b2b social marketing - top three tools
In general, having a vast selection of options is usually a desirable thing. However, narrowing down your choices can often be overwhelming. This is especially true when your decision is business-related and could potentially make or break your marketing efforts!
If you are a business-to-business organization, or a B2B marketer, you have a huge selection of choices when it comes to social media for B2B marketing. Something that is true of any social media effort is that once you start, you must stay on top of your social media channels in order for them to be effective.
We have created a Top Social Media Sites Database that can be used to help you identify which social marketing channels are the best fit for your business. To review this tool in more detail, click here.
If you’re looking for a general introduction to the top three free social media tools available, you will find an introduction to Twitter, LinkedIn and to Blogging below:
Twitter is the first source for successful B2B marketing. Everyone who is new to the concept tends to have the same reaction, which is, “What is the point?” When it comes to twitter as one form of social media for B2B, a few examples of a successful use cases are:
- When a business takes advantage of the ability to spread news and industry information
- When a business keeps close with contacts
- When holding micro-conversations
You must have a complete profile so visitors to your Twitter site can easily determine that you are a legitimate business rather than a spammer. It is also important to use your real name and provide a professional profile picture. This picture should be the same across all the social media sites where you have a visible profile.
Next is LinkedIn. The simple fact about using social media for B2B marketing is that if you are planning on taking it seriously, you need to be on LinkedIn. At the highest level, LinkedIn is similar to Facebook but for business professionals. It is a place for you to build your credibility, develop business relations and share information. This is important because people want to buy products from people they trust. Again, the importance of a complete profile is essential here. Your profile can also show up in search engines, acting as your virtual resume.
Starting a blog is another popular variety of social media for B2B marketing. Blogs play off the idea that people buy products from people with expertise. A blog is the perfect way to share your expertise and allow your customers to put some trust in you. Completing blog entries is also an excellent form of search engine optimization. Updated sites show up much more frequently on query return lists than static sites do. If you choose this option, you may consider hiring a writer to convey your ideas in a professional manner. Overall, social media is a way to connect with your customers and other business professionals on a more personal level than was ever possible before.
If you’re looking for some great resources to help you get started, check out our Online and Social Media section @ www.demandmetric.com.
