Stepping into the social media sphere can feel somewhat daunting for more traditional B2B marketing teams, but believe us, it doesn’t have to be difficult to be successful. By incorporating social marketing into the mix, companies can extend brands, generate leads and engage customers. The 2014 State of Marketing found that 57% of marketers plan to increase on social media.
We’ve recently been receiving quite a few inquiries for tips on how B2B companies can start adapting social media into current marketing plans. Here are a few ideas on getting started with social marketing:
PROMOTE – Your customers and prospects must be able to connect with you online. Promote your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or YouTube accounts on all marketing collateral – direct mail, e-newsletters, print ads, website – any message bearing your company stamp should also include your social media contact information.
ENGAGE – Instruct your staff on how to include social media contact information in their email signatures. Urge employees, customers and prospects to join online conversations. Remember, a conversation is two ways – don’t just shout about your products and services, listen and engage with all your participants. Bonus tip: Having a social media plan in place helps with continued engagement.
NETWORK – Make ‘network’ a verb. Connect with key players in your industry, potential customers and media members in your niche. Once you’ve laid the foundation, organize tweet-ups or Facebook events to network with users of the same interests.
COMMUNITY – Small businesses and large corporations alike can go a long way by engaging with their local or international community online. Start a discussion on LinkedIn; conduct a quick poll on Facebook; use a hashtag to live tweet at a tradeshow. Promoting community builds trust while enhancing all brands, events or organizations involved.
At a minimum B2B businesses should at least be involved in communities and social networks where their customers already are. Choose a few initiatives that will work well for your company and gain incremental success until you are more comfortable delving deeper into social media.
If you have ideas or success stories to share, please leave a comment or tweet us at @31creative!
