How to Better Your B2B Social Media Strategy

It’s no secret that B2C companies are owning their social strategies, but B2B companies shouldn’t shy away because ALL businesses can benefit from having a digital presence. Social media isn’t rocket science, but sometimes it can feel like it as a B2B marketer. The struggle to succeed on the various platforms can be discouraging and make you want to give up. But fear not, here are 5 tips to help your B2B kill the social game.

1.Know your appropriate platforms

Out of the various social media platforms, LinkedIn reigns as top for B2B companies. However, this does not mean isolate yourself to one platform. Lead generation through a strictly business medium might seem like a straight shot to your end goal but don’t underestimate the power of branding through the OG’s of social: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Almost 70% of all B2B co’s use at least one of these “Big 4” sites. According to HipB2B, here is the breakdown of B2B usage by platform:

• LinkedIn (89%)
• Facebook (88%)
• Twitter (75%)
• YouTube (45%)
• Instagram (43%)

2. Don’t discredit your business

Too many B2B companies think of themselves as “too boring” to be on social media, but guess what? An egg looking to beat out Kylie Jenner for followers has its own social media page. If an organic egg can gain a following, then so can your business. There are billions of people around the world on each platform, and you can guarantee at least a small percentage of users are interested in your industry. Your job is to find these people and deliver relevant content, which leads into the next point…

3. Make your content audience focused

A good rule of thumb for each post is to ask yourself, “If I didn’t work for this company, would I look at this?” Chances are if you aren’t liking the continuous call-to-action, neither is your audience. Instead of pushing your business, build content that appeals to your audience and connect it to your business field. For example, if you are an IT developer, instead of posting about the benefits of your service, try encompassing the benefits of the industry. Let them know why they need IT help as opposed to why they need your IT help. Or better yet, give them some do-it-yourself tips to get them started, knowing they will come to you when they get out of their league.

4. Showcase customer satisfaction

Having a hard time deciding where to start with audience focused content? Try beginning with showing off great reviews and satisfied customers. Customers demand more support, information, and other trust factors in B2B marketing. They like to see real success stories by verified purchasers. You can utilize organic consumer posts or reach out to previous customers and see how they have improved since doing business with you. Case studies, written or video testimonials, even pulling a quote from a positive email can all be fuel for your channels. 

5. Create humanizing content

Demand for personalized content is on the rise, and buyers want to get to know you better. Luckily, platforms are adapting, and new capabilities have been added like live-event features on Instagram and Facebook and poll options on Twitter. Utilize these tools to create and increase engagement. Make a Twitter poll that can double as a research device or go live once in a while to humanize your brand and make your presence known. Of course you want to think about the power of each post within a subscriber’s feed, but also think about the impression a visitor would get if they went directly to your social media page – would the sum of all of your posts give the right impression of your brand?

But the best piece of advice we can give you is to not give up. Keep posting, keep refining, keep trying. Don’t be discouraged if your competitors have a large following. An abundance of followers does not equate to a higher rate of interaction. Nine times out of ten, their engagement-to-follower ratio is inconsistent. A company could have hundreds of thousands of followers but receive under ten likes. Measure your growing success against the baseline where you started. We’re confident you’ll see progress shine through.