Social media marketing consultants are influential in B2B purchasing decisions and should be targeted directly. To do so, first understand their motivations such as the need to self-promote, be validated, and recognized as credible and influential experts. Consultants discuss social media marketing on platforms like LinkedIn, validating each other's expertise and self-promoting new strategies. Targeting consultants with evidence-based arguments through ads and discussions could influence more business for B2B companies.

1. Social Media AnalyticsMarketing Strategies and Tactics Tony Dong Yung Yu

2. Issue with B2B and Social Media Everyone is on facebook/twitter/linkedin, should you be? The 1st question is, who are your customers, their influencers and how do they make purchasing decisions. You shouldn’t even be fixated on any social media campaign at this point.

3. The Fact is…. Yes everyone is on facebook/twitter/linkedin for different reasons, reasons that fits their industry and their brands

4. B2B Selling B2B means you just have to work harder at understanding your customers.

5. Social Media No, linkedin is not the ONLY answer

6. Social Media Key is to find out the process of how your customer makes purchasing decision on social media based products and services

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8. But really… Your target customers may be hard to reach and to target effectively Googling and Social Media Marketing consultants are really the same. Because, online conversations about social media marketing are mostly among social media marketing consultants

9. Essentially… Social Media Marketing consultants are the Influencers, MarketMavens, SurrogateConsumersand OpinionLeaders Hence, it may be worthwhile to target the social media marketing consultants instead…..

10. But how? First: Understand their motivations and needs

11. Netnography “We were able to run some pretty targeted run Facebook Page adds to build the fan base on our Team Cbus page leading up to Chevy's SXSW Road Trip and the results were great…. For less than $300 we nearly doubled our numbers …” - NR, Social Business Consultant. 11 Performance Competence credibility Mentioning of campaign credibility Bold statement about performance Self-promotion

12. Netnography Self Validation  Experience  expert insight  towin “You rock -- this post nails it!…just testing it out and taking FB Ads for a test drive. This was before Facebook Success Summit 2010 ….I loved the targeting ability -- Awesome! I also LOVEDthe ability to adjust the ad as it ran Like it's so good, people don't believe it when you tell 'em. Facebook Ads are really under-used by small business, Main Street, and non-profits here in my area”- KJ, Small Business & Nonprofit consultant Self Validation  Innovator  expert in newest and latest  recognition Passion  lives and breaths SMM  credibility Specialization  area of expertise  self-promotion 12

13. Netnography Been around for long time Experience  confidence credibility “…I'm sure most marketers believe that they're offering real quality via these channels …. But if we cut down on the number of approaches, are we statistically increasing our chance of success (and of others) ? So does this bring things back around full circle to the cold call or person2person networking ? ”- JB, Social Media, Marketing Strategy Desire for facts Evidence based arguments rigour in argument Big picture clear thinking differentiate influential 13

14. Needs To win To self-promote To be validated To be credible To be recognized To be influential 14

15. You are now armed and dangerous, the rest is up to you