Insights

5 Reasons to Develop a B2B Social Media Strategy

Author - armstrong-admin
05.07.2021

Underneath it all, B2C and B2B are inescapably B2P – Business to People. By leveraging best-practice social media strategies, B2B brands can engage with decision makers on a personal level, building empathy, trust, and rapport.

Because business leaders are far more likely to enter into partnerships with brands built on shared values, opportunities to communicate those values should not be overlooked.

Here are five reasons to develop a strong B2B social media strategy.

Increased visibility (brand exposure)

In the high stakes B2B arena, vendors of goods and services are unlikely to post self-promotional links to B2C-style ‘buy now’ pages. However, the purpose of B2B social media is not necessarily to gain ‘X’ number of measurable leads per campaign. The purpose is to increase brand visibility, widening the B2B sales funnel. Here’s how.

First, publish original content with high industry relevance – the aim is to present an issue, create urgency, and deliver the solution. Secondly, boost engagement by replying to comments. Audiences want to know that brands listen to – and respect – their views. Lastly, develop a consistent social media presence in terms of iconography and tone (reputations are built on enduring authenticity).

Nurture communications with existing clients 

B2B communications are shared with human beings, not robots. From professional sounding emails and carefully worded newsletters to on-message conference speeches and multi-chapter whitepapers, B2B audiences are seldom presented with opportunities to engage with the human element behind B2B brands.

Again, the aim of B2B social media in this instance is not to increase measurable leads in direct terms, but rather to expand reach and gain exposure by engaging existing clients in relevant and appropriate communications. Congratulate clients on business wins. Offer regular Q&A sessions. Answer queries in real time. Show the audience that two-way human communication is on the table.

Gain new leads (drive new business)

Executed in the proper way, B2B marketing strategies can be a valuable tool in indirect lead generation. As mentioned, strategies to boost online engagement with both non-client and client audiences can lead to a greater number of comments, shares, likes, reviews, recommendations, and backlinks. All of which can generate new leads for B2B businesses.

Boosted SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. While Google is silent on whether a developed social media presence is a positive ranking factor (most likely because it does use social presence as a yardstick for industry relevance but cannot admit to that fact without letting slip that it relies on signals from social platforms out of its control), other search engines – such as Bing – are happy to inform us that a company’s social media presence can affect ranking algorithms.

Social media comments can display in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), meaning each time a B2B brand shares valuable information, exposure may be gained via Google search.

Become an industry thought-leader (and develop a backlink portfolio)

A strong backlink portfolio consists of as many links as possible from authority domains. The greater the number of industry sources that link to a particular brand, the greater the signal to Google that the brand is worthy of a boost in ranking. By sharing hard-to-find industry expertise on social media, commentators researching the topic will more readily come across the content and may link to the source material in their own work.

B2B social media campaigns from ArmstrongB2B^®

The ArmstrongB2B^® social media team leverages original design templates, enabling each client to carve an individual and consistent presence across the most relevant social channels.

We plan, compose, and schedule posts on a weekly basis, or as required upon request regarding impromptu social updates. Clients have access to the scheduling calendar, granting the freedom to amend and approve posts in real time.

Our specialist social media team delivers monthly performance reports, outlining metrics selected for their relevance as KPIs to the client’s main objectives.

Our fully inclusive social media service offers a range of engaging social opportunities, such as “how to” or “talking heads” videos. The variation in our approach means we can provide bespoke social communications pertinent to different kinds of messages in all business scenarios (e.g., product launch events, industry award wins, and webinars).

We also advise our clients on the benefits of B2B social media for internal communications and recruitment – potential candidates looking to progress their career with a particular brand will likely research the company’s website and social media presence.

For more information, and to discover how ArmstrongB2B^® can help you to develop a strong B2B social media strategy, get in touch today to begin the conversation.