B2B social media success

With more than 2 billion active users, social media has grown at lightning speed with no sign of slowing down anytime soon, becoming a vital form of communication for businesses and consumers alike.

Many B2C companies have been quick to jump on the social media band wagon, utilising a range of channels and tactics to build a huge online presence, and successfully marketing their products and services to consumers.

However, things are evolving at a slower pace in the B2B world, with many organisations yet to dip their toe into the social world.

In order to deliver social media success, there are a number of things any B2B business should bear in mind.

One size does not fit all

It may seem an obvious statement to make, but not every social media platform will be right for your business. You need to identify which channels your key target audiences use and build these into your overall social strategy.

At present, the most effective platforms for B2B appear to be LinkedIn and Twitter. Both have a B2B focus, therefore are effective in promoting content to a business-to-business audience. LinkedIn in particular is solely B2B, therefore many marketers consider it to be the most effective platform in generating leads.

Content is king

On social media it can be difficult to cut through the noise to get your voice heard; well-constructed messages can be one way to grab an audience’s attention. However, with a limited amount of characters available to communicate your messages this can be easier said than done.

To stand out your B2B social media messages need to promote your USPs, focusing on the bespoke benefits of your products and services to entice customers to learn more. This can result in increased website traffic, and in turn potential leads and buyers.

Create a personality

Brand personality plays a vital role on social media, enabling companies to build close and meaningful relationships with followers.

Every business should aim to build an authentic brand personality online that audiences can really connect and engage with. In B2B, humanising your brand can go a long way. You can achieve this by putting ‘a face to your brand’ by introducing employees or using humour.

For example, we recently ran campaign for a UK leading lighting manufacturer to promote their new product range. To engage audiences, we implemented a light-hearted concept of a polar bear wearing sunglasses in the teaser images. This humorous approach worked well, resulting in high levels of engagement, interest and website traffic.

By Sophie Madgewick.