Social media has well and truly cemented itself into our everyday lives. There’s not a day that goes by without us using it to interact with friends, family members, and even strangers! But it’s not just for personal use; thousands of businesses worldwide use it as part of their marketing strategies. And when done correctly, it can generate impressive results and revenue.
There’s a bit of a misconception that social media is limited to only B2C (business-to-consumer) companies and that no one in their right mind would use it for B2B….right?
Wrong!
If your B2B business is not on social media because you think it’s not important, then you’re missing out. Research has shown that millennials now make up more than half of all B2B buyers and that 85% of them use social media to research brands and products during the decision making phase.
Social media is now being used for more than just keeping in touch with friends and family. Users are now utilising social media to discover new brands, look up reviews, research customer experiences and view products, and it doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon. This trend means that applied right, social media can actually be more valuable to a B2B business than a B2C one.
Benefits of social media for B2B businesses
It is easy to see why many B2B businesses think social media isn’t for them. When you compare it with how B2C organisations use social media to grow their company every day, it can be tricky to figure out how to do it; B2C businesses, of course, sell their services and products to end-consumers.
If you’re unsure of the benefits that social media can bring to your B2B business, here are a few:
Increases your exposure
Increasing your company’s exposure is vital in helping you develop your brand awareness and establishing trust with customers with who you do business. Social media is one way for you to increase your exposure, as it allows you to establish a conversation with existing and future potential clients.
The way you respond, share and interact on social media will help portray the type of business you are. You can do this by:
- Posting frequent, high-quality content that relevant to your target audience
- Keeping consistent with your brand and industry
- Encouraging interaction by replying to messages and comments from your audience
The more quality content you share with your target audience, the more likely they’ll be to share it with their friends and family, who, in turn, can share it with theirs, and so on. All of this will increase your brand’s online exposure.
Drives traffic to your website
Not only does social media increase your exposure, but it can also drive traffic to your website. Users might first interact with your social media pages, but then they might be curious to learn about your business and ultimately visit your website. In fact, social media accounts for 31.4% of total referral traffic!
If you post helpful links, resources, offers and blog posts that all link back to your website, you’re automatically making it easier for your social media audience to click through. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should go overboard in posting promotional content. Appearing overly sales-y could actually put people off – find the right balance!
Improves your SEO
Many search engine algorithms, like Google and Bing, incorporate social signals into their search results in different ways.
For example, if someone searches for your brand or keywords related to your industry, you want to take up the top spots, right? Having a number of social media accounts gives you multiple opportunities to be at the top.
Search engines will pick up on regular high-quality posts from your social media accounts. With more websites showing your brand, you are increasing your exposure and, therefore, the likelihood of being at the top of Google.
Generates leads
Social media is one of the best ways to connect and engage with potential customers and build lasting relationships. But how can this be applied to a B2B business?
Well, as the traffic to your website increases through social media, your lead generation will naturally increase also. Raising exposure to your brand and establishing trust will guide users through to your website, and the rule of averages shows us that some of those visitors will become actual customers.
Although LinkedIn is probably the most successful social platform for lead generation, it’s not the only one. Depending on the type of B2B business you run, Twitter, Facebook, and even Instagram could even help to generate more leads. It ultimately depends on where your audience is.
Establishes thought leadership
Establishing your business as a leader in your field through social media can significantly impact bringing in more customers through the door.
If you share your knowledge and expertise via social, you’ll stand out from your competition, build trust and ultimately convince customers to start a conversation with you. Platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are there for you to leverage; try sharing thought-provoking and specific industry-related news, tweets and articles with your audience.
Does your B2B business need help with your social media strategy?
Social media can be a great lead generator for B2B businesses that invest the time and effort into creating an effective and relevant social media strategy. But, if this all sounds very confusing, complicated, or too time-consuming for your B2B business, then why not enlist the help of a dedicated B2B marketing agency that specialises in social media?
At List & Found, we’ll help you create a custom social media strategy that’ll get your business noticed and get more people through the door. We’ll find the right channels to connect you and your customers. Get in touch today to see how we can create the perfect B2B social strategy for you!
