B2B Social Media Marketing Tips That Get Results
by Josette Millar
Getting social is an essential ingredient in today’s business mix. Bear in mind, however, that showing up to the dance with two left feet can brand you a social outcast for the remainder of your company’s days.
With this in mind, let’s explore some social media marketing tips that will turn your class title from dud to stud.
Be Social.
Okay, we’ll admit that this sounds like a cop-out, but you might be surprised about how unsocialized many businesses really are. Today’s B2B relationship is built on just that: a relationship. Sure, you want to show off your product and service, but take some time to show your human side, too. Find ways to promote your employees’ achievements, post pictures of community involvement, and interact with people and companies who interact with you.
Learn from Your Leads.
If people are posting on your page, you have gotten their attention. When you’ve got all eyes on you, utilize that virtual stage to figure out what created the conversation in the first place. Are they posting on a particular thread? Talking about a certain product or service? Ambivalent or strongly opinionated? For or against what your business offers? With a single post, the right poking around can open an entire world of information and intelligence. Find out who’s following you, and see what they do. This can help you learn not only about your current and potential customers, but it can educate you about your opponents, too.
Keep an Eye on the Competition.
That leads us right into this oldie but goodie. They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and this is one of those social media marketing tips that is so often overlooked. Checking out the news and events that your competitors are posting is a great way to make sure you don’t fall behind on imperative industry knowledge. Check in on the stuff companies similar to yours are posting. This can help you gain intel into all kinds of things like how they are using their advertising dollars and which posts create the most engagement.
Tweet Like There’s No Tomorrow.
Over 300 million active members take to tweeting each month. That’s a lot of potential exposure for your business with not so much money or effort necessary. People are plugged into Twitter, which gives you an excellent opportunity to address customer service concerns, connect with those who influence your industry or the world at large, and drive awareness by employing hashtags and Twitter ads.
Manage Your Reputation.
It goes without saying that your company’s reputation is one of the most valuable things you can offer a potential new client. Keep in mind that possible suitors are not only paying attention to the way you treat them; after all, any good salesperson or executive leader will treat a candidate client like gold. Reputation management is one of those social media marketing tips that’s more of a diamond in the rough. Although B2B marketing isn’t traditionally founded with the perception from the end user in mind, today’s technology puts the whole process at the forefront of the relationship from the very beginning. If you have negative comments posted online, address them, don’t avoid them. By showing that you’re genuinely concerned with the way your consumers are treated, you are showing business partners how they can expect to be treated by your firm, as well. An un-managed online reputation can lead to devastating results.
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