I am a small B2B and I use FB, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Although it is time consuming, I have found different segments of my target market to be on all three channels.

I like Facebook because of the interaction factor.  Although I can do status updates in LinkedIn, you get a different level of interaction in Facebook.  People tend to be a bit more at ease when they are in Facebook and they seem to lower their walls.  

So I use all three – but I tweak my messages to meet the needs of my followers on each of the different platforms.  It is more work but I think it pays off in the end – at least for me.

Good question, @joanmuschampfagnani:

When I’m counseling businesses as to which platforms they should be using, one of my first questions is about PEOPLE. Who is your target audience, and where do they hang out in the social space? Many times the small business owner don’t really know, so there has to be a listening/research phase to determine that (and also where their competitors are in the space). But knowing your audience should always come first.

Another key question is, what are your OBJECTIVES for using social media? Are you looking to build awareness, use it as a customer service tool, make more sales? Before jumping on the bandwagon–have your objectives clearly laid out–then plan your STRATEGY, and which TACTICS should be used to implement that strategy–in that order: P.O.S.T. (something Mari Smith taught me a couple of years ago).

If you’re a B2B company that caters mainly to C-Level male executives, and your objective is thought leadership and reaching out to individuals, then perhaps the effort and expense required to build and maintain a FB page may not be in your best interest. LinkedIn–yes–and definitely a company page there as well, which you might also incorporate with a YouTube channel.

So my advice would be to develop a cohesive, integrated plan first, based on your audience preferences. Then choose platforms carefully–considering the time and cost requirements of each.

We are also a small b2b company and we find that we get a ton of interaction on our Facebook page. I think that Facebook is a great way to show the personality of your company to potential clients.

I always compare it to a mom and pop shop. You are more likely to purchase something from a mom and pop shop where you know the owner and have a relationship with them, than from a nameless faceless box store or organization that you don’t know or trust. Facebook allows us to “know” each other and creates that relationship, in my opinion, much better than any other social media platform.

However, I definitely agree with @aprylparcher on the P.O.S.T strategy. That Mari is one smart lady!!  

Hm..if you have no clue what your ROI would be then…perhaps the entire time spend on the social networks can be spend somewhere else…. and if you really say that Facebook is to big to be ignored, than maybe a nice informative Facebook Page is enough…and of course, answer every time someone post a question or something on your wall. 

What a really great question Joan @joanmuschampfagnani.

As a small business we use our Facebook page to simply build relationships with B2B potential business partners as we have found that it is one way of “getting to know you” more. People buy people they like, know and trust as we all have heard so many times but that is why we maintain our Facebook page.

However, we do need to improve our interactions and to date we have found that images and videos are by far the best way to start/maintain a conversation with B2B folks.

Facebook is just too big to ignore and I agree with the point made by   @aprylparcher re getting your objectives for social media absolutely clear in your mind.

My premise is that social media networking is just like playing a game of Monopoly the more places you are the more people see you and get to know who you are and become comfortable – it’s the old know, like, trust.  Facebook Page is an important place because you can add examples of your work videos, etc. and as long as you like your own page what ever you post there will be on you profile page also.

I use Twitter to push out info and research.

I use LinkedIn as my Social Media Home and my profile is an important place for people to go to decide about my business.