It’s no closely guarded secret that a strong social media presence is crucial to a powerful all-round business plan. It’s a brave new world for brands hoping to make inroads with other businesses on a B2B level. Cold calling, business breakfasts, and traditional networking are now only part of a complete package. Social media has become the most effective channel out there to reach your target audience on.
So, why is it that so many businesses report struggling attempts at making use of this resource? After all, a survey by Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate showed that businesses are more likely to buy from companies they track through social media. Reports say social media platforms have increased the effectiveness of business from 41% to 52%, between 2014 and 2015. Clearly, there’s a lot to be gained from making effective use of this relatively new resource, and, yet, many companies still seem to avoid using it as a business tool.
With so many millions of people making use of these networks, there is a wealth of opportunity out there for you to use your unique voice to target B2B companies interested in your product. From medical companies to computer manufacturers, any business can find their niche online, so long as their goal is to create valuable relationships with a variety of clients. Today, we will be discussing four steps to developing effective B2B social media content.
1. Create a Social Strategy
As in any other area of business marketing, the most important first step in social media B2B marketing is to create an effective strategy. Plot out your marketing goals based on your answers to a few important questions, and develop your social media content based on that information.
- Who is your target audience?
- Which social media platforms will you be making use of?
- How are your competitors making use of social media?
2. Assign a Social Media Manager
Social media marketing needs to be taken seriously. It’s not something to be handled by anybody in sales with five minutes to spare. Appoint a dedicated social media manager, preferably someone with a background in social media. This person should have knowledge of and a passion for social media, working with your sales department and funneling information into consistent high-quality social media output.
3. Branch Out
Don’t limit yourself to one social media network. LinkedIn has garnered a reputation for being the most effective B2B platform, and it’s well deserved. Studies, however, have found businesses are starting to use a combination of networks, such as Instagram, Google+, and others not usually associated with B2B, in order to brand themselves, instead of just driving leads. Generate content and disseminate it across a variety of platforms to reach a wider audience.
4. Create a Personality
Using conversational tones, taking opportunities to engage with your clients publicly, and developing videos and other media are just a few ways that social media allows you to develop your business’ personality online. It doesn’t have to be trendy or inappropriate to your corporate image in order for it to be effective. Developing social content with an individual touch is a good way to humanise your business.