Unquestionably, social media is a big part of our everyday lives. Our kids use it, as do our friends and family members. And, of course, businesses utilize various platforms to attract customers. Despite the enormous impact social media has on our buying decisions, there is a common misconception that this type of marketing is not for B2B (Business to Business) activity; that it’s for B2C (Business to Consumer) only.
Think again! Social media is not just for B2C companies as 75 percent of B2B buyers and 84 percent of C-level executives consult social media before making purchasing decisions, according to HubSpot. You may also wish to reconsider the traditional strategy of cold calling and attending networking functions in lieu of social media. The better option for reaching today’s B2B buyers is to incorporate a social media strategy into your marketing mix.
“It’s very obvious when you are not on social media as it has become such a main channel of communication,” states Marketing Direction’s Lead Marketer Tina Cardoso. “Social media should be included in your marketing mix because the audience you are trying to reach will most likely be there as well.”
Let’s say, for example, you sell medical equipment to health care facilities. One of the doctors in a large practice may be active on social accounts. There is an opportunity to reach that doctor if you are in that social presence as well. Which begs the question:
How do you gain visibility?
“It’s important to be active in your community and be active online,” Tina explains. Numerous organizations and professional groups have pages on Facebook, for example. Joining those groups and offering your perspective on comments related to them is a great way to subtly promote your name while showing support for that business.
Social channels enable you to target companies based on specific demographic criteria. As a manufacturer of open-door chillers, you’ve been trying to reach the influencer or decision-maker at a major grocery chain. After repeated attempts, you decide to join a professional group on LinkedIn comprised of grocery store GMs. Following a period of active discussion between you and other members, an influencer at the company you’ve been pursuing sends you a message asking for a meeting to find out more about your product.
Admittedly, there is sometimes a longer sales cycle associated with social media marketing which is why many B2B companies are reluctant to embrace the concept. However, in the long run, the results can be just as effective, if not more so, than traditional avenues. At Marketing Direction, more than 90 percent of our sales come from our activity on LinkedIn. And our B2B clients are starting to see similar results.
Creating greater awareness for your brand, providing online exposure for your company and cultivating your business are some of the more lucrative benefits of social media. Equally important is the opportunity to share your content and showcase your expertise, much as you would through email marketing to your B2B customers. Social media is all about collaboration and conversation and you never know when one of your followers will turn into a customer.
How to join the conversation
The key for B2B company success on social media relies heavily on the type of content provided. You want to engage potential prospects while at the same time not hinder their participation on the platform. Before you start, determine what your audience wants to see.
“Your brand won’t be able to connect with your audience if all you’re doing is pushing your product at them,” states HubSpot’s Isabelle Hahn. “The key to staying relevant on social is to engage in the conversations your target audience is interested in having — even if doesn’t have much to do with your product.”
Consider what’s important to your audience, suggests Tina, and provide content that benefits their business. “Think about ways you can inspire, educate and entertain.”
- Inspire – Inspirational content can help the audience picture themselves in that situation. “I don’t mean quotes and sayings and pictures on the beach; I mean true images related to your audience.”
- Educate – Showcasing your expertise in your field with content that helps other businesses without requiring a sale will give you a good reputation on social.
- Entertain – Be relatable! Having a personality isn’t a bad thing. Really digging into your brand values, personality, etc. and speaking from that place helps audiences know who you are. And it attracts the people who are appropriate for your company!
Additionally, be sure your content is original as readers can tell the difference between content created by your company vs. content you just shared from another source. Include images and video to capture your audience’s attention. Humanize your brand by focusing on a team member. ‘Putting a name with a face’ has an added benefit for both small and large companies as employees who are featured will share your post with their networks, thereby increasing your company’s reach.
“Realize that social media is not just one-way communication,” explains Tina. “You really want to use social to engage your audience and interact with people.” Tina cautions clients to stay away from hot topics as becoming involved in controversial issues can quickly polarize your company.
As with any aspect of marketing, strategy and consistency are key. Unless you have a full-time social media manager, keeping up with content creation on a regular basis can be a daunting task. Check out “They Say / We Say” in our September newsletter for some bright ideas that can help.
