Is Social Commerce Good for B2B Brands?

Social commerce is big news, and something some B2B brands may consider the next ‘big thing’ in peer to peer selling. But, with so much at stake, is pure social commerce a savvy investment? Experts predict social media will play an ever-growing role in customer engagement. They are convinced it will continue to help brands build stronger relationships and make them more discoverable in the first place. However, they don’t advise the switch to pure social selling models.

Why? Comgem, the UK’s leading developer of B2B ecommerce solutions, says B2B brands should instead utilise social media to increase discovery and grow subscriptions to their own platforms. It says, over-reliance on platforms businesses can’t control could be dangerous in the long-run. It points to shifts in buyer preferences, the potential for larger social sites to be broken up, financial risks and the ever-looming threat of regulation.

Why B2B brands need to be ‘social’

Dani Attard, Comgem’s Commercial Director, said: “Let’s be clear, all B2B brands should have a social media presence. It is without a doubt one of the best ways to instill trust in your brand, reach more people and raise brand awareness. Social media posts drive traffic to websites and are the perfect vehicle for building relationships with audiences.

“With the prediction that 70 per cent of retail sales will come through mobile by 2021 is a very telling signal. B2B brands are better off investing in mobile commerce and growing website subscriptions than switching to pure social selling. The figures are not there to support B2B sales solely via social media.

Dani adds: “The B2B market is a different beast to B2C. Customers want more detailed information about products - more than a single image and a limited number of words - and they are very unlikely to place large orders via a social media platform on a whim. Buyers routinely research products, often using mobile devices, but when it comes to doing business they expect B2B brands to have their own platforms.”

B2B brands and pure social commerce

Pure social commerce can work for low-cost, single sale items, including beauty products and fast fashion. It does not offer the level of customer support, or features, required by B2B brands. Comgem makes it easy for B2B ecommerce enterprises to tap into social media with integrations available on its Gemsuite platform. It is also a leader in B2B mobile commerce and has pioneered cross-channel selling for wholesalers, distributors and re-sellers.

Dani said: “B2B brands with their own user-friendly platforms can grow their reach through dynamic online communities. They can build subscriptions and re-target audiences with personalised marketing and more in-depth content, including valuable user generated content. What will keep customers coming back is great buying experiences through flawless customer journeys.”

If you want to grow your audience on social media platforms, discover how Gemsuite makes it easy.