Much of the marketing on social media today is focused on B2C interaction. A question that we often are asked by our clients is, "How relevant is social media in today's scientific market?" The answer is, "Very."

Social media marketing can be as powerful for the life science, biomedical and industrial markets when it comes to capturing B2B contacts as it is for many B2C brands. You sell highly technical products and services that provide real benefits to consumers, which means a strong social campaign can increase awareness and consumer desire. Before now, you may have dismissed social media as a passing fad or the realm of B2C marketers promoting retail to teenagers and 20-somethings. If that is the case, you have bought into some of the myths that surround social media.

Myth 1) Social media is a fad.

Social media has been around for a decade and isn't going away anytime soon. In fact, according to Pew Research’s Social Networking Fact Sheet social media usage by adult internet users has grown from 8 percent in 2005 to 73 percent in 2013.

Myth 2) Social media is for B2C marketing only.

B2B customers are people too – people that are very likely to be on social networks. Many B2B businesses have realized this in recent years and have included social media in their marketing mix. Content Marketing Institute reports that more than 90 percent of B2B marketers publish content on LinkedIn. Twitter is a close second at 85 percent.

Myth 3) Social media is for teenagers.

It's taken a while, but adults of all ages are now joining social networks at increasing rates. According to a 2013 Fast Company article, Twitter's fastest growing age demographic is 55-64, which has increased over 79 percent since 2012. For Facebook and Google+, the 45-54 age group has experienced the most growth, increasing by 46 and 56 percent since 2012. Additionally, 2 professionals join LinkedIn every second.

Social media is a marketing tool for the business savvy.

There is a wealth of opportunities for you to reach your target audience through social media. So why not take advantage of it? And unlike other mediums, most social networks have built-in metrics so you can monitor consumer interactions and find out what communications are most effective for your audience.

Before you launch your first social media campaign, make sure you have a strategy laid out and know which metrics actually indicate success. While most social media platforms are free, social media marketing requires a lot of thought, time, creativity, consistency, education and analysis in order to achieve your desired results.

Is your company active on social media? Have you developed and implemented a social media marketing plan? Contact Jane Cirigliano today at 800.606.1610, and we'll get you started.