for Business Facebook Page

4. Hubspot

Hubspot provides an inbound marketing software solution to provide more leads online for other businesses. Its Facebook page has nearly 30,000 fans which receive updates every time they post to their Facebook page.

The key element that I would like to highlight here is their landing pages focus on acquiring more Facebook ‘likes’. This also very vital for B2B businesses to maximize spreading their ideas and brand.

Once you have ‘liked’ the page there is a call to action form that provides access for you to download unique valuable content. Other B2B resources are available including a SlideShare tab.

Hubspot Facebook page

3. IdeaPaint

IdeaPaint provides a paint that turns any smooth surface into a high performance dry-erase canvas.

Now you maybe wouldn’t call this an exciting product but it hasn’t stopped them from acquiring nearly 9,000 fans. One thing you need to keep in mind with your product or service is to use media that is appropriate for your product.

For Ideapaint images are a great way to promote and showcase the products benefits and the perfect platform for that is the social media photos and image site ‘Flickr‘. The Facebook page they have built includes a tab for Flickr which is shown below.

Idea paint Facebook Page

4. Cisco

Cisco sells networking equipment that drives and connects the web for companies large and small. Highlighted below is their Facebook YouTube channel which informs and educates. Also included on the Cisco Facebook page are Twitter feeds, and a Blog tab.

Cisco B2B Facebook Page

5. Sodexo

Sodexo provides a range of service solution for businesses. The feature that I would like to highlight here is that they have provided on their Facebook page a news tab that keeps their customers informed of what is happening in the industry. This news though it can be found on their website and blog  is also embedded in their Facebook site rather than just hoping you will find it on the website. It is important to place your content on as many web properties as possible.

Sodexo Facebook Page

So treat Facebook as an extension of your website and blog. Multichannel marketing that places your content onto as many social network and online properties as time, tools and resources allow, increases your brands visibility on the Web.

How are you using your Facebook page for your business?

Look forward to hearing your stories.

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Image by Thomas Hawk


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  • Anonymous

    Thanks, Jeff. This is an outstanding article… Love the 5 examples you shared. Bottomline – deliver USEFUL information and/or tools to your customers.

  • http://www.thecomplexmedia.com/blog theComplex

    Loveeee the RSSGraffiti tab that Sodexo is using. I’ve begun using it now! 

    Also, I think this post is missing a page title, Jeff.

  • Lucindacallie

    thanks for the great post Jeff – always good to see that B2B doesnt get left out as it is considered a poorer cousin compared to B2C.
    I am sure you know, but Deloitte also do a great job in B2B – not only in Facebook with their ‘Your Future at Deloitte’ page – but in Linkedin as well.
    thanks again! I read your posts every day!
    Lucinda Callie
    @lcallie:twitter 

  • http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

    Thanks Carolyn for your comment and thanks for dropping in :) The reason I wrote it was for that exact reason because of the gap in the information available on everything social media marketing for B2B

  • http://twitter.com/SandlerPghPA PeakPerformance Mgmt

    Great actions items and take aways here. Thanks.

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  • Anonymous

    I really appreciate this article.  Thanks for the great information and references.

  • http://twitter.com/svuylsteke Stefaan Vuylsteke

    Thanx Jeff. I fully support the comment of Chyams.

    Anoher B2B case worthwile to mention and which i like,  is American Express Open.

    See also other cases on the FBPage Facebook Marketing Solutions.
     

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  • http://twitter.com/ltporteriii Larry Porter

    Jeff:  I follow you on twitter and appreciate all that you share.  

    These are great and creative pages, however I wonder how many people want to use Facebook for B2B business and professional use when LinkedIn and Twitter seem to be better vehicles for this purpose.  The persona of the target audience I guess determines the appropriate SM strategy

    I found a lot of duplication between social media  platforms and the B2B companies I followed on FB created a lot of clutter. Somehow I find the convergence between personal and B2B on Facebook does not provide much value.  I wonder if there are others out there that view it this way.

    Please note I am not talking about B2C or non profit and social causes because I believe they work much better than B2B on Facebook

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