These are the B2B companies with the greatest social media visibility

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Social media visibility: DAX-listed companies lead the rankings

For five years now, consumer intelligence specialists from Brandwatch, along with the strategy consultants at Volker Davids, have been publishing their annual B2B Social Media Report. At first, they surveyed the activities of 105 B2B companies. Today, this number has grown to 303. Of these, around 50 are particularly dominant. What is quite obvious: the top spots are largely taken by big names. Especially DAX-listed companies stand out. Following a somewhat difficult start, they are now the B2B companies with the largest social media reach.

The benchmark is the respective number of articles or posts on the various types of channels (blogs or forums; image, general, video and news sites; as well as Twitter) in which the company showcases itself or is named by others. Another role is played by the activities of the company and user interaction on the company’s own German-speaking Twitter and Facebook accounts.

The ten B2B companies with the best reach on social media

1. thyssenkrupp
2. Fraport
3. BASF
4. SAP AG
5. STIHL
6. Viessmann
7. DATEV
8. T-Systems
9. Messe Stuttgart
10. Evonik Industries

At the very top of the list is thyssenkrupp – unchanged from last year’s B2B Social Media Report. In the mix of blogs, forums, Twitter, images and videos, the industrial corporation achieves a total value of 269.7 points.

A selection of category results for thyssenkrupp:

• 2nd place for their own Twitter channel
• 4th place for their development of social visibility from 2014 to 2018
• 5th place for the visibility of their websites

Compared to last year, Fraport climbed three spots. The operating company of Frankfurt am Main’s airport collected 265.7 points, taking it to second place.

A selection of category results for Fraport:

• 1st place for their Facebook dialogue with the most audience posts
• 2nd place for their own Facebook comments
• 4th place for their own Twitter channel

The Top 3 is rounded out by the chemicals corporation BASF, with 262.1 points. The result was preceded by a patchy development: 5th place in 2016, 30th place in 2017 and 8th place in 2018.

A selection of category results for BASF:

• 2nd place for their social visibility
• 2nd place for their web visibility
• 13th place for their own Facebook page
   

thyssenkrupp’s clear strategy is a success

Big brands dominate the scene. Yet small-sized B2B companies, too, can take these companies’ success as an example for their own social media activities. According to their own statement, top-ranking thyssenkrupp follows this recipe:

• Presentation of the various business units under a single brand umbrella
• Bundling of all competences, innovations and the company’s own stories on all supported social media channels
• Clear storytelling approach
• Distribution of content, depending on the channel and target group
• Target-group-specific tone of voice which actively creates dialogue
• Twitter focus: distribution of company news, communication with journalists and industry experts
• Facebook focus: fresh perspective of the company

The approach by thyssenkrupp clearly shows how important it is to have a consistent and focused social media strategy. Our tip: read our more detailed articles on the right strategies for your social media marketing and content marketing.