As you consider how much of a digital presence you should maintain for your business, consider this: by 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur on digital channels (as per Hootsuite). Many factors contribute to this trend, including the movement of millennials into decision-making roles, and the increase of online buying habits alongside the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that businesses can’t afford to NOT have a digital marketing presence.
In today’s landscape, there are so many social media channels, it may be difficult to decipher where to put your money, especially for B2B businesses. Selecting your social media bundle should depend on where your audience is and your marketing goals. You will need to have an understanding of every social platform before deciding which to use. So, here’s a brief insight into several of them, listed in order of preference as per B2B business best practices. It may be different for B2C.
LinkedIn:
Undoubtedly, LinkedIn is a “must” for your business (be it product- or service-based). The probability of being in front of your target group here is higher than on any other platform. And if you have a powerful content marketing strategy you can start conversations that materialize into leads and social selling. What’s more, the LinkedIn Ads console has improved significantly and now marketers can advertise cost-effectively.
Twitter:
Twitter remains less explored, particularly by small business owners. It’s a great channel for connecting with experts, journalists, editors, and your peers. The exchange of information is meaningful and can offer constant learning opportunities. While Twitter has a broad reach, it can be very time-consuming. To be top-of-mind here, expect to tweet at least daily. If you develop a flair for creating content on the go, and post it consistently, you can stay engaged and build a broad network.
YouTube:
This is a perfect channel for an explainer/how-to video about your products or services. Other effective YouTube content includes Brand videos, Testimonials, and Thought-Leadership videos. One of the best-kept secrets about YouTube is its SEO advantage to position you higher on search rankings. Using simple tricks you can increase your video’s ranking for specific keywords. Once you develop your content library, you will see a major jump in your website’s search traffic.
Facebook:
If there is one channel that a B2B should use less, it might be Facebook. It’s great for creating a buzz or increasing social traffic to the website. But it’s dicey that you will get in front of the right audience often. This channel might be more useful for a B2C.
Instagram:
There are a plethora of tools that Instagram offers for lead generation and monetization. It’s an excellent channel to advertise and get subscribers or sign-ups for your next webinar or event. The challenge is that it’s extremely visual. To produce enough content, you either need to dedicate a team or train yourself to be a savvy digital creator.
Podcasts:
During Pandemic, Podcasts have become our favorite companion for long walks or couped up at home. If you are trying to build your thought leadership and would like to get subscribers, I suggest you explore this format. The latest podcast apps can get you set up fast, and you can be on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Play… all at once.
Clubhouse:
If you haven’t heard of it yet, it’s the newest kid on the block. It’s got a new format that engages the listener, but takes it a step further by adding an element of active participation inside “rooms.” It’s potential to drive sales conversations has yet to be seen, but – as you know – things can change quickly in the social media space. For now, it’s a good idea to join a couple of groups to check them out.
Before making your social media decisions, remember to build an understanding of each one’s strengths and drawbacks. No matter which you choose, they all require time and effort to have an impact, as well as keeping up with changes as they arise.
I am here to help you discover how to make social media work for your business. Please reach out to me with any comments or questions.
