For most business owners out there, cold calls, newsletters, and email marketing, are the first things that come to their mind when they think of B2B marketing. While the use of social media as a platform for B2B marketing has seen an exponential growth in the past few years, there are some who are still averse to social media, probably due to its volatile nature, and the lack of control on the social media response to marketing campaigns.
B2B marketers should always be looking for new ways to develop relationships with their target audience, and social media proves to be the most convenient and easily accessible avenue to have a two-way conversation with existing clients and potential customers. Through social media you can distribute relevant content to the right audience consistently, and improve content immediately with the help of the instant feedback you receive on social media.
How should your content be?
Generic content leads to poor engagement. Your content should be specifically tailored to your target audience to ensure reliability and positive response. Though, your final goal is to increase your sales, your content should not solely focus on it. Content should be informative, interesting, and engaging, it should not be a desperate sales pitch.
Apart from words, visuals also play an important role in attracting people. The State of Social Media 2018 Report, claims that:
- Images are the most shared type of content on social media
- 85 percent businesses will create more video content
- 68 percent are planning to generate more “Stories” content on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat
- Live video content has increased by 5 percent
Where should your B2B content be?
Creating compelling content but posting it on the wrong channels, is a fruitless exercise. According to international B2B marketers, the social media platforms that provide the best returns are:
- YouTube
There are several other platforms that you can use like Instagram, and Pinterest, among others, but the ones mentioned above are the most beneficial.
The B2B social media engagement checklist
Every B2B marketer would want to design a rewarding social media marketing strategy, but it is not easy. For an effective B2B social media marketing campaign, you need to consider the following points:
- Define and document your social media goals
- Study competitors on social media
- Identify your target audience
- Utilise multiple social media platforms
- Post relatable content
- Measure your performance using social media metrics
- Revisit content and strategy, if necessary
The steps mentioned above will help you create a strong brand image, and help you influence your audience.
The road ahead for social media in B2B marketing
The current generation and the next generation of B2B customers unanimously consider social media as a tool to research companies, their culture, and their products and services. Social media engagement should not be limited to product/service infomercials, it should showcase the personality of the company. You should aim to humanise the brand to build a strong bond with your audience.
Studies have proven that social media is an effective traffic driver and an efficient conversion tool, and the influence of social media in persuading people is only going to increase in the near future. A solid social media engagement strategy combined with dynamic content will surely lead to higher ROI.
Share content that resonates with your audience, and you will definitely see your business grow. Create a genuine connection with your target audience, and they will be compelled to endorse your brand in the digital world and outside!
It is time to embrace social media. Let Tech Demand help you take the first step!
