"We don't need marketing because we have long-term loyal customers."
"We don't need marketing because we get work through tenders."
"We don't need marketing, customers find us themselves."
These are some of the most common answers when talking to B2B company executives about marketing.
In a sense, they are right: a construction company building viaducts does indeed mainly fulfil orders that come through tenders and does not need to look for new jobs through advertising. However, marketing has other objectives besides sales support, such as shaping a company's image and employer branding. This article explores the importance of employer branding for B2B companies and the significance of social media in recruiting young talents.
This is an excerpt from Hando Sinisalu's upcoming book.
Kipp Bodnar, marketing manager of the well-known US marketing automation company Hubspot, claims, based on a survey he ran, that 80% of top managers do not believe that marketing activities have a direct impact on sales.
But marketing also has other goals besides sales support, for example:
■ shaping the image of the company for the public, investors, legislators, etc.
■ employer branding: the viaduct builder also needs to recruit talents who do not want to work for an unknown company
Therefore, employer branding, which is the main marketing activity in many B2B companies, is becoming more and more important. The company's image becomes important on channels such as Facebook or Instagram, especially for the younger generation who spend a lot of time on social media.
It is true that the infrastructure customer does not make his decision based on your company's Instagram account. On the other hand, a young engineer or office manager may apply for a job in your company precisely because the company leaves a good impression on social media.
A study by Boston-based research firm Aberdeen Group revealed that 73% of job seekers aged 18-34 found their last job through social media.
In a global survey commissioned by the online recruitment platform Glassdoor, it is observed that 77% of young people (so-called millennials) consider company culture important when applying for a job, and 66% of British and 65% of American young people consider work culture more important than salary.
The conclusion is simple: to recruit young talents, your company's reputation and presence on social media are necessary. With the majority of job seekers aged 18-34 finding their last job through social media, it is evident that a company's reputation and culture play a significant role in recruitment.