B2B Marketing on Social Media
Quick answer: B2B social media marketing differs from B2C because it focuses on relationship building, brand development, lead generation and thought leadership. Rather than using every platform, B2B companies should concentrate on channels that give the best return on time invested for their industry and audience, with Facebook and LinkedIn cited as the most popular.
As of 2019, there are 3.499 billion people who are social media users globally¹. The average global user spends 2 hours and 16 minutes on social media each day. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest have been touted as must-haves for all businesses. More brands and organizations began to realize through intensive analysis that some platforms stood out more – depending on industry, sector and target audience. Hence, they began focusing on platforms that showcased greater ROTI (return on time invested) for B2B professionals.
When marketing on social media, the focus areas for B2B companies vary from their B2C counterparts. B2B companies are more likely to focus on relationship building, brand development and lead generation. More than half of all B2B marketers use social media to grow partnerships and gain competitor insights. They like to position themselves as thought leaders within their industries. According to the Social Media Examiner, the 2 most popular channels for B2B marketing are Facebook (90%) and LinkedIn (80%)2.
LinkedIn has successfully positioned itself or rather, was built for business interactions. The interface is streamlined and simple for B2B pros to use and benefit from. It also works better to drive qualified leads as compared to the other socials. Having said that, organizations should not discount the effectiveness of other social media platforms. Relevancy is key here. Make sure WHAT you’re posting fits WHO you’re posting for. Let’s look at the top 5 reasons why people use social media3:
- To stay in touch with friends (42%)
- To stay updated on current events (41%)
- To fill up spare time (39%)
- To find entertaining content (37%)
- General networking with other people (34%)
Many users are looking to keep up with the latest trends and news in their industry to help with their business, build their network, self-growth and reputation. There is already a steady growth in content sharing on social media but how do we avoid content-fatigue4?
Post Less but High-Quality Content
According to HubSpot, there is a certain type of standout posts (which they refer as ‘compounding posts’) that will surpass the initial traffic that they generate soon after publication5. These posts may not generate ample traction at the get-go but their structure and substance are so relevant that they continue to deliver value and grow traffic organically. HubSpot discovered that the longest posts with over 2,000 words received more tweets, LinkedIn shares, Facebook shares, likes and counts.
These compounding posts serve as amazing assets to blogs and quality leads generation.
Give Fresh Insights
The social media is saturated with content – the last thing that you want to do is to regurgitate the same information repeatedly. It gets boring, obviously. Be a standout by delivering fresh insights, that solve everyday problems (through your company’s products and offerings). Source problems by chatting with your friendly front liners – they are the best people to give feedback on customers’ preferences and pain points. Craft content leveraging on these issues and the accompanying solutions – your customers will thank you for it!
Speak Directly to a Defined Audience
Brands with a large, varied market often struggle with creating campaigns that resonate with their customers on a personal level. Through segmented marketing, brands can create content that focuses on a specified target audience. Customers will start identifying with your unique propositions and selling points over your competitors who are not speaking directly to them or targeting them.
Ask Less, Give More
Social media or blog posts that are peppered with ‘Sign up now’, ‘Subscribe’, ‘Join for free’ (and the list goes on) can be annoying at the very least. Create content that adds value to your consumers without asking anything in return. This is not to say that you shouldn’t include call-to-actions in your posts at all. Rather, use your CTAs strategically. Customers can sniff a sales pitch and resent you for it.
Plan your social media marketing mix by establishing clear goals of what you want to achieve. Continuously analyze the performance of your campaigns in real-time. Social media marketing is a matter of trial and error and having an overview of your social media activity helps put things into perspective.
References:
https://hootsuite.com/pages/digital-in-2019 https://themanifest.com/digital-marketing/how-does-b2b-social-media-marketing-differ-b2c https://blog.globalwebindex.com/chart-of-the-day/social-media/ https://copyhackers.com/2016/02/content-fatigue/ Image Credit – https://www.pexels.com/search/social%20media%20marketing/
Key takeaways
- B2B social media prioritises relationships and lead generation.
- Focus on platforms with the best return on time invested.
- Facebook and LinkedIn were cited as leading B2B channels.
- Thought leadership strengthens B2B brand positioning.
Frequently asked questions
How is B2B social media different from B2C?
B2B companies focus more on building relationships, developing their brand and generating leads. Many also use social media to grow partnerships, gain competitor insights and position themselves as thought leaders.
Which social platforms are most popular for B2B marketing?
According to Social Media Examiner, as cited in the article, the two most popular B2B channels were Facebook (90%) and LinkedIn (80%).
Should B2B companies be on every social platform?
Not necessarily. Brands found that some platforms deliver a greater return on time invested depending on industry, sector and audience, so focus where your buyers are.
How can 90 Degrees Asia help with B2B social media?
90 Degrees Asia specialises in LinkedIn marketing, content and lead generation for B2B companies across APAC, helping brands focus on the channels that suit their audience.
Want help applying this in your market? Talk to 90 Degrees Asia about B2B marketing across APAC.
