Some brands wonder in which manner the can apply social media & communications to their business-to-business marketing strategy and operations. Businesses start to realize that they need more than the latest CRM software update to be effective in their relationships. Luckely social business-to-business marketing works essentially the same as social business-to-consumer marketing. The only differences between B2C and B2B are represented specifically by the influencers, communities, conversations, questions, interactions and their place within the buy and value cycles.

To get a deeper view at B2B social media marketing in 2010, eMarketer graphed the results…

Conveying thought leadership is a clear and promising chance for social brands. 60% of polled B2B marketers reported that thought leadership was at the top of the list for reasons they would engage in social networks. Generating leads and customer feedback served as the second and third top motivators for participation with 49% and 46%.

We can conclude that the dynamics of doing business and the role of influence share similar attributes that significantly benefit from socialized media and participation. So start being a social brand with thought leadership today.