Do Facebook pages work for B2B businesses?

The short answer is “yes”.

However, be aware that usually B2B businesses are seen as less glamorous that B2C businesses. For example people might want to “like” a page by their favourite brand, such as Jimmy Choo because they love the shoes, however would they “like” their business accountants page? Unlikely.

Remember at the end of the day we are all consumers, yes, sometimes we are buying for the business we work in, but ultimately we are buying as a person. When we “like” a page on Facebook we are liking that page as a person.

If for example I always order the company printer ink from company X, but find that they are a nightmare to deal with on the phone, I am unlikely to “like” their Facebook page just because they ask. We make personal decisions on Facebook.

If you are a B2B business, the reason that they buy from you is because they have a relationship with you and/or they like you. If they don’t like you it is unlikely that you will get the sale (unless there is no one else to buy from). I know when I am making a business decision, it often comes down to company X are easier to deal with as they understand my needs more, and I like that.

For a B2B business on Facebook think about the whole “what’s in it for me?”, ie. why should they like your page? I like pages for my favourite brands because I want to see what they are doing, I want to feel like I am involved in the brand and I want to be the first to find out information. The same doesn’t necessarily apply to a business page, so think about:

• What can I offer customers that will help them in their job?
• What information do customers often ask me for?
• Is there a niche area of expertise that I can fill?
• How can I add value to my client’s day?

Don’t bore them to tears going on and on about the business. Think about your industry – have the standards changed and does that affect them? Are the products you sell used to create other items that you can educate them on?

Make it interesting, make it good quality content, and above all, work on building the relationships. It’s not all about you!

Lara Solomon is the founder of Mocks, mobile phone socks www.MyMocks.com, founder of Social Rabbit – your guide in the world of social media www.Facebook.com/SocialRabbit and author of ‘Brand New Day – the Highs & Lows of Starting a Small Business’. Lara’s business LaRoo was the winner of the NSW Telstra Micro-Business Award in 2008.