Social media is an excellent way for B2B marketers to better understand and connect with their target audience — all it takes is a little strategy. In fact, 92% of B2B marketers use social media to drive sales. This means that including social media in your overall marketing strategy is no longer optional as it has become essential for businesses who want to remain competitive in the B2B marketplace.

If you’re new to social media or feel like your previous efforts have been fails, don’t freak out! Below, we offer 10 tips for any B2B company to keep in mind while developing a social media strategy so that you can increase exposure and engagement within your target audience:

1. Establish profiles on the platforms where your customers are.

Social media goes beyond just Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. To stay efficient, you should focus your efforts on platforms that generate the most ROI. Find out which channels your target audience frequents and concentrate the bulk of your energy on those platforms.

2. Make sure that your social media profiles are complete.

Each of your social media profiles should be complete with details about your business, links to your website and updated logos and graphics. Use appropriate visual content and make sure that your branding is consistent across channels.

3. Be active and consistent.

Social media efforts for your B2B company will make a bigger impact if you are consistently active. Develop a posting schedule and include it in your strategy to ensure each channel you plan to use gets the attention it needs.

4. Share and promote custom content from your website that leads might be interested in.

Share content that you have published on your website, such as videos, photos, webinars, blog posts and white papers. When others share or promote your custom content, you will get further exposure.

5. Highlight partnerships by sharing content.

Whether you have an ongoing partnership or it is just a one-time collaboration, you can use social media to support your partners by sharing their content and showing appreciation for your professional relationship.

6. Use paid social ads to increase brand awareness.

Utilizing paid social ads is a great way to increase brand awareness and ensure you reach your target audience. With targeted ads, your business can connect with the people who are most likely to be interested in your company.

7. Take advantage of trending topics in your industry by joining the conversation.

Is something in your industry trending on Twitter? Join the conversation! Though it may be rare that a trending hashtag applies to your business, keep an eye out so that you can take advantage of the moment when it comes. Or, be a trendsetter — consider creating your own hashtag and encouraging other companies in your industry to join in on the discussion.

8. Emphasize the social aspects of social media by focusing on engagement.

Many businesses focus on the “media” part of social media, and not necessarily the “social” aspects. In order to be successful on social media, you need to engage your audience by participating in the conversation and being responsive when they interact with your brand. Try asking a question or replying to a comment left on your page — remind your audience that there are people behind your business.

 9. Build relationships with industry influencers.

Industry influencers can be a powerful tool for B2B marketers. Those who actively lead conversations on social media about topics within your industry have many followers who faithfully read and respond to their social media content, whether it’s theirs or shared/retweeted. Making connections and sharing your custom content with these influencers can help you grow your own audience.

10. Practice social listening to stay on top of the competition.

Social listening, or tracking your competitors’ social media content, is a great way to see what the competition is sharing with their followers. This can give you some insight into your competitors’ industry expertise and what they are highlighting in the content that they share.

Try Something New

The best way to ensure that your B2B social media content is effective is to create a strategy before you begin to engage your audience. But, if you’ve already started and feel like you could improve, don’t be afraid to try out new tactics. Use the tips above to help you create a social media plan that allows you to boost lead generation and engage with your customers. You’ll be impressed with the results.