Marketing
Strategy
Personalised plans driving marketing efficiency, lead generation and ROI.
Find Out MoreThe B2B marketing space is confusing.
Agencies and employees promise that both social media marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO) will deliver great outcomes… but that promise does not always turn into dollars in the bank.
Does SEO or social deliver the best results in the B2B marketing space? Or do you need both? If so, what percentage of your budget should you spend on each?
In this article, we compare the return on investment from social media marketing and SEO for B2B companies and offer some sound decision-making parameters.
Both social media marketing and SEO aim to do the same thing.
Put very simply, both methods aim to put your brand in front of people who might want to do business with you.
But the way the two options actually execute this is different.
In social media marketing, you aim to put interesting content in front of the right people as they scroll their feeds.
With SEO, on the other hand, you aim to come up in the free Google listings when someone types in a term that’s relevant to your business.
Immediately, you can see that user intent is very different between the two.
User A scrolling their LinkedIn feed might be looking for opportunities, new markets or industry news.
They are not necessarily looking for a business like yours, and they are probably not in the market for your services or products. But they might choose to stop scrolling if your content seems interesting.
While user B is actively searching Google for more information about a particular topic. User B is way more likely to be in research mode and way more likely to be actively looking to make a purchase.
They are likely to click a number of search results and compare the different websites they end up on.
So, in B2C (Business to Consumer) marketing, where emotional and impulse buying decisions are common, you can see how social media marketing can be very effective in showing people things they ‘never knew they needed’ and be a strong driver of sales.
However, in the B2B space, where buying decisions are often high-value and based on logic and avoiding risk, a user in active research mode on Google is the one you want on your website.
And I can confirm that over the past 15+ years of B2B marketing, SEO has consistently delivered far better quality enquiries for our clients than social media marketing.
Whatever route you choose, you have to resource it.
And what you produce has to be high-quality.
The online competition in every industry ramps up every minute, and you need to be better than the competition to even get a sniff at the opportunity.
Social media marketing is easier in many ways than SEO and it can often be at least partially resourced from within the business.
You don’t need website coding knowledge or detailed technical knowledge of how Google reads websites.
What you do need, is someone with a natural marketing ability to recognise potential content within the business and turn that content into something that will stop the thumb scroll of a potential customer.
If you have someone in the business with an eye for taking a great photo or video you are well on the way.
In many ways, this is more important than their technical ability to understand LinkedIn algorithms and reports because, without great content, the posts go nowhere, and the data is useless.
Consistency is key. It’s better to post quality content once a week than have a flurry of 5 posts in the first week and then crickets.
If you do give social media marketing to an internal person, you must give them enough time to do a good job. It can take a couple of hours to take good photos, write the content, have the post checked, and finally set it to live.
Outsourcing social media marketing often helps ensure consistency and professional content writing and reporting, but you will still need someone in-house to take photos and support the external team with news and content opportunities from inside the business.
You might also have sales personnel who use their LinkedIn profile to direct message potential opportunities. But be aware that if they leave the business, they take the contacts with them.
The cornerstone of SEO is adding regular content to your website in the form of product and service information pages, case studies and articles.
As you add more useful information, Google ranks you for more search terms, and the volume of traffic coming to your website grows.
SEO is more technically difficult than social media marketing and requires a number of skill sets. These include:
Most businesses don’t have all the skillsets in-house and outsource SEO to reach the quality required in today’s online world.
Regular, informative posting on LinkedIn is great for building awareness and followers and definitely grows awareness and builds trust.
But does it generate business?
In our experience, regular social media posting is a supportive strategy only.
It rarely generates business unless you have active sales team working it… but that comes with a big risk as outlined above.
SEO, on the other hand, generates bucketloads of opportunities for our clients.
Of all the digital marketing activities, regularly posting quality content on an effective website grows your Google footprint, increases ideal traffic and delivers qualified opportunities every day of the week.
It delivers a much better ROI than social media marketing for all our clients.
And you retain ownership of the asset – your own website.
My advice for B2B companies is to put most of your digital marketing budget into a quality website and professional SEO and content marketing.
Save 10-20% for quality newsletters to a database of prospects and clients.
And allocate 5-10% to social media marketing.
I’m Deb Croucher, a former veterinary surgeon with a passion for B2B marketing.
In 2008, I permanently traded my stethoscope for SEO after successfully leveraging Google to power my vet business.
