While everyone is seeking virality, you need to understand the real sauce behind a successful B2B social media strategy. It’s not about garnering a few hundred likes, comments, and shares, it’s about measuring the impact of social media on your business activities and creating a plan that caters to the multiple touchpoints of customers. 

B2B social media is more than a buzzword and not understanding a few essential things will ruin your marketing and sales plan. 

9 Vital Rules to Not Ignore

1. Likes Don’t Convert Customers

Let’s say you have created a post describing all the features of your product and after clicking the “like” button, you are done engaging with the post. But, the reality is only liking the post will not guarantee any social media ROI.  You are not the customer, you are the business trying to utilize the impact of social media to market your B2B brand.

Multiple users will like the same post and the chance to be visible will be zero. Leave a meaningful comment that’s witty, and personal and adds to the information of the post. However, be wary of dropping your product link in the comment section because users hate spam-worthy messages. 

2. Post and Post But No Engagement

Posting content is fine because everybody is doing that, but how do you stand out? We live in a time where marketing is a two-way conversation between brands and their customers. Thanks to the impact of social media, online communication happens instantly, and people begin to notice you and then follow up to engage with you. 

When sharing something like a funny business quote or a question, reply to people relaying the message that you value their contribution and feedback. There is no special trick, just being out there will help you develop a personal touch with your audience.

3. Your Social Media is only about Sales

There are various content marketing examples and social media is the biggest defining aspect. However, if you are posting only promotional content and trying to pitch your product, people will doubt your credibility. It turns them off as it becomes a transactional relationship where you want to get something from them. 

The impact of social media is making your brand a credible resource and it’s better to tell stories and connect with your audience on a deeper level. Figure out a tone that presents a solution that can make their life or process better. 

• Share tips, write-ups, and studies to solve the customer’s problem.
• 70-80% of your posts should be about the audience and only 10% towards selling your core product.
• Stay active to build authority so people flock to your profile or website. 

4. Dummy or Incomplete Profiles are Bad

B2B social media marketing is a combination of tactics, planning, and careful research. We come across many profiles that are either dead or provide incomplete information. Please complete all the necessary details whenever you create a new social media account. Include information about you and your company in the bio section with a strong CTA that redirects to your website or a product page.

The digital world is filled with scammers and users would want to know who, where, and what you are. A complete profile shows that you are a legit brand and positively affects the impact of social media. Additionally, it helps to gain quality followers ready to strike conversations and want to purchase your product or service. 

5. Not Tracking Key Metrics

Some social media ROI examples include metrics like likes, comments, and referral traffic. Google uses website referral traffic to record visits that are happening outside the search engine platform. Tracking it will help you understand the impact of social media on your overall website visit. Adjust and adapt the B2B strategy accordingly based on social analytics data. 

6. Singular Strategy is a Recipe for Disaster

There are over a billion social media users in the world and the arrival of multiple platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedln requires a distinct content plan. The impact of social media is different for all platforms and repurposing the same content neglects the needs of your diverse target audience. 

For example, product posts on YouTube like a sponsored video can be about product details, customer testimonials, and highlighting the features. However, the same video might not work on Linkedln because the user is aware of the product. Use polls and post technical information to gain engagement in the professional platform. 

7. Ignoring Influencer Marketing in B2B

Many people don’t realise the importance of influencer marketing ruining the impact of social media strategies. Digital influencers are on the rise and many brands are allocating extensive budgets to promote their products through an influencer’s reach. Leverage the potential of B2B creators to extend the reach of your social media profiles. 

Connect with thought leaders and ask relevant questions or invite them for a podcast. People like listening to leaders sharing their personal experiences rather than bland ads running the features of your product. 

8. Social Media Replacing Sales Strategies

Boosting social media ROI is one part of the game and converting users through the sales funnel is altogether a different ballgame. Creating brand awareness and getting people interested in your content( blogs, webinars, case studies, and podcasts) doesn’t guarantee sales. 

The B2B sales cycle is complex as multiple stakeholders are involved in the decision-making process. People don’t buy products based on impulse and generating only significant website traffic does not translate into lead fulfillment. Thus, it’s better to combine social initiatives with sales engines to boost the impact of social media. 

9. Not Understanding Algorithm Updates 

What worked two months ago is not relevant today. Creating content for a B2B social campaign is half the battle won. Most digital marketers make the mistake of giving up on a campaign in the early days if it’s not performing as expected. The impact of social media is a marathon rather than a sprint and there are multiple hurdles to cross the finish line. 

The rule is simple – to create authentic and value-based content consistently. However, paying attention to the algorithm and making necessary tweaks goes a long way in delivering a positive impact on social media. 

Wrapping up, let’s understand some commonly asked questions to dig deeper into the relevance of B2B social media strategies.

FAQs: 9 Things You Will Regret Not Knowing about B2B Social Media

How does social media affect B2B?

The long-drawn benefits of B2B social media strategy are stimulating meaningful brand-customer interactions. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedln provide flexibility to users to reach out directly to businesses and vice-versa. 

How do you target B2B on social media?

Ace your B2B social media campaigns by aligning the core business objectives, doing competitor analysis and creating a targeted content marketing approach that offers customer-oriented content to solve users’ pain points.

What are the content pillars for B2B social media?

These are the main topics that your brand is going to discuss, educate and amplify your audience. Understanding that specific niche or category is crucial to building a solid social media plan. 

What is the top social media platform for B2B content marketing?

Linkedln is the place to fuel B2B social media content to new heights. It serves as a significant lead-generation tool for many B2B businesses.

Final Conclusion

Taking care of these 9 things will help you avoid critical mistakes in delivering the successful impact of social media. However, this is just the beginning of a long-term strategy and requires months of careful planning, research, and analysis. If you are confused about starting your B2B social media journey, get in touch with MidasTouch to discover effective social media strategies.