Tag Archive for: B2B Social Media

Creating A Successful Organic B2B LinkedIn Strategy

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An organic LinkedIn strategy is all about building your business’ presence on the platform without relying on targeted ads or sponsored content.

But how do you go about creating a successful organic B2B LinkedIn strategy for your client?

 

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a valuable platform for businesses of all sizes, providing the opportunity to connect with professionals, showcase expertise, and generate leads and sales.

An organic strategy on LinkedIn involves creating and sharing content that resonates with your target audience, engaging with them through comments, and building relationships with industry peers and potential customers.

It’s a place where you can really establish your brand’s values and CSR initiatives, as well as highlighting the expertise and experience of key individuals within the business.

Whether you’re looking to build a LinkedIn presence for a business or an individual’s page, this guide will help to outline how you can create a successful organic B2B strategy on this platform.

 

Promote CSR initiatives

In today’s economy, we know it’s vital for our clients to be able to showcase to potential customers that their business is committed to corporate social responsibility.

In other words, highlighting key initiatives, such as work in the local community or how they’ve reduced your environmental output, will resonate with their target audience and serve to enhance their reputation as a business.

If your client has received an environmental accreditation or donated money to a local cause, talk about it on LinkedIn. These posts drive engagement, and with more engagement, comes more exposure.

 

Share your clients’ expertise and experience

It’s important to remember that your client will have unique insights into their industry that are valuable to the target audience, so share them!

At Source, we encourage our clients to offer insight into the key issues facing their particular sector, as doing so frequently will help to showcase them as being industry experts that they are!

Whether it’s providing a perspective on the recent Spring Budget, or a thought leadership on industry trends and predictions, their insights can indicate to potential customers, that they’re a significant voice within their sector.

Not only this but these kinds of posts are often very well received and tend to garner a great deal of impressions and engagements, which will result in the post being re-circulated across a wide range of news feeds and in turn, could see them accrue some new followers off the back of it.

 

Analytics is your friend

As with trialling any new marketing tactic, it can be trial and error. That’s why it’s important that you track the performance metrics, such as engagement rates and follower growth, to see what’s working and what’s not on your client’s LinkedIn page.

Using software like Sprout Social, can provide you with key data insights into how your client’s page has performed month on month.

These metrics can help you optimize your content by providing insights into which types of posts, formats, and topics are resonating with your audience.

By analysing your top-performing posts, you can identify patterns and use those insights to create more engaging and effective content or post most more of what’s working according to the data.

 

People buy from people

It’s a fundamental aspect of business but it’s something that’s often overlooked in when it comes to B2B LinkedIn strategies: people buy from people.

Your client’s audience will be interested in seeing the people behind the business, as people are naturally drawn to other people and by showcasing faces and personalities of the team, you can help humanise the brand.

Whether it’s a stand-alone image or part of a profile on a specific individual, posts that are accompanied by shots of a business’s people in action will always appeal to an audience.

 

Post the link in the comments!

You may have seen brands doing this a lot of late and that’s because putting your call-to-action link in the comment section of your posts can really help to boost the exposure your post.

The current LinkedIn algorithm rewards posts with comments and as such, adding the link to the comments can really help a post to circulate more widely and thus, be seen by a larger audience.

Graph showing clicks across B2B accounts

It also should be noted that just because the link isn’t in the main body of the text, it doesn’t stop people from clicking on it.

In fact, since we began posting links in the comments, we’ve seen an average of 88% more post link clicks across our social media accounts.

More clicks, means more traffic to key websites and, of course in turn, there’s a greater potential for sales to be made.

 

Incorporate carousels

Carousels on LinkedIn are not dissimilar to a slideshow as this type of post lets you display images or infographics in a single post, which your audience can swipe through.

They can be used to share information in a more digestible way, for example, you could create a carousel to showcase different features of your clients’ product offering, highlight CSR initiatives, or promote a thought leadership piece.

Carousels are so effective in telling your clients’ story as they tend to yield higher engagement rates than single-image posts on LinkedIn. This is largely because they provide more content for users to interact with and can be more visually engaging.

