Social media has become an integral communications tool for many companies, however many business-to-business (B2B) organizations remain hesitant to implement a social media strategy. Content curation, ROI and choosing the right platform are some of the biggest concerns for B2B companies, but there are simple solutions to overcome them.
How can I develop or find interesting content?
One way to get a program up and running is to start with your organization’s community based efforts. This content should be low risk and conflict free. If a company doesn’t have enough content velocity to actively update its channels, another potential source is to tap into third party source such as studies or articles to share relevant information that interests your audience. Lastly, repurpose thought leadership content developed for other channels for distribution through social media.
How can I show social media’s value?
Public relations and marketing industries haven’t been particularly good at measuring its effectiveness. Is a mention in national media equal to a feature in a niche trade outlet? How do you distinguish between impressions vs. reaching the target audience? Perhaps executives and marketers aren’t assessing social media correctly. It’s not about ROI. Social media should be used as a tool to listen and monitor your brand, the learnings from which can then be translated into helping achieve business objectives, which can be measured.
Which platforms are right for my business?
Decide on an end goal, and then test a platform. If your focus is thought leadership, then create a blog. If you want to converse in real time, build a Twitter account. For visual content, Instagram may be the best.
B2B companies often waver in using social media for fear they say the wrong thing (and in turn compromise sensitive information) or don’t have enough to say. However, with a strategic and thoughtful approach to their content, B2B companies can make the most of social media platforms.