Social is Intriguing, However Search is Proven

It’s tough to know anything for certain nowadays; there are so many sources of the “truth.”  Questions abound about the value of social media and how much to invest time and resources.   You would think that having a “sure thing” would be a welcome relief.   So here it is….

Recent research by Base One, 2011 Annual Survey of B2B Buyer Behavior, as well as others, continues to show that although social media adoption and usage will continue to grow, no absolute conclusions can be made as to its effectiveness in B2B marketing efforts.

The real insight in the report is the growth in importance/usefulness of what they referred to as "Traditional online" in the buying process.  Search and Corporate (Supplier) Websites “Traditional online,” will grow 2-3X in comparison with "New online/social media."  And that growth is seen at each stage of the buying process.

"The nearer the buyer gets to signing on the dotted line, the more influential the information sources become."

The conclusion, social media warrants experimentation.  And I suspect to understand it’s true value companies will have to discover their own “killer application” just like they’ve done with other new technologies.  

However, with limited time and money, business marketers need to cover off the basics, and that is “traditional online.”  Don’t let social media distract the focus from getting your corporate website, and search, both organic (SEO) and paid (PPC), optimized.  Social may pay off in the future, but Search is a sure bet today.