 

Use relevant hashtags

The use of relevant and focused hashtags within the main body of the post is intrinsic to any successful organic LinkedIn strategy.

Hashtags on LinkedIn allow users to easily find content related to specific topics, such as key events like International Women’s Day or a large conference in the sector they are in, which will help to drive engagement.

International Women’s Day hashtags

Deploying them can also help to augment your client’s position in their sector as through consistent use of industry-related hashtags, you can establish the business as a thought leader and build a strong brand identity.

By using pertinent hashtags in your posts, you can increase the visibility of your content, which can help your business page to reach a larger audience and attract new followers.

 

Consistency is key

Finally, it’s important to remember that posting consistently is an essential part of a successful B2B LinkedIn strategy.

Consistently posting on LinkedIn can increase the visibility of the business page in the newsfeed and search results, which can help your page attract more followers and potential customers.

Regular posts also help to establish your business as an authority in your industry and improve your credibility. By consistently sharing valuable insights and CSR, you can build trust with your client’s audience and position them as a go-to resource and establish a strong presence for them on LinkedIn.

If you think the team at Source could help you with your PR or media relations, get in touch!

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DOING A SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIT

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There’s been an exponential rise in businesses using social media platforms to excite, entice and engage with audiences as more and more consumers turn to social media during the recent lockdowns.  To maximise performance and ensure you are on brand and have a strong message, now is the right time for companies to undertake a social media audit.

Research suggests that just under half of consumers (43%) said they were spending longer on social media because of the outbreak, and 19% say they’ll carry on spending longer on social media once restrictions lift. There has never been a better time to audit your social media than now.

The Basics Of A Social Media Audit

The good news is that a social media audit for businesses is not as painful as it sounds when left in the hands of professionals.  It’s a very worthwhile exercise to ensure brands are making the most of their opportunities, reflecting best practice and also keeping pace with the evolving social media trends and algorithms.

The basic role of an audit of all social media accounts is to help you better understand what’s happening on each network and to see at a glance the following key metrics:

  • What’s working and what’s not
  • Whether impostor accounts are stealing your followers
  • Which profiles you need to revive, repurpose, or shut down
  • New opportunities to grow and engage your audience
  • Are you being consistent and considered with your messaging

At Source PR, we’re often asked to complete company social media audits as it’s critical to understand the key elements mentioned above before embarking on developing an effective social media strategy.  To constructively move forward with an effective social media strategy it’s important to first know where you are before you determine where you want to go.

What Does A Social Media Audit Look Like?

Visibility

When undertaking a social media audit, first look at what @handles are you using, over what platforms and who has ownership or control.  Is there brand consistency across the platforms, what do the biogs say and where are you directing any subsequent web visitors?  Also, look at the imagery you’re using and check that the pages are verified to prevent imposters.

Needs & Wants

From this point you can determine what platforms and handles a business needs / wants as well as determine what’s working and what’s not.  Take the time to look at what are the most engaging posts, who is engaging with you and on what platforms as well as which networks your target audience is most active on.

Competitor Analysis

We would also recommend that you compare your approach and outlook to the competition, evaluating how you compare to them and whether you are missing any opportunities to engage with audiences or simply getting the best out of the platforms. At Source PR, we have social media tools that can track and monitor in-depth competitor activity as well as physically doing the legwork ourselves.

Identify KPIs

When auditing you social media platforms remember to stay focused on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that you want to measure.  Some of the more popular measurements can be increases in followers, link clicks, profile visits, likes / comments and other engagements.

Social Media Audit Services

Undertaking an effective social media audit for business helps determine where you are before you develop the strategy and pathway on where you want to go.  Get in touch with our team if you’re looking for support with your social media audit.  Once this is done, the real fun can begin with the development of an effective and fun social media strategy to better excite, engage and enthuse your audiences.  Watch this space and follow our social media accounts for future updates where we will share some of our social media success strategies.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE FOR B2B COMPANIES

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Social media marketing is pretty vital to every company, but it’s easier for some than it is others. Marketing plans can be particularly tricky to navigate at the best of times, so we’re here with some social media advice for B2B companies from The Source team. We have a wealth of experience in B2B PR support, which includes content marketing, social media and media relations and from that experience, here’s what we recommend.

