Social media has become a highly curated space. Thanks to the power of search engines that analyse our behavioural patterns, content that makes it onto our daily feed aligns very closely with whatever our interests are at the moment — sometimes to a frightening degree.
That’s why earning a spot on your target buyer’s newsfeed should be on the agenda for every B2B marketer. Because people on social media are already primed to engage with your content, it’s a far more effective channel to nurture a loyal following for sustainable sales pipelines in the long run. Your audience is also far more likely to learn about the ins and outs of your company’s ethos and processes on social media. Play your cards right, and you might even help your HR and recruitment teams attract star players more easily.
Is social media really that important in B2B marketing?
The old business model of relying on network connections is fast becoming obsolete. Sure it might help sustain legacy businesses, but an overwhelming portion of new deals are now being closed over social media. Don’t believe us? Take a look at these statistics and see how many potential buyers you’re missing out on:
- 94% of millennial B2B decision makers (that’s people aged between 26 and 41 years old) use social media for work.
- 72% of B2B buyers use social channels to research solutions.
- That’s 46 million business decision makers and 10 million C-level executives on LinkedIn alone, an absolute gold mine for lead generation.
- B2B buyers spend just one-fifth of their time interacting with suppliers. The other four-fifths are left for research, meaning that you’re missing out on visibility big time by excluding social media from your marketing strategy.
Ok, but how can I build a following with B2B social media marketing?
B2B social media marketing really boils down to one thing: Providing your audience with valuable content. This will offer your target audience with a tangible incentive to click follow, whether it’s insider knowledge, career building advice, business building tips, or more. Of course, there are plenty of ways you can choose to dress this up. But at all times, never lose sight of who you’re reaching out to. That’s how you’ll get those who matter — the clients, fundraisers, potential hires, and business partners — knocking on your door.
This means that you’ll want to keep copypasta, cliches, and polls to a minimum (unless they serve a specific purpose, more on that later). Those posts may grant you high levels of dopamine releasing likes and shares, but those engagements will hardly convert into sales. Instead, you’ll want to zero in on specific buyer persona(s) by displaying credentials and projects that demonstrate your expertise. From there, you’ll be able to educate your audience on your winning ways, and create positive brand awareness that ultimately leads to long-term trust.
Let your audience understand your B2B company on a personal level
Post-2020 marks an era that’s focused on ethical buying and personalisation. While only a quarter of consumers were concerned with consumption ethics prior to Covid-19, 4 in 5 consumers now actively choose companies that source materials ethically. This means that buyers, and businesses, are a lot more concerned about how a company conducts its business, rather than single-mindedly focused on the solutions that they can provide.
Remember the copypasta and cliches that we mentioned earlier? This is where they can come in handy. Anecdotes of how your company has improved the lives of communities, made working conditions more equitable for employees, or contributed to sustainability will always speak much louder than buzzwords ever could. Of course, you’ll want to use this tool sparingly. But it’s a nice way to mix things up and add some personality to your branding.
Reducing hiring costs and streamline your hiring process with social media
One of the most convenient things about social media is that it naturally doubles as a recruitment platform. Every post that you put out doesn’t just speak to potential buyers, but to potential hires about what they can expect from working at your company. Sewing these seeds early will ensure that you have a healthy pool of candidates to select from when hiring season rolls by.
7 in 10 managers attribute their recruitment success to social media. Furthermore, virtually all of Gen Z value technological literacy, authenticity, and transparency among their co-workers. By building an online persona, B2B companies can attract the types of customers and hires who align better with their working style and long term vision.
B2B marketing can be cool, too!
B2B has been the unpopular kid at the marketing table for far too long. But as far as we’re concerned, there are tons of fascinating stories about businesses out there waiting to be written.
If you’re ready to supercharge your sales and hiring pipelines by showing a side to your organisation that goes beyond suits and ties, send us an email at hello@etymon.com.sg and we’ll see what sort of magic we can come up with together.