How B2B Companies Build Social Media Reach
Many social media marketers have little to say in the way of B2B social media marketing. Some will even say it cannot be done. Well, SearchDog Marketing is here to tell you that social media success can be achieved for B2B companies! Be aware that social media strategies for B2B companies require a slightly different approach than B2C, for obvious reasons, but it is totally doable.
The first thing B2B social media marketers must start doing is…
Quality OVER Quantity
Instead of worrying about how many followers you have, focus on gaining a QUALITY following. How do you get quality followers, you ask? By targeting certain businesses that you want to engage. What good will 1,000 low quality followers do for your brand? Little. Examine your competitors follower lists and follow those companies too.
Please keep in mind that this strategy is more than snatch and grab. You must find the other businesses that you want to target and engage them. The average, everyday citizen, fan or follower may not do you any good, so think about your bottom line.
Share Content with Complementary Businesses
Not too long ago, we started something called Friday Local Business Spotlight on Facebook. It is just what it sounds like – every Friday we feature a new Atlanta business that we fancy for whatever reason. The concept is simple enough – we shine some light on a complementary, local business in hopes of…. what exactly? In hopes of making a connection and expanding our social media reach. How much ROI have we gained from it? It depends on what you (we) call success. Success, for us, in this sense, is making a social connection on and offline with the business. We’re using social media as a tool, a means to an end.
Not only do we spotlight businesses, we also share their share-worthy content with our followers and fans. Everything is not all about us and we not only understand that, we embrace it. Social media is about two-way communication, sharing ideas, inspiration, and information. In essence, be social with other businesses and they will likely return the favor.
Integrate Social Media Intro Traditional Marketing Mix
Social media is only a piece of the marketing mix that keeps your business reach growing systematically over time. Although social media management can be rather taxing and time-consuming, it is important not to forget to keep up with what you are already doing and integrate the new with the old. Some things are obsolete and no longer necessary. Technology and the Internet has allowed businesses to cut corners and save costs on things that were once big financial burdens. Social media, for instance, is a free (primarily) tool that you can use to your advantage.
Different businesses use social media for different marketing functions. Some use it as event promotion, customer service, public relations, or advertising. Some use it for all of that and more. No matter what your reason is for using social media for B2B marketing, remember not to put all your eggs in the social media basket. Doing so is just as risky in social media as it is in life and business.
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