According to Hubspot, 84 percent of B2B companies make use of social media in their marketing efforts. It’s no secret why they rely on social media so heavily; it offers speed and convenience, and it’s geared towards helping businesses connect with other businesses (especially LinkedIn). However, it takes a little bit of unconventional thinking to really stand out and make an impact on your target audience. Here are some ways you can shake things up and really make your mark in the social media world, regardless of what industry you’re in.
Making connections is vital for success in B2B marketing, and there’s no better way to practice transparency than to put your company's story out there. Tell a story about how you (or your company’s founder) got the idea for your company, or describe a time during which the company experienced some sort of adversity. Your honesty will attract prospects, who likely have similar experiences, and that familiarity may encourage them to do business with you.
Social media is all about immediacy. Nobody wants to jump off their feed to read a 2,000 word blog post (unless they’re really interested in the topic). However, they’d be happy to take a look at a concise, visually appealing graphic that explains what’s currently going on in your industry. Use your data to create an infographic that’s both engaging and shareable, and expose your work to as many potential industry contacts as possible.
A picture says a thousand words, and that’s certainly true on social media where an image often represents your best chance of making an impact on your audience. People constantly post and share images; in fact, Instagram exists almost exclusively to share pictures. You don’t have to quote Socrates to get in on the fun, either. Just combine a powerful quote with an image that represents your company, then put the two together in an attractive package. It’s a great way to spread the word about your business in a friendly, non-salesy way.
Delighting customers is your ticket to getting their loyalty. #inboundmarketing pic.twitter.com/mO89aANCVA
— Cleriti (@Cleriti) November 19, 2015
Social media is a great outlet for behind-the-scenes content. It enables you to let viewers see what’s behind the curtain, giving them a glimpse of what makes your company special. And there’s nothing that does more to make a company special than its employees. Every once in awhile, profile someone that works at your company and ask them about their lives inside and outside the company. If you show that you value your employees, it’ll make your business much more attractive to potential customers.
LinkedIn is the most powerful lead generation social media platform for B2B marketers. It’s a bit different than sites like Facebook and Twitter, and that’s a good thing. LinkedIn enables you to recommend other companies to your professional network, and it allows you to endorse your contacts from these companies. Both will shed light on your professionalism and your willingness to give credit where it’s due, and that will ultimately encourage potential partners to take the plunge.
There’s nothing worse than a company that doesn’t interact with its social media audience. Whether or not it’s intentional, ignoring customer feedback gives the wrong kind of impression to observers. Instead of dismissing your customers or simply posting news updates about your company, you should do just the opposite — make your audience the star of the show! Share customer testimonials, post pictures from community events and retweet those who mention you or like your posts. Anything you can to do to show your audience that you’re engaged will go a long way when it comes to making new contacts in your industry.
If you have a lively following on social media, setting up a question and answer session isn’t just a good idea. It’s a tremendous way to let people inside and so they can get better acquainted with your brand. You don’t have to spill the beans about your internal processes, but you can let your hair down a little and speak directly with your customers and colleagues. The more people learn about you and your company, the more influential you’ll be in the eyes of those people. Consider turning the Q&A into a video or podcast so you can easily share it.
You can’t go off-topic constantly, but every so often it’s fun to talk about something besides your business. Asking your followers what movie should get the Oscar for Best Picture or which team will win the Super Bowl is a great way to boost your engagement without having to do any real work. A word of caution, though: avoid the potential for any discussions that may result in people being offended, especially politics and religion.
There’s no exact science for creating a buzz on social media. As long as you stay true to the principles of your business and make things fun for your followers, you’re set. And if you can let your guard down and show people what makes your business unique, you’re sure to make a huge impact. With a killer social media plan and an engagement strategy, you’ll have no problem making contacts in the B2B world.