7 Effective B2B Social Media Strategies For Any Industry

B2B companies often neglect a social media strategy in their marketing, but it can be a valuable resource for lead generation, to qualify leads and improve conversions. Here are seven ways social media marketing can improve B2B sales.

1. Get your geek on.

Use B2B social media strategies to demonstrate excitement about your own offerings and, more importantly, the customers you serve. People are more likely to convert into customers when they understand and can clearly demonstrate to others how a product or service works in their business, in their application, or for their audience.

Keep in mind, too, that many B2B companies sell to highly skilled and trained people. If your target audience members see that you share their passions, they’re more likely to be interested in your company.

2. Go where your customers are.

You’ll generate better ROI when you interact on the social media platforms that your target audience actively uses—and, of course, if you engage with that audience in a manner befitting those platforms.

As a marketer, you probably have an idea of where to focus your efforts on social media sites. LinkedIn is great for increasing brand awareness, not selling goods. Instagram, a more visual medium, can help showcase your brand through images. And Twitter allows you to directly interact with potential customers. Just keep in mind that only 13% of B2B leads come from Twitter versus 80% from LinkedIn.

3. Supplement with paid social media posts.

It’s wise to pair your organic social media activity with highly targeted paid social media advertising. By doing so, you can unlock valuable data and insights about which content and messaging generates engagement on social media channels, boosts overall brand interest, and drives traffic to your website.

Make sure paid media posts have clear calls-to-action that drive deeper engagement. Don’t settle for “contact us” or “get a quote.” Drive users back to owned content (your website), encourage people to watch a video comparing installations, or point them to an infographic about sustainability concerns. Another pro tip: Vary the types of ads you deploy. People will stop paying attention if all you promote are product ads, for example.

4. Answer questions.

There’s no shortage of questions on social media, and one of the easiest, most effective ways to create relationships is by answering them. Head to LinkedIn, Quora, Reddit, or similar social media platforms to find questions relevant to your target audience. Answer them quickly and effectively in order to position your B2B company as an expert.

Empower your social media marketing and technical teams to offer support in a timely manner, and you’ll build connections with your target audience based on expertise and passion. As a bonus, you’ll likely boost your SEO and keyword rankings.

5. Post presentations.

Most B2B organizations frequently present industry trends, product updates, and case studies, so you probably already have content primed for social media. Start sharing nonproprietary presentations on your social media channels—especially to platforms that are dedicated to presentations, such as LinkedIn SlideShare. The presentations are sure to prompt questions and comments to further the conversation.

6. Show off your company culture.

People work with people, so your company’s culture is important to prospects. It might feel fluffy to take this approach in your social media marketing, but your company’s talent can validate a partnering decision. So get your team members involved in social media posting. Define a theme, outline what is and is not considered appropriate content, and explain the dos and don’ts of hashtags. Make sure to run them by Legal. Then, open up the floodgates for team members to share. It might be best to test the waters with something considered “safe.” You can always adjust your policies as necessary, and continue from there.

7. Go deeper.

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other popular social media channels are all beneficial for B2B organizations, but you’ll get higher-quality engagement with niche communities. Unfortunately, engaging with those groups isn’t always easy, as their forums sometimes aren’t open to the public. You may need to get out from behind the screen and connect with these communities through real-life networking groups, trades shows, and meet-ups.

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Social media marketing is all about being social—even in B2B. So get to know your target audience members, engage in conversations, and answer the most pressing questions. Soon, you’ll be using B2B social media strategies to improve lead generation and increase sales success.