It’s been said that social media is a great and innovative way for business to business companies to get out there and make connections. Well, I hate to break it to you but it’s no longer innovative… it’s completely necessary. With social media, you’re able to reach out to potential customers from anywhere and everywhere and if you’re not leveraging those capabilities, you are certainly missing out. 82% of B2B company respondents in a recent survey said their organization invests in social media marketing. So how do you make the most of social media as a B2B company? Check out these best practices and what tools you can use to make them happen and work for your company!
Tweet This: 82% of B2B companies said their organization invests in social media marketing. Do you?
Interactions and Engagements
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Connecting with potential or current customers on social media such as following, liking or interacting over shared interests, gives your business a much needed personal touch. You can use the networks made on social media to reach out and form real relationships with individuals.
Tool: SproutSocial is a good platform to check to see who is talking to you and who is talking about the keywords you’re interested in. You can use the keyword search to find users that are interested in or talking about your business or the space you work in.
Promote Your Content
How else are you going to get your content circulating out in the real world? Social media is the best and most effective way to get your content out there and actually read by users. 74% of marketers saw an increase in website traffic after investing just 6 hours per week in social networking. You can even transform your written content into visual pieces like quick statistic videos or branded images that pull quotes, tips, or statistics from the originally posted article.
Tweet This: 74% of marketers saw an increase in web traffic after investing 6 hours/week in social networking.
Don’t just use your social media channels to promote your new content, though. Circulate old content and resources back through on a regular basis to continue the reach of your posts!
In addition to promoting content, you can let fans know what’s going on in the company. Did you have an awesome team lunch today? Tweet it! Form a new partnership with another company? Share it on Facebook and tag your new partners! Going to a team outing? Post it on Instagram!
Tool: Buffer is great to have as an extension in your browser to pull text straight from an article as well as pictures to enhance the look of a post. Within your Buffer profile you can connect all of the social media channels and set schedules for each to post at optimal times.
Keep Track of Competitors
What better way to stay on top of what your competitors are doing than following their social profiles? Keep track of their posts and content to make sure you’re staying one step in front of them at all times. Check out the expertise your competitors are showcasing in their content and ensure your company is stacking up in all the right ways! You can also find inspiration from competitors or even B2C companies on what to do next with your social strategy.
Tool: Hootsuite is a great tool to monitor different search terms all at once. You can set up searches to show up in your dashboard so you never miss a thing your competitors or saying or who may be talking to your competitors. You could even jump in on missed opportunities from your competition by following along with who mentions their Twitter handle.
While social media in B2B is no easy task, it is a necessary one. Take these tips to up your social media game today! Have some other tips or tools you love? Let us know in the comments!
This article originally featured on the Marenated blog, the best spot on the blogosphere for all things HR, marketing, web dev and more. Well…..go look!