Diagnosis and treatment is still part of my day though!
In Brilliant Digital I identify issues, uncover opportunities and formulate strategies that lead to success and longevity.
You can read more B2B marketing articles here. I love to chat so feel free to, drop me a line!
How we deliver
Personalised plans driving marketing efficiency, lead generation and ROI.
Find Out MoreStrong online presence, crafted user experience for optimal lead conversion.
Find Out MoreForge thought-leadership, drive traffic and build lasting relationships.
Find Out MoreShowcase your expertise and credibility to impress potential clients.
Find Out MorePSA Engineering offers integrated and compliant engineering solutions for industries with a can-do attitude and a belief that there is a solution to every problem. Their new website is a powerful lead-generating tool that resonates with prospective clients while respecting their technical message and expertise.
DEM Fire, Australia’s premier provider of fire and essential services, once struggled with an outdated website that didn’t reflect its innovative solutions for the B2B market. Now, with a modern website and robust digital marketing efforts, they consistently attract high-quality leads.
Romar Engineering, a leader in advanced manufacturing solutions, originally had an overly technical website with difficult navigation and usability. Wanting to enhance their online presence for global visibility, they invested in a new website that delivers increased traffic and qualified leads.
Every Trade was undergoing a rebrand, requiring a website and marketing strategy that truly reflected leadership in the commercial construction industry. With a revitalised online presence and new sales collateral, they are better showcasing their quality work and sustainable values.
Dukes is a leading provider of commercial painting and remedial building repairs and has been transforming spaces since 1958. Their website didn’t accurately reflect brand identity or service capabilities and required its own transformation resulting in increased leads and conversions.
The team at Accounting For Good delivers expert accounting services for Australia’s not-for-profit organisations, allowing them to concentrate on improving the world. Now, with a high-performance website and digital strategy, they’re reaching the right audience and generating qualified leads.
North Advisory saves business owners time and money through streamlined accounting services and clear guidance. Starting as a local, small-town accountant without a website, they have grown into a national player offering an extensive suite of services with a complete digital marketing overhaul.
SED Graders are global leaders in automatic oyster grading technology, cutting oyster production costs and increasing productivity. Initially relying on word-of-mouth advertising, they now have a new website and comprehensive digital marketing strategy driving qualified leads from around the world.
Water Cremation Systems offers a revolutionary aquamation solution for the pet industry. Their new website was specifically designed to educate the market and introduce their groundbreaking alkaline hydrolysis machines to the target market. Google Ads helped to increase visibility and expedite results.
Edcon Steel, once a local metalworking shop in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, struggled with an underperforming website and ineffective SEM spending. Now, as Australia’s top online steel and metal superstore, they’ve transformed their online presence, offering quality solutions nationwide.
Pilot Air, the compressed air experts for over 40 years, faced challenges with an outdated website and unclear marketing. Now, with an optimised website and strategy, they can focus on delivering premier products and services nationwide with a commitment to innovation and excellence.
James Cumming & Sons, a family-owned manufacturer with over 115 years of industry experience, previously lacked an online presence that matched their market-leading solutions. With an optimised website and strategy, they now regularly attract both national and global enquiries.
Gulaga Services is an Aboriginal-owned, premier commercial construction contractor motivated by people and values. With a website update that formed part of an extensive rebrand, their online presence and new sales collateral now reflect their high-quality work and community commitment.
Acme Preston is an established leader in a fiercely competitive market. Their original website and marketing efforts did not yield the desired results. Switching to a custom-branded products niche and updating with a high-performance website has led to consistent traffic and enhanced visibility.
OSA, Australia’s most trusted brand in optical network solutions and CCTV, once had a technically proficient website yet limited website. Now, with a new B2B website showcasing their capability and solutions, they’re gaining valuable leads and have joined the Hexatronic family.
Every one of Brilliant Digital’s long-term clients started their journey with a simple chat.
Whether or not you decide to work with us, our founder, Deb Croucher, personally takes the time to meet with you and understand your company and its needs.
Be prepared for honesty. We don’t sugar-coat anything. You’ll get the truth, backed by data, strategy and decades of expertise.
After talking with us, you’ll walk away with:
Sydney Head Office
320 Pitt Street,
Sydney, NSW 2000
Newcastle Office
19 Bay Street,
Wyee Point, NSW 2259
© Copyright Brilliant Digital. Pty Ltd 2008-2025