We’ve all heard the social media success stories: Small business strikes it big, reaching consumers and peddling tons of products.
And while it’s great that so many businesses are finding success through social media, it’s no surprise that B2C companies can find quick success – they can directly target their audience.
For B2C companies, however it’s a slightly bigger challenge.
One of the most frequent questions I get from corporate leaders is this one, ”Social media is all well and good for a B2C company, but how does it work for a B2B company?” In my opinion, social media is just as suited (if not more so) for B2B companies as it is for a B2C company.
If you’re a B2B company, here are a few things to consider when putting together or revamping your social media plan:
• Learn to be human again. People want to buy from other people. They want to buy from a trusted friend, not a logo.
• Never forget that content is king . Content. Content. Content. Nothing is more important. You can be on all the social media tools in the world. But it you are not providing interesting content, you will fail. People don’t want to hear about you. They don’t want to see re-worked material from public relations documents or booklets about your company or mission statements. They want to hear interesting ideas about your industry or how-to articles or video testimonials from leaders in your field.
Good content is the ONLY way people can start feeling good about you. Good content is the only way you can warm up cold leads. It is through good content you will begin to convert leads to sales.
• Know what you want to do. Social media is unfortunately a rich soil but one in which many seem to get ‘stuck’, spinning their wheels. Don’t be one of those. Be absolutely crystal clear that you know what you want to accomplish and where you want to go.
• Carefully identify your target audience. This may seem obvious but so many companies are vague about who they actually want to talk to. By pinpointing your target audience, you will then be able to choose the social sites you need to be on and isolate exactly what you want to say once you get there.
• Let social media show off your expertise. People love an expert. They buy from someone who can show their expertise. And one of the best things about social media is that it will make your expertise visible to the entire world. As a base, use your blog and online videos as a way to begin sharing your ideas and know-how. Make everything you write or every film you make interesting, fun and thorough.
The reputation-building potential of social media is why this new medium goes quickly from being a ‘nice to have’ to being an absolute necessity for any serious professional.
• Combine social media with offline tools. For example, if you meet a prospect at a conference, connect with them on Facebook and Linkedin. Integrate your prospect or client’s social media profile information into your CRM system. This will allow your sales force to learn more about your client the next time they contact them.
• Don’t underestimate your employees. Your employee may very well be the best social media spokespeople you have. Use them. Create and distribute Social Media guidelines for them so they are clear what they can and cannot say.
• Social media is all about attitude. Social media is far more about attitude that it is about tools. And part of that attitude means that you are ready to be open. For example, try cooperating with your competitors. Collaborate with other companies in your industry. Make your blog or website THE place to go, the most important community resource in your industry. Open doors. Don’t close them.
Social media takes time. You might put these tips to use and not see a return on them for a few months but sooner or later, you will see the benefits.
Just remember to be patient and be consistent and the organic nature of social media will do the rest.
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