Let’s face facts: B2B marketing for nuts, bolts, and electrical wiring isn’t exactly cool. And it’s definitely not as sexy as a company selling ads for fast cars and sports performance drinks. But thanks to the social media landscape and a generation that’s glued to their phones and tablets, there’s actually a surprising amount of room for B2B companies to make compelling work. Even if your product portfolio is dry as sawdust, you can still create content that’s authentic, personable, funny, and – most importantly – engaging.
When we talk about engaging content, we mean the stuff that grabs their attention and drives clicks, shares, likes, and comments. Done correctly, you’ll stop them in their tracks and hopefully get them to spread your message to all their friends and families. For this article, we’ll give you the tools to transform your social media and so you can put a refreshing twist on your boring nuts and bolts.
Ditch The Boring Myth
It’s more important than ever to integrate a social media strategy into your marketing plan. And in order to do so, you need to get rid of the myth that your product is “boring” and start thinking of it as a product that can connect to people – both clients and fans.
Where do I start when building a social media following?
Once you realize you can make a connection, you need to figure out your voice. Sure you can dive in and start throwing up posts all over Facebook and Instagram, but you need some creative direction. Start with simple posts that use a conversational tone, speaking with people and not at them. Create a tone that’s unique to your brand and your authenticity will start to gain traction with your audience – both new and old.
How much content is enough?
Don’t be the company that overposts or trolls for content. You also don’t want to be the faceless, boring brand that interacts like a robot with zero personality. Start your social rollout with a calendar that spreads out an assortment of posts, allowing you to share engaging content across your channels, from community interaction, to new ideas, to the occasional humor. Here’s a look at the recommended amount of posts for social:
Facebook: 1 post per day
Twitter: 10 posts per day
Pinterest: 5-10 pins per day
LinkedIn: 1 post per day
Instagram: 1 post per day
Why can’t B2B companies communicate more like B2C companies? (Spoiler alert: they can!)
You may not be selling the most exciting products in the universe, but you can still have some fun with social content that creates connection. Unfortunately, most B2B companies spend too much time focusing on themselves and selling their product. In order to be successful on social you need to turn your lens the other direction, focusing on how you can help your followers and the many creative ways you can solve their problems. Share advice, tips, tricks, and maybe the occasional trivia. The more your users become used to your posting style, the more likely they are to interact – even when they aren’t being explicitly asked to do so.
There are so many platforms! Which ones should my company be on?
Sure, Linkedin and Twitter are the obvious answers here, as they are excellent platforms for client leads. But remember that people aren’t on social looking for bait – they’re here to interact. Start to think about creative ways your content can live on other platforms, generating content that’s less product driven and more story-focused. You can also look at what your competitors are creating, that way you’ll get a better idea of which platform performs best within your industry. When you think of social media as a place for creative storytelling, you’ll open up a world of possibility across all your platforms. And your fans will love you for it!