When we talk about social media, the common perception is that this form of marketing is more suited for B2C businesses, i.e., organizations that create products catered to individual consumers. However, with a massive 4.65 billion people on social platforms worldwide in April 2022, as reported by Kepios, an advisory firm, this channel is paramount for both B2C and B2B businesses, i.e., companies targeting other firms for their products. Moreover, going by Gartner data, it is predicted that by 2025, digital channels will drive 80% of B2B sales interactions.
This signifies that social media platforms are today an essential bandwagon that connects businesses to businesses as much as they link them to end customers.
It further opens a plethora of opportunities for buyers and end-users of B2B brands to interact and get familiar with their offerings. Therefore, having a multi-dimensional presence and developing a social media campaign to target these customers is essential because business clients need more convincing to comprehend the integration capabilities and rate of return.
So, what is the best way to use social media for B2b marketing?
As business-targeted products come at a heftier price point, they require more information and persuasiveness during the sales cycle. Therefore, it becomes crucial for businesses to become vigilant and avoid frequent social media marketing mistakes.
Below are listed 4 common social media marketing mistakes that every marketer must avoid.
1. Creating one content strategy for all social media pages
Many enterprises overlook the fact that each social media page—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.—requires a distinct content strategy. Fuelling similar content on all channels is a narrow view and a red flag when creating a b2b social media marketing campaign as it neglects the diverse target audience of each platform.
For instance, on YouTube, an excellent way to optimize is by publishing product details, reviews, customer testimonials, and highlighting product features. Alternatively, the audience that may see the campaign on LinkedIn will presumably be from an active user community and be aware of the company and its products.
Thus, using the networking website to showcase the technical information will work aptly with its audience. Poll questions are another way to generate engagement on LinkedIn.
Hence, an effective way to achieve a robust content strategy is by employing the skills of both marketing teams and internal subject matter content creation. In addition, repurposing content is another approach to secure a synergy between the platforms. As per Statista, B2B firms are realizing the importance of content marketing and looking to increase their spending by 46% within the next 12 months.
2. Not being observant and making tweaks
Creating content for a social campaign is half the battle won. The real deal starts after it goes live. This is when digital marketers must be cognizant of determining and assessing what is being said, gauge its impact online, and make the necessary tweaks if required.
Furthermore, another common social media marketing mistake made at this stage is giving up on a campaign in the early days if it does not perform as expected. But, give it time while being vigilant so it garners traction. Pulling it off may result in a potential campaign not performing to its potential. So, wait and also make alterations to attract attention.
Alternatively, create engaging content and creatives for the audience to interact with and, if they do, ensure to respond or react promptly. This two-way communication strengthens relationships as it will emphasize your brand personality.
Finally, don’t only focus on sales through the campaign. Follow the rule of 80% informational content and 20% promotional. For instance, if your campaign focuses on a newly launched automation product, disclose how the product will benefit their business and reduce costs as your conversation driver.
3. Not investing in influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has, over the years, been an essential aspect of marketing strategies. We have seen it grow in the last five years, and it is only expected to grow further. As a B2B brand, finding the right digital influencers can improve your online presence by connecting the company to their groups of passionate followers and thereby extending the campaign’s reach. The influencers also play a pivotal role in propelling social media presence and creating an inventory for the brand.
Must Read: Why Influencer Marketing
4. Measuring the false metrics
The most suitable way to determine the success of your social campaign is through data analytics.
Therefore, establishing and monitoring the KPIs is a practical way to understand if your strategy is effective or not. But, measuring the wrong metrics will take the campaign down.
For instance, increasing followers indicates a positive sign but does not measure excellent performance. Hence, preserve the current ones and continue to add new ones. Another vital aspect is to analyze clicks to review if the post is performing well or not. Furthermore, evaluate if the website’s traffic is driven by social posts. If so, dwell deep to know which platform is working well and examine the kinds of posts that are gaining traction.
For example, analyzing conversations and referrals becomes necessary if the campaign is sales-driven. But if the emphasis is to increase brand awareness, impressions and reach are the metrics to concentrate on. With this data, you can dedicate your resources and optimize the social campaign. In summary, social media presents a chance for B2B firms to highlight products, showcase differentiators, and position the company as a thought leader.
Therefore, it is essential to know the campaign’s objective, target audience, and expected goal and leverage multiple platforms to avoid making these common social media marketing mistakes.
As per HubSpot, every additional social channel added to the social media marketing plan can result in a 35% increase in ROI and effectiveness. It further gives you eyeballs and increases brand awareness as it opens a window of interaction for the end customer with the organization beyond traditional sales channels.
But be watchful of the errors mentioned above and be conscious of not being tempted to purchase fake followers. They may make your campaign trend, but if reported, it will have a massive impact on your reputation and lead to account closure.
Additionally, review your posts and creatives; a skip can lead to embarrassing typos, and a broken link to the landing page will be a missed sales opportunity. So, stay attentive and be careful to avoid making mistakes.
If you’re looking to build a content marketing strategy for your startup, we hope that our blog post provides some insight. However, you always have a second option. Talk to us!
