Social media marketing isn’t just for the business-to-consumer market. CEO’s, VP’s, and B2B buyers in your industry are on social media as well, following brands and discovering products/services that their businesses need. Some B2B companies have managed to create an effective presence on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and you can too if you plan and faithfully execute a proper strategy.
Marketers have recently come to realize that social media is especially effective for B2B companies. When compared to B2C sales, B2B sales typically require more interaction, more content, and more convincing; in short, B2B companies generally have to build some kind of relationship with prospects before they can turn them into clients. Social media gives those companies an opportunity to make connections with their target businesses.
Use the following tips to get your B2B social media strategy started!
Check Out Your Competitors
See what kind of social media presence other successful businesses in your industry have. Which sites do they post on? What kind of content are they posting? How often do they post? Analyze your competitors and take note of any trends you observe.
Create a “Content Culture” Within Your Business
In B2B social media, it pays to give your followers an inside look at your company. When prospects get to see your people, your process, and your company culture, it gives them something to connect with. Encourage your employees to brainstorm and share social media content ideas on a regular basis.
Visual content does great on social media, especially for B2B businesses that have to explain their product/service visually. Get in the habit of taking pictures and creating videos to share on social media. Use visual content to make announcements, show people how your products are made, or even just post interesting things that you see during your work day.
Use social media as a platform to engage with your customers and prospects through contests, questions, and other interactive posts. You may not find your business to be “exciting” enough for social media success, but every company has a culture worth sharing with the world; get your staff on board with it and make producing great content a priority.
Put Together a Content Calendar
You don’t want to overload your followers, but you want to keep them engaged and keep your name in their minds. You should post to each of your social media accounts at least 3 times per week. Plan your social media schedule a month in advance. When deciding what types of posts to do and at what frequency, consider this idea: 20% of your posts should focus on your business, and 80% should focus on your customers. That means taking a few times per week to post promotional marketing content and using the rest to share relevant industry news, educational content, motivational quotes, etc.
Engage Daily
Log onto each of your social media accounts everyday and try to find your audience. Find out what hashtags are being used in your industry. Reach out to influencers. Respond to comments on your posts. Comment on other company’s posts. Social media is not about posting and letting the world either care or not care. It’s about being an active and engaged member of a community… that’s why it’s called “social” media! It takes time to grow your social media presence, but if you engage your audience on a daily basis it could eventually position you as a thought leader in your industry and become a great source of leads.
Advertise
Social media advertising can be tricky but very effective for B2B companies. For example, Facebook allows you to target accounts by occupation, which is extremely helpful for B2B marketing. Use social media to advertise discount promotions on specific products or services to catch the interest of your target clients.
If you need help developing your B2B social media presence, give us a call at 1-800-992-9663 for a free consultation to find out what we can do for you!
