Did you know that 88% of people ages 18-29 are on social media in some fashion? Or that 80% of people 30-49 years of age are also using some form of social media? That means that a vast majority of your current and future business decision-makers are easily found on the many available platforms. This is why social media marketing is pertinent for your business now and in the future, both in brand awareness and in relationship building.
Brand Awareness
Because we each have the world’s knowledge and information literally at our fingertips, research is a normal part of the buying process. And with B2B, the stakes are a bit higher than in a B2C transaction. Just like with any purchase, the buyer wants to be able to trust the seller – and in B2B commerce, their transaction is often based on a much larger budget. That said, the importance of social media marketing is a bigger deal than one might originally think, as many people in the research phase of the buying process prefer the Internet.
First of all, brand awareness must occur before any transaction can follow. With the vast majority of your target market on social media, it’s a no-brainer that your brand ought to be there.
A great way to make your brand memorable is to use graphics and color scheme from your site, brochures, branding, websites, etc. in your social media posts. This creates a seamless link in the overall feel of your business. When you integrate all of your content (in whatever medium it may appear) with the same messaging, your entire marketing campaign will exude consistency and an inviting nature for your customer. They will never be confused about who you are, what you do, and how you look. This balanced voice keeps your business top of mind.
Daily engagement is another element that not only helps with brand awareness, but also with relationship building.
Relationship Building and Brand Advocacy
Just like with any relationship, consistent engagement is key. On social media, a business can build trust with their potential and current clients by daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly, providing some form of content.
It’s important that your social media platforms communicate to all types of your potential and current clients – for example, the business decision-makers. You can do this by offering free and valuable leadership content, promotions, contests, shout-outs, and more.
Another great way to interact with your client is to listen to them. As you begin to consistently post, you can see through social media monitoring tools which posts are receiving the most likes, comments, and shares. Then, you can provide more of that kind of content and tailor your online presence to what your customer wants.
And further, you’ll want to be answering comments and replying to any feedback you get, whether positive or negative. This shows that you pay attention and truly care about your customer. That leads to more lead generation and conversions, as people love a brand they can trust.
When you are meeting your customer where they spend much of their time, which content that shows you as the thought leader you are, brand advocacy and loyalty is sure to follow.
Additional Benefits
There are many benefits of social media – all of which are worth the time and effort you’ve put in to engage with your customers. According to Kapost Blog, “companies that have formal and structured social selling programs in place are already seeing results such as 18% greater lead volume and 17% faster lead conversion among reps who use social consistently versus those who do not.” With these benefits and those listed below, your company will experience growth through social media marketing.
- It builds SEO. Sticking with your consistent messaging and keywords allows for an even stronger SEO that can only help your rankings in the long-run.
- It displays you as a thought-leader. When you are providing fresh content with your posts, pictures, videos, blogs, and more, your rankings with go up as you show Google and others that you are a thought leader worth hearing from.
- It can provide lead generation. Social media can eventually provide valuable leads as you build trust with your prospective client. This takes time, but is very much worth your patience and efforts.
- It is an avenue for advertising. Social media advertising can be powerful, especially with the tools to target your ideal customer.
- It is measurable. Digital marketing is measurable and flexible. With tools that provide you with reporting and analytics, you can assess and adjust accordingly as needed to ensure you’re getting the best results.
Need Social Media for Your B2B? Uptick Can Help!
The social media world in general can sometimes be daunting – much less with social media marketing. When done right, it can build a deep trust between you and the businesses you are marketing to, unlike any other method of marketing. If you see the value of social media marketing for your B2B organization and need some experts who can get the job done, contact us at Uptick Marketing today!
