China leads the world in the number of internet users. In the light of the country’s rising internet wave, digital engagement is becoming an integral part of all organizations’ consumer engagement model. On April 28 the Shanghai Business Forum held an evening titled “Transform your business into the Digital Age”. More than 50 professionals from various industry backgrounds attended the event. Globeone Shanghai’s Managing Director, Tatjana Martens-Pearce presented a talk on the importance of leveraging social media for B2B.

Importance of Social Media for B2B

The presentation focused on the strategic use of social media in alignment with organizational objectives. The importance of catching the consumer early in the customer journey, before purchasing decisions are made, cannot be underestimated. Social media enables brands to create touch points earlier in the decision-making process, Martens-Pearce said, and thus having insight into where customers look for information and what factors drives their purchasing decisions, are important.

It is crucial to know your consumer audience and to offer social media content relevant to their needs and preferences. Knowing your objectives and your target audience is crucial, Martens-Pearce added, as it will determine a brand’s content and the social media channels chosen. Objectives could be higher sales, increased brand awareness, or customer engagement levels. The Globeone MD also shared practical case studies of successful social media engagement by multinational companies in China.

Following her presentation Martens-Pearce took part in a panel discussion of industry professionals on key industry challenges and opportunities. It was clear from the discussion that digital is a practice area in the Chinese market where expertise is in growing demand. It is certainly a potential area of expansion for Globeone.