MarketingProfs University :: Social Media Marketing Fast Track

B2B Social Media Success

Where does social media fit into your marketing mix? If you're like a lot of B2B businesses, you may still be skeptical whether it even should. But before you dismiss it as a passing fad (it's not!) or not relevant to business buyers (it is!), consider that it can deliver real benefits to your bottom line. Here are three ways B2B brands can integrate social media into marketing routines.

Augment your Email Email marketing is essential to your direct marketing, lead nurturing, and client services strategies. While naysayers may proclaim social media as the death of email, the truth is they complement each other more than compete. Use platforms like LinkedIn or a corporate blog to attract new leads and feed your list. Reimagine your social capital—videos, photos, customer comments, and more—as content to make your messages pop in prospect inboxes. And, don't forget to integrate social media sharing tools into your messages to boost their reach and put you in front of more potential buyers.

Super-charge your SEO If you want to increase your odds in the search engine game (and let's face it, we all do), add social media to your SEO strategy. Its influence on keyword rankings is growing fast. In fact, social media mentions show up in keyword results quicker than changes to your website, keeping you and your news fresh on the fly for the people who are proactively looking for products like yours. Plus, making your content shareable and linkable through social media creates more chances for people to find it—and you. And when you make it easier for people to find you, you make it easier for people to buy from you.

Strengthen your Research and Customer Relations B2B marketing doesn't start with promotion or end at the sale. Best-in-class companies listen to customers before, during, and after initiating products or campaigns. Think of social media as a finger on the collective pulse rather than a daunting new discipline to undertake. Use it to gain real-time feedback about your products and services—those on the shelf and in development—and fine-tune your offerings to reflect real customer wants and needs. Or, create communities to address and reward your distributors, buyers, end users, or employees, and increase their loyalty and lifetime value.

MarketingProfs University :: Social Media Marketing Fast Track

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