Top Social Media Advice For B2B Companies

Click on the links below to jump to specific social media advice for B2B companies…

  1. Find the right social media platforms
  2. Utilise industry news
  3. Remember that people like people
  4. Keep things interesting
  5. Leverage appropriate hashtags
  6. Don’t underestimate Facebook groups

Find The Right Social Media Platforms

Not every platform will work for every company, that goes for B2C industries as well as B2B. For example, TikTok marketing is a great opportunity for brands with a visual appeal, such as tourism providers, wedding dress manufacturers and cosmetic companies. Other platforms, such as LinkedIn, work much better for B2B marketing, especially for service products such as CRM software, for example. There’s no one way to decide which social media platform will work best for your B2B company, so the best way to approach is through trial and error. See which types of content get the most engagement, and where. Traditionally, though, we’d match the following top platforms to the following sectors..

  • Instagram – mainly B2C, with opportunities for B2B
  • Twitter – mainly B2B, with opportunities for B2C
  • Facebook – both B2C and B2B
  • TikTok – mainly B2C, with opportunities for B2B
  • LinkedIn – mainly B2B
  • Pinterest – mainly B2C

So, if you’re heading a B2B company and want to give social a go, it’s worth dipping your toe in the water with LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and potentially Instagram and TikTok also. We have some more social media advice on what kind of content to focus on below.

Utilise Industry News

You shouldn’t be content curating all of your posts, as most of your audience will be following your accounts because they want to hear from you, however, utilising relevant industry news in posts is a good way of keeping your audience informed of relevant and interesting developments. It keeps you abreast with your sector and positions you as an expert in that field, furthermore, it creates a good mix of content to keep your strategy fresh and current. We’d recommend around an 80:20 ratio of curated to original content, but don’t be afraid to mix this up week on week.

People Like People

As we mentioned above, people like people. Though you’re selling ‘business to business’, there’s still a person behind that brand at either end. A study by Princeton University proposed the stereotype model, which boils down to the fact that people judge others on their warmth and competence. The more ‘friendly’ you appear, the more likely people are to trust you – this applies to your social media followers too. Though it’s important to draw a line and remain professional, it’s also a good idea to be conversational in your content and help build trust in your brand. Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy says it’s important to demonstrate warmth first and then competence, especially in business settings. A lot of effective social media marketing begins with an understanding of human psychology.

Keep Things Interesting

It’s a common misconception that B2B communications have to be stiff and corporate, try injecting a light tone of voice into your content or experimenting with light-hearted competitions for engagement. With one of our B2B clients Altecnic, they ran a 12 days of Christmas giveaway which included a daily video of their Technical Manager dressed as Santa. You need to remember that your audience is human and keeping things engaging is a sure way of retaining engagement and growing following. If there’s a certain lull, never underestimate the power of a social media giveaway either, no matter your industry.

Social media advice for B2B companies: competitions

Leverage The Right Hashtags

Researching into hashtags is never time wasted. You can now use hashtags in your posts across LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and more recently, Facebook. One of our B2B clients frequents the ‘#PlumbersHour’ hashtag because this is where their core audience is. Hashtags are often followed by those interested in that kind of content, so if you have a specific audience of your B2B brand, then find out what the kind of conversations that they’re already in, and join in. You can discover hashtags through researching related terms on Instagram and Twitter, and also by looking at what other influential accounts are tapping in to.

Don’t Underestimate Facebook Groups

Finally, our last piece of social media advice for B2B companies is not to underestimate the power of a Facebook group. Similarly, to leveraging hashtags, Facebook groups can be a great way to find your audiences. In 2019, Facebook announced that Facebook says there “are more than 400 million people in groups that they find meaningful”, meaning there’s a huge potential audience if you know where to look. Start by searching keywords on Facebook that are relevant to your brand for example “food manufacturing”, “plumbing” or “health and safety”.

 

For more advice and support for B2B PR, social media, content marketing and more, please get in touch with our friendly and experienced team through our website. Or, you can keep up to date with what The Source is up to on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Tag Archive for: B2B Social Media