Why B2B Social Media Marketing Is Essential

Social media is constantly changing the way businesses do marketing and advertising. There are always new trends to keep up with. For example, businesses are using social channels again to make them more relatable to the audience and for organic customer service. There’s also a rise in AR and VR-based social media campaigns, along with a general shift to next-gen social platforms like TikTok.

It pays to study and leverage these social media trends. Otherwise, competitors have a greater chance of taking over the spotlight.

B2B companies might assume that these trends only work for B2C companies. It’s true that B2C brands go viral on social media more often, but all businesses can gain leads, boost traffic, improve sales, and build brand loyalty on social channels.

Define Your Reasons for Building a Social Media Strategy

Before diving into social media marketing and drawing up a strategy for your business, it’s important to understand the reasons your B2B company should be on social platforms. Consider these factors for building and implementing a strategy.

Your Customers Spend Time on Social Media

B2B companies sell products through other businesses. Even though you’re not selling products directly to the people for who they’re designed and built, you should still get your name out there. Help your vendors introduce your brand name to their audience through social media. This fosters familiarity and establishes authority, so consumers are more likely to choose your brand.

Your social media presence also promotes brand engagement. Consumers get a chance to learn more about your brand, the attributes of your products, and your social responsibility efforts.

Customer Support Will Always Be Necessary

Although you’re selling your products through other businesses, they cannot address complaints that are directly related to the products. Consumers will still need direct customer support from your brand. And because many people take to social media to complain about a brand, whether there’s a product defect or even when user error is the issue, you have to be where they are.

By being visible on social media, consumers can directly contact your page or profile for inquiries and complaints. You can provide solutions faster, effectively improving customer satisfaction.

Social Media Assists with Leads and Sales

As a B2B company that sells products through other businesses and online stores, you still want people to visit your business website. These leads are more likely to look for your products in local stores if they like what they see on your website. You also generally want people to be aware of your products, and the easiest way to do this today is through social media.

An active social media profile helps you raise brand awareness and build an image as a thought leader. By engaging with consumers online, you’re building a stable position in the market space.

Additionally, an active social media profile promotes better sales. It helps you identify prospective customers, position your products to appeal to these prospects, develop relationships with them, and nurture leads for conversion. They might not be able to buy directly from you, but they’ll be more confident in finding and purchasing your products from stores that carry them.

Your Business Partners Are on Social Media.

Businesses understand that they need an online presence to thrive. So, there’s no doubt that your business partners — those that carry your products — are building their online visibility through digital marketing. The most effective strategies often include social media marketing, alongside search engine optimization and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

Build strong, collaborative business relationships with the B2C companies that sell your products by connecting with them on social media. Your brand is also more likely to get the attention of consumers when you coordinate social media activities with partners.

Keep in mind that consumers typically rely on websites and social media to access information about your brand and the products you offer. By establishing your social media presence, leads can get the support and nurturing they need to become customers.

Explore the Ways Your Business Can Use Social Media

Many B2B companies assume that people on social media are only interested in interacting with businesses in B2C industries. However, there will always be consumers who want to learn about your brand and your products directly from the source. It’s only a matter of being visible on the right platforms.

There are many social media platforms you can use. The best platforms for social media marketing include…

• LinkedIn for product updates and informational blog posts that build your professional network
• Facebook for closer consumer interaction, targeted group engagement and greater site traffic
• Twitter for viral marketing, content generation, and increased engagement with consumers
• Instagram for cost-effective paid advertising, better post targeting, and a younger audience
• YouTube for how-to product guides and long-form video content that promote engagement

There are many other social media platforms to consider such as TikTok, Pinterest, and SlideShare. Your choice of platform will ultimately depend on what your business is, who your target audience is, and how you want to present your brand to consumers.

You can try employee advocacy, influence marketing, and brand collaborations to boost engagement. But of course, an effective strategy is built and revisited over time. Consider all possible platforms and strategies before getting started.

Build Your B2B Social Media Marketing Strategy

B2B companies are likely to get to know prospects, improve brand awareness, and generate leads by being active on social media platforms that the target audience uses. A strong social media presence helps boost traffic and conversions, regardless of where consumers purchase the products from.

Social media is a constantly evolving landscape, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to build social media management solutions with streamlined processes and measurable results. From strategy development to campaign management and everything in between, you can count on us for assistance.

Interested in learning more about social media marketing? Check out this blog post we wrote that discusses the best social media platforms for B2B companies.