How & Why Social Media is Used in B2B Marketing : A qualitative study seen from marketing managers’ perspective

Abstract: The digital landscape is rapidly changing and provides business-to-business companies with new digital tools and channels to conduct their marketing work e.g. social media networks. Business-to-consumer firms have been previously research in the topic of social media and digital marketing. However, there is a lack of research in the business-to-business area (Elsevier, 2016). This bachelor thesis aim to contribute to the field of marketing when it comes to social media and digital marketing activities in business-to-business companies. This through examine and describe how marketing practitioners e.g. marketing managers; experience and think about social media adoption and usage for digital marketing purposes. Two research questions are presented in the report; (i) how is social media adopted and used in digital marketing within international business-to-business companies, and for what purpose, according to marketing managers? and (ii) how can social media adoption and usage be improved for marketing purposes in international business-to-business companies, according to marketing managers? To answer the RQs the paper took a qualitative approach through conducting semi-structured interviews with eight Swedish business professionals whom work with social media for marketing purposes. The research concluded that social media is adopted either due to the assumption that B2B firms simply should, or the reckon of its low cost of usage, viral reach, ease of usage and accessibility. The usage itself were conduct marketing activities e.g. market business offerings; but also, to promote the business itself and its accomplishments. Regarding improvements, marketers’ states that digital marketing through social media needs to be further integrated in the overall business and marketing strategy. They also suggest management to provide training and/or education for the employees to increase the efficiency of the usage.