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Just like B2C, B2B businesses should be using social media too. They likely do it for different reasons, though. Yes, B2B can develop leads using social media, but it is usually for other reasons that a B2B company initially dives into social media marketing. Of course, generating leads is important and can be accomplished with the right social media plan. There are certain factors that you should consider when developing your B2B social media marketing strategy.
Download the 'Reported Benefits of Successful B2B Content Marketing’.
In order to build a dynamic B2B Social Media Marketing strategy, you should consider social media goals that align with your company’s vision.
According to a survey of marketing professionals asked what the goals that B2B marketers have achieved by using content marketing successfully, they stated the top reasons were creating brand awareness, educating audiences, and building credibility and trust. As a marketer, these choices make sense to me for B2B businesses. They are the primary reasons why I use social media for my B2B clients.
Creating brand awareness can sound vague, but there is a growing list of ways to do so for B2B companies using social media. Creative thinking will be your advantage here.
Investopedia defines the term brand as referring to a business and marketing concept that helps people identify a particular company, product, or individual. Brands are intangible, which means you can't touch or see them.
Indeed gives slightly more detail saying ‘Branding is the process where a business makes itself known to the public and differentiates itself from competitors. Branding typically includes a phrase, design, or idea that makes it easily identifiable to the public.’
Social Networking Platforms’ User Demographics Update 2021
Using Social Media creates an opportunity to provide helpful information to your prospects, clients, and centers of influence. You probably know what a prospect and client/customers are.
Do you know what a center of influence is? The Center of Influence definition is marketing to key people you can rely upon to help grow your business. This would include people in career positions that know or work with businesses like your customers—someone who can refer business to you.
What type of content would educate the audiences in B2B Social Media Marketing? Think broadly for the right kind of information and not limit yourself to just a few topics. You want your readers to see you as the place to go for good content in your industry.
A large segment of B2B buyers perform independent research before they purchase or send a company a Request for Proposal/Quote. They want to ensure that the companies they do business with and support are credible. Provide that to them upfront, and the process to get their business will be much smoother.
Fun fact: B2B blogs that create education content receive 52% more organic traffic than those that mainly publish content about their company? 🚀 More stats in this B2B Content Marketing Report by @backlinko https://t.co/XwPrIaIvq5 pic.twitter.com/85I97vohxo
— Semrush (@semrush) February 4, 2021
One goal of using B2B social media marketing is building credibility and trust with the people you are targeting. You want to show them that you have experience and knowledge within your field of expertise. Whether you manufacture a product or provide a service, it benefits your business to be trusted by those who could buy from you.
How can you do that? Be sure that you post any awards, certifications, membership in organizations, and reviews. Get the word out about anything you or your company has accomplished that is newsworthy or validates trust.
If you have a vision or mission statement for your business that highlights your focus on quality service, customers, your service, or product, share those. It means something when you believe in a concept strongly enough to commit to it.
The best answer is it depends. Everyone assumes that because Facebook is the largest, that everyone should be on Facebook. Well, it’s undoubtedly an excellent place to be, but it may not be the best place for B2B businesses to begin their social media pursuit.
My favorite social media sites for most B2B companies are LinkedIn and YouTube.
LinkedIn is the definitive B2B network for leadership and thought content, business information, employee engagement, and an ad platform designed for B2B selling. More than 55 million companies are currently on LinkedIn. Of all the social networks, LinkedIn seems to have the upper hand. Fifty-two percent of buyers list LinkedIn as the most influential channel during their research process.
YouTube is perfect for how-to-tutorials, interviews, presentations, product demonstrations, and commercials. Besides, YouTube is the second largest social media site, second only to Facebook. YouTube is also the second-largest search engine, second only to Google. It’s hard to find a better place to push your information out to your target market than YouTube.
If you are a B2B Social Media Marketer, this is where you should start. After you have mastered these two social sites, you can move on to others as you are able. Facebook is probably your next best site to conquer due to its size and participation.
YouTube by the Numbers: Stats, Demographics & Fun Facts
Creating brand awareness, educating audiences, and building credibility and trust are the beginnings of developing a strong strategy for your social media.
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