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For B2B / SMEs: What advantages does Google Discover and Google News offer compared to social media?

Published on: November 19, 2024 / Update from: November 19, 2024 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

For B2B / SMEs: What advantages does Google Discover and Google News offer compared to social media?

For B2B / SMEs: What advantages does Google Discover and Google News offer compared to social media? – Image: Xpert.Digital

Social Media vs. Google Discover: Finding the optimal B2B strategy

Finding the right marketing mix: Strategic decision support – social media or/and Google Discover for B2B?

Deciding between social media and Google News/Google Discover for B2B marketing depends heavily on your goals, audience, and resources. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. Let's strategically analyze the two options:

Option 1: Social media – reach and community building

Advantages:

  1. High reach: Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter (now X), and even niche platforms offer access to millions of potential B2B contacts.
  2. Targeted approach: Social media ads enable precise targeting by industry, job title, company size, etc.
  3. Interactive communication: Direct engagement with customers, dialogue instead of monologue.
  4. Brand awareness: Social media helps establish your brand in your niche.
  5. Data-driven insights: Get detailed analytics to optimize campaigns.

Disadvantages:

  1. High competition: Social media is crowded, making it harder to stand out.
  2. Cost-intensive: Good content requires resources (content creation, community management, advertising budget).
  3. Dependence on algorithms: Reach is often unpredictable and dependent on platform updates.

Option 2: Google News/Google Discover – Hidden champion for traffic and visibility

Advantages:

  1. Less competition: Since many companies don't actively use Google News/Discover, you have a strategic advantage.
  2. High visibility among target groups: Content is curated and displayed in a targeted manner - often to decision-makers who are looking for current industry trends.
  3. Organic reach: One-off technical effort (e.g. structured data) can deliver free traffic in the long term.
  4. Authority through content: High-quality articles in Google News increase the credibility of your company.
  5. Opening up new touchpoints: Many users consume content via Discover and News without actively searching for information - you can “pick it up” there.

Disadvantages:

  1. Technical barrier: You need in-depth knowledge of SEO, structured data and Google News/Discover requirements.
  2. No direct engagement options: Unlike social media, Google News/Discover does not offer any interactive features.
  3. Dependence on content quality: You depend on excellent content - mediocre content is not shown.

Strategic consideration: When is which option better?

1. Social media is better when:

  • You want to generate targeted leads (e.g. LinkedIn Ads - however, experience shows that the conversion rate to a qualified lead is low ).
  • You want to establish yourself as a brand in a competitive industry.
  • Your target group is active on social media (e.g. HR, IT decision-makers).
  • You want to use interactive features such as comments, groups or events.

2. Google News/Discover is better if:

  • You want to show thought leadership and expertise.
  • The focus is on organic reach (rather than paid ads).
  • Your target audience often reads industry-specific news.
  • You want to use an “underrated” marketing tool that remains stable in the long term.

Recommendation: Combined strategy

  • Start on Google News/Discover: Initially invest in technical implementation and create high-quality, SEO-optimized content. This brings you visibility and traffic from an underrated source.
  • Use social media for distribution: Share this content on social media to create synergies. This allows you to reach both the masses (social media) and specialized interested parties (Google News/Discover).

Example of practical implementation:

1. Google News/Discover:

  • Set up structured data.
  • Write high-quality articles, white papers or studies on a regular basis.
  • optimize for keywords that are relevant to your niche.

2. Social Media:

  • Promote your content through LinkedIn posts and groups.
  • Use targeted ads to promote your items to relevant audiences.

Would you like more details on the technical implementation for Google Discover/News or tips on optimizing your social media strategy? 🚀

More about it here:

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