Social media as a support tool for B2B communication
Thapa Magar, Chandani (2016)
Thapa Magar, Chandani
Oulun ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016060411897
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016060411897
Tiivistelmä
This research was commissioned by Oulu University of Applied Sciences and a Finnish tech company Uros Ltd. As social media adoption is growing steadily in the contemporary consumer marketing, not many cases can be found where Social Media has been successfully adopted and used in a B2B scenario. Thus, it has remained as a reserved matter for many B2B companies, which still follow the tried-and-true business principles polished through traditional marketing. This research paper aims to enhance the understanding of social media and its implications as a whole. It also aims to explore its importance, limitations and potential as a communication tool for B2B companies in general. And eventually it aims to use the outcome to determine how it works for Uros Ltd. as a B2B company.
A qualitative research was conducted by a literature review to build an under-standing of the current statistics of social media in B2B, which was used to illustrate its potentials and limitations. And an online survey was conducted with a selected segment from the interest group of the client company.
The combination of the critical qualitative research of generalised usage and empirical study of the target group will give a solid direction on which Uros Ltd. needs to focus as a B2B organization. The research revealed that social media definitely works as a support tool in B2B communication, breaking the common misconception that social media is just a consumer thing. Even though there are not many instances to show companies successfully implementing social media strategies to enhance B2B relations, it was seen that the practice is slowly growing. B2B companies can benefit from social media equally like their consumer counterparts from gaining recognition and improving loyalty to developing opportunities to convert, if the companies can set a clear goal and develop proper tactics to achieve it. Qualities like a small and focused market and higher cost sales and longevity in the B2B relations make social media more meaningful and applicable for B2B.
A qualitative research was conducted by a literature review to build an under-standing of the current statistics of social media in B2B, which was used to illustrate its potentials and limitations. And an online survey was conducted with a selected segment from the interest group of the client company.
The combination of the critical qualitative research of generalised usage and empirical study of the target group will give a solid direction on which Uros Ltd. needs to focus as a B2B organization. The research revealed that social media definitely works as a support tool in B2B communication, breaking the common misconception that social media is just a consumer thing. Even though there are not many instances to show companies successfully implementing social media strategies to enhance B2B relations, it was seen that the practice is slowly growing. B2B companies can benefit from social media equally like their consumer counterparts from gaining recognition and improving loyalty to developing opportunities to convert, if the companies can set a clear goal and develop proper tactics to achieve it. Qualities like a small and focused market and higher cost sales and longevity in the B2B relations make social media more meaningful and applicable for B2B.