Social media marketing is a tough cookie that requires in-depth knowledge of the medium, including best practices, to achieve maximum results. And, when it comes to business-to-business marketing, things become far more complex.

First and foremost, businesses understand that B2B marketing on consumer-oriented social websites provides for limited ROI since a small portion of one’s audience actually converts. Yes, social connections may enjoy conversations, though such doesn’t lead to signed contracts. This is a major reason why B2B companies stray away from social media marketing as they feel it will not produce a return on their investment. However, if done right, this theory is totally incorrect.

To squeeze the most out of B2B social media campaigns, companies must focus on Twitter and Facebook, but more importantly LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has been, and will always be, a website for professional networking, which is why it’s an ideal medium for B2B social media marketing. LinkedIn users (90+ million) are professionals ranging from interns at small firms to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, so they’re not your average social network users. This is key.

Moral of the story: Connecting with decision makers on LinkedIn is truly the epitome of B2B social media marketing and simply cannot be ignored. Failure to engage will result in a plethora of missed opportunities and a future of archaic marketing behavior.

Aaron Schoenberger
@TheSchoenberger
The Brainchild Group

Aaron Schoenberger is Founder of The Brainchild Group — a world-renowned Internet marketing agency that specializes in Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). He’s known for his work with celebrities, top restaurants, automotive manufacturers, professional athletes, educational institutions, luxury brands and Fortune 500 companies.