“Facebook Groups” and “Fan Pages” continue to be a major topic of conversation.   While many of our clients have a healthy attitude toward the medium, Ruckus has noticed a trend that many Business to Business (B2B) organizations have unrealistic expectations on its overall value when in fact the impact of Facebook on B2B enterprises is minimal at best.

Business to Consumer (B2C) strategies are an entirely different scenario and a strong buy.  Executed properly, the medium is outstanding and offers statistical intangibles unavailable in other media options.

So why the stark difference in opinion?

For our rookie readers, one of Facebook’s more popular components is the creation of a “group”, normally under the banner of a sponsoring corporation, social movement, or fanatical individual.

For businesses, potential or current customers join the group as “fans”, opening up a floodgate of offers, events, and updates on products and services.  It is the ultimate “opt-in” experience.

For B2C companies, this experience can be a gold mine.  Bud Light, one of the largest brands in the United States, has amassed more that 1.9 million “fans.”  Major advertising dollars and a substantial effort into its social media initiatives have resulted in this impressive accomplishment.  In theory, if each of these 1.9 million individuals purchased just a single case of Bud Light in a given year, it represents significant sums of revenue with tangible, correlated returns.

The experience is not limited to Bud Light.  Facebook is littered with examples of B2C companies utilizing the platform to enhance the customer experience.  Bed Bath and Beyond boasts 300,000 active followers engaging the brand, yearning for those over-sized coupons.

For B2C business, Facebook has been proven as a powerful tool to engage current customers and acquire new ones.

Lets shift our focus to B2B businesses across the country, desperately trying to sound hip this Thanksgiving.  The mantra seems to be, “Nothing says modern like a Facebook page, lets jump on it.”

Unfortunately, B2B businesses generally do not sell compelling enough services to a large enough group of people to generate significant Facebook traction.  More importantly, they are selling to other businesses, not consumers – a major point of differentiation.

Other than friends, family and employees, few are going to “like” your Facebook group dedicated towards “Electronic Widgets for Government Enterprises” or “Accounting Software for Warehouses”

In a stark example, International Business Machines (IBM), one of the largest and most recognizable B2B enterprises in the world has a following of merely 7,000 Facebook Fans.  The activity, if you can call it that, on the page is equally numbing.  A single post proclaiming IBM has joined Facebook is followed by 115 employees taking a blood-oath, proclaiming their undying love for I.B.M.   Then, radio silence.  Even IBM’s super nerd, Watson, with millions in advertising behind it, has amassed a meager 27,000 Fans – and it won Jeopardy!

And finally, we have your B2B business, sporting 1/1,000^th of IBM’s marketing budget yet insisting privately that a Facebook presence is essential because, “it’s where media is headed”.

In reality, it is not where your media should be headed.  Your B2B enterprise is better off investing nothing in Facebook groups at all.  Experimenting and investing with a social media guru is a mistake – do not be fooled!

As a matter of fact, you should probably just like “Nothing” and join its 182,000 “fans”.   More than IBM, more than Watson, and more than your B2B group can realistically attain.

 Hence,

 Nothing > B2B Facebook Groups

 Don’t waste your resources.

 Addendum:

But wait!  Isn’t there value in showing the world we are a modern enterprise?  Should we have a group and web icon to just “have one”?

In short, I will concede to this thought, but it stops there.  There is certainly some brand equity to be milked from an association with social media.  I’m all for throwing the icons on the page to mask the fact that your services, while special and compelling to a unique set of businesses, are generally dull and boring to the Facebook users representing the general public.

Its easy to point out problems, and this Blog is about solutions.  Therefore, I have included a simple, 4 Step Social Media Program below for B2B business – gratis.  Patent Pending…..

1. Visit this link to view all relevant social media logos.  http://webdesignledger.com/freebies/the-best-social-media-icons-all-in-one-place
2. Download the appropriate logo set
3. Have your developer squeeze them into the home page.
4. Continue Working Phones, Trade Shows, and PR contacts.  Submit an RFP if you feel good that day.