Is social media important for B2B businesses?
At this point, I feel like I don’t need to address this question, but just to really drive it home, YES. Social media is important for business—whether you’re B2B or B2C.
Here are major reasons why you should be posting on social for your B2B company: 1) Your competitors are most likely already using it 2) Your customers are using social media and looking for what you offer.
Social media and content marketing are way too often overlooked because the effects aren’t immediate. You post one time, you probably won’t see results from it. You don’t post at all, you definitely won’t see results. That’s the problem. If you’re looking for instant gratification here, you’re in the wrong place.
Social media and content, like anything that gives awesome results, require delayed gratification and consistency. If you stick with it, the heavy lifting is done for you. Clients are coming to you, already viewing you as their go-to expert (which is half the battle especially when it comes to outbound marketing).
Best Practices for Social Media for B2B Businesses
- Build buyer personas
- Optimize bios with keywords
- Be human
- Pick 2-3 social platforms
- Try to use original content as much as possible
- Be a thought leader and bring value
- Share your story
- Show you (or your employees) whenever possible
- Step out of your own perspective
- Follow CARDs for top tier content
1. Build Buyer Personas
This should be the very first step before publishing one post. You can’t create effective content on social media if you don’t understand who you’re targeting, their interests, and pain points. So build a buyer persona (or a few if you cater to multiple audiences).
You’re a successful business. We’d all love to cater to everyone, but realistically, we can’t. You know this. So narrow it down so that you can actually speak directly to your ideal clients and what they care about.
2. Optimize Bios with Keywords
I see a lot of companies miss the mark here. Blubird is a digital marketing agency that offers services like social media management, SEO, paid ads, and web design. So I want to show up for people who are searching for these things. And I DO. I can’t tell you how many leads and clients I’ve gotten just from doing this.
Research and brainstorm your industry keywords and make sure you include them in your bio or headline (for Linkedin).
3. Be Human
This is a common marketing mistake I see businesses making. All of their content from the stiff corporate graphic to the bland copy is more corporate robot than human. I think the reason for this is because people correlate being professional with not being able to show personality.
Your brand will have more success and engagement when you write and act more human. Think about it— which would you rather read: a block of text filled with fluff and buzzwords OR a caption that uses plenty of line breaks and a more conversational tone? I don’t know about you but I don’t like having to read something three times and still question what the heck it’s even saying.
4. Pick 2-3 Platforms
I encourage you to set up profiles on every major channel because these are great brand links (or citations) from an SEO perspective. But as far as managing and posting, I strongly recommend picking two (no more than three) channels.
I know you might experience FOMO from this, but every single channel is used for a completely different purpose in such a different way. So there’s really no way you (or your team) can manage more while being effective and seeing results. It’s also just not necessary.
Pick your platforms based on what makes sense for your business and who they’re trying to reach. If you’re an enterprise software company, you can dismiss your pressure to start posting Tik Toks. Your demographic probably doesn’t hang out there.
My platforms are Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin.
5. Use Original Content
One of my promises to my clients is to tell them the truth even if it’s not what they want to hear. So here I go… We’re tired of seeing the same team meeting stock image. You probably know the one…
But trust me, I understand it’s not realistic to always use your own pictures and videos. I get it and I’m not shaming the use of stock images (I do it too!). I’m just encouraging you to set aside some time to take your own pictures and videos (even if it’s once per quarter). If you set aside time, you should have plenty of content to use until the next quarter.
If you’re camera shy, show off your team, your office space, your happy customers, and your product or service. There are endless possibilities if you just get a little creative.
6. Be a Thought Leader and Bring Value
Many businesses play it safe, but we’re not here to play it safe. Playing it safe isn’t disruptive and life-changing. If you’re a business owner, I’m sure that’s what you intend your business to be. Your business is a living, breathing, and evolving entity. It has its own tone, values, and even opinions.
If you sit on the fence about everything, it’s boring. You’re not showing what your business truly stands for. I know that showing off opinions opens up the possibility for people to disagree and that’s completely okay. You can show off your brand’s opinions and expertise and if people disagree, consider it a sign that your team is doing something right. You’re taking a stance and starting meaningful conversations (which boosts your post in the algorithm, too). I’m not sitting here encouraging you to start Facebook wars. I’m pushing you to really showcase your brand’s values, opinions, and insights as the expert and leader you are so that you have some substance that can resonate with people.
7. Share Your Story
It’s not all about asking for the sale or pushing your latest webinar. Every brand has a story whether it’s why the company began in the first place, customer pain points and how your offering is the solution or customers’ experiences with your product or service.
B2B could take some notes from B2C marketing when it comes to storytelling. I know what you’re probably thinking and just because we’re talking about storytelling doesn’t mean that it needs to be fluffy. Even case studies are a form of storytelling. You tell the reader where a customer began before working with you, the problems they were facing then move on to the solution, and finish off with the results.
8. Show Face Whenever Possible
Don’t overthink this (or any of your social media content). Show your (or your team’s) face whenever it’s possible. This could be showing up on stories or doing a quick 5-10 minute live on Instagram or Linkedin. People love it and it does wonders for gaining credibility.
9. Step Out of Your Own Perspective
Oftentimes, we make decisions based on what we think is cool or important. I always ask if I was my target audience, would this post make me stop scrolling and actually read and engage with the content? I’ve also found it helps to put myself in my potential client’s shoes and read over my content with one major question in mind: “How does this benefit me?”
You’ll most likely see the content you create shift once you do this.
10. Follow CARDS for Top Tier Content
CARDS is an acronym that is the tool for creating effective content that gets people to convert. Here’s what it stands for:
Compelling: does it make your audience stop mid-scroll and tune into what you have to say? Does it make them feel something?
Authentic: Is it true to your brand as well as your customer? Remember: Be human!
Relevant: Is it relevant to your industry and your customer’s needs?
Digestible: Is it easy to scan? Stay away from giant walls of text!
Shareable: Is it valuable, entertaining, or compelling enough to have them share it with a friend or save it for later? Shares and saves carry more weight than likes and comments these days.
Need Some B2B Content Marketing Examples?
Here are a few examples of brands that get it…
1. Zapier
2. Adobe
3. Hubspot
Social media has been on your to-do list for too long now. It’s not going anywhere and the longer you avoid it, the more advantage your competitors who DO use it have. It’s an organic form of marketing so it’s a long-term game but whether you’re B2B, B2C, or even a personal brand, social media marketing WORKS.
If you need a marketing partner to help you create and implement a solid strategy, we’re here for you! Book a free consultation here.
