When used properly, the top social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn offer incredibly sophisticated and powerful marketing tools for B2B operations.
But the opposite is also true. If managed improperly, these same sites can become a destructive force.
There’s a popular myth that social media tactics and strategies don’t apply to B2B organizations. If nothing else, many people argue that social media is better suited for B2C businesses.
If you look closer, however, you’ll find this simply isn’t true. According to content strategist, speaker, and author Jay Baer, social media ultimately has the power to be more transformative for B2B companies than B2C companies.
“This is because B2B has a smaller potential customer base, a higher average price point, and a customer decision funnel that is more influenced by word of mouth and reputation,” Baer writes.
He is eager to point out that there are stark differences between B2B and B2C social media campaigns, though. Understanding the power of these tools — and proceeding with caution — will allow you to position your organization or brand for optimal success.
Leveraging the power of social media is a learning experience and takes time, but you can avoid unnecessary complications by avoiding the following errors.
1. Not paying attention to profile construction
You should treat your social profiles should as your virtual storefront. Passersby will judge you based on the quality and completeness of your profile.
Pay attention to the accuracy and visibility of your name, address, and phone number (NAP), and work on crafting an engaging description that clearly explains who you are and what value you provide.
2. Failing to monetize efforts effectively
While there’s something to be said for using social media to raise brand awareness, what is that worth if it doesn’t lead to conversions or sales? In order to monetize your efforts, use a platform like Spaces that allows you to build landing pages with integrated payments.
The fewer clicks you demand of your users, the better off your business will be.
3. Ignoring PPC advertising
Don’t avoid something just because it’s unfamiliar. This is especially true with regard to paid advertising on Facebook.
With its built-in targeting capabilities, Facebook empowers you to reach people you never would have contacted through your own efforts. Even setting aside a few dollars a day can help you generate more leads and convert more sales.
4. Being too self-promotional
You never want to come off as too self-promotional or you’ll lose credibility. Whenever possible, abide by the 70/20/10 posting rule, which says 70 percent of your posts should add value to your brand, 20 percent should be shared posts from other sources, and only 10 percent should be self-promotional in character.
The next time someone tells you social media doesn’t work for B2B organizations, show him or her the error of that thinking by explaining that there are ways to use sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn effectively for B2B purposes.
By keeping the foregoing mistakes in mind and avoiding the inevitable consequences of committing them, you can ensure your social media marketing efforts are better utilized and more effective.
