If your organization isn’t already on social media, then you better get moving. Why? Because social media is quickly becoming a valuable marketing channel for the B2B industry. In fact, according to the Content Marketing Institute, social media is now the second most effective channel for distributing B2B content, trailing slightly behind blogs. Content marketers find it’s a great way to engage and interact with customers, industry partners and potential buyers – and maximize ROI.
The proof is in these recent statistics:
Social media is all about popularity; the more popular you are, the more followers you’ll have and more interest you’ll spark. If you’re looking to be a hit on social media, try incorporating these five strategies into your social media plan:
Social strategy #1: Share your content
Does your organization develop blogs, articles or even case studies? If so, congratulations! That puts you a step ahead of your competition. It’s important to house that content on your main website as a resource repository for employees as well as customers and site visitors. However, when you also share that content on social media, you’ll reach a much wider audience. Simply paste a link to the content piece on social media, along with an interesting image and a short sentence or teaser, as we’ve done here on our Facebook page:
Social strategy #2: Create appealing infographics
Share the latest industry statistics and data in an interesting and attention-getting manner – with infographics. People don’t always have the time to read through white papers to learn what’s happening in their industry. That’s why infographics like the one below are so popular; they present key information in an easy-to-understand manner using colorful graphics, charts and icons:
Presentation is key so have the infographics created by a graphic designer, or utilize the services of companies like Easel.ly or Piktochart. They have easy-to-use templates for creating impressive infographics that are sure to attract your social media followers.
Social strategy #3: Spark discussions with Q&A forums
Engage your followers by posting a topic for discussion, or invite people to ask questions that you can answer directly on the social media platform. Q&A forums are a great way to ignite insightful conversations and they create positive PR for your organization. This communication exchange allows you to share your knowledge, assist others and potentially gain new leads. Be creative and candid with your answers, but always review your response before hitting the “post” button to avoid any typos and gaffes. If you want to be a bit more creative, record and post a video response to the forum. Videos give you a chance to inflect your personality, bring sincerity to the discussion, and put a face to your organization and brand.
Social strategy #4: Promote webinars and other events
Use social media to make people aware of upcoming events sponsored by your company, like webinars, lunch-and-learns, conferences and more. These types of posts not only provide reminders for customers and others to register and attend your events, they also show your followers you’re dedicated to educating and updating them on the latest industry news, technology and processes.
To ensure your event promotions are seen by a wide audience, create multiple posts for each event with links to registration or more information. Your initial event post should go out a few weeks in advance of the event. Then, post a second reminder a week before the event, followed by a third reminder a day before. But don’t stop there. If it’s a large event, consider posting activities and excitement happening during the event; then create a follow-up post afterwards that includes photos or video of event highlights. Unilog just hosted its third annual CIMM2 users group meeting in Las Vegas and regularly posted on social media before, during and after the event to gain interest and share the excitement:
Social strategy #5: Show people your human side
With an online storefront, buyers don’t always interact with sales or customer service representatives. As more companies offer this self-service channel, customers may lose sight of the people who actually drive the business. To help “humanize” your company, spend time showcasing employees and sharing human-centric stories. Interview employees to get their points of view on business, customers and trends and share their insight online. Highlight a staff member who has an interesting story to tell. Share off-site events like teambuilding activities, charitable causes and get-togethers to show your group knows how to have fun outside of the office as well. Including employees in social media lets followers know how much you value them, which goes a long way.
There’s never been a better time to promote your company, your offerings and your staff on social media. Any business can do it, as can any marketer – regardless if you’re a Millennial or not. Social media gives you an opportunity to captivate a wider audience and gain popularity in a different marketing channel. Be interesting, be creative and, most of all, be sure to post regularly to drive engagement. In no time you’ll be the social media talk of the town!