Social Media - Best Practices for B2B
Historically, businesses have struggled to find their place in the world of social media. All the same questions persist - should we create a Facebook page; what's the value of Twitter for our company; what other tools could we use?
The first, and most important, thing to consider is what you hope to gain from using social media. Without clear objectives to guide strategies, businesses can do themselves more harm than good with an unfocused program. Are you looking to set the company up as a thought leader, establish credibility for key executives, support other programs or leverage social media as a customer service tool? All are valid and important objectives, and they need to be documented. Before you select your tools, make sure you understand your objectives.
Second - get the right people involved. Social media is not a public relations function. Nor is it a marketing or advertising initiative. It crosses all of these areas and more. Develop a team that is cross-functional and integrated to collaborate on the initiative.
Next, make content a priority to use in the program. Take inventory of existing content that can be leveraged; generate additional content that is relevant to the audience you're looking to appeal to. Your content is not going to be right for everyone, so make sure it's the right content for the most important audience. Keep it simple, and use photos/video whenever you can.
Finally, be willing to make mistakes. Social media is still in its infancy and trying new things is important in the learning process. Try new things, see what works and what you need to avoid, and use trial and error to your advantage. Those that learn the most the fastest will have a long-term advantage.
While it's important to understand best practices, be aware of common mistakes that business-to-business (B2B) companies make when jumping into social media marketing. Avoid these, and you'll greatly increase your chances of success.
? Using social media as a direct response vehicle - social media is primarily about interaction and knowledge sharing. Hard sells will turn off your audience.
? Expecting instant results - social media is not like an advertising or email blast campaign designed to produce immediate results; it takes time to develop relationships and interaction.
? Failing to invest sufficient time and effort - because they are long-term, many social media efforts are dubbed failures before they have a chance to succeed. Companies achieving results with social media are those that set a clear strategy, adjust tactics based on results and experience, and maintain commitment to their social media efforts.
? Focusing internally- social media is about listening and interacting. Focusing only on your own message is as poor form as talking only about yourself at a cocktail party.
? Not monitoring - one of the most significant aspects of social media is that it empowers others to share your message (or contradict it). You can't control every conversation about your brand in social media, but you can help shape them, or at least be seen as responsive in participating in them.
? Ignoring synergy between different media - social media, your corporate website, PR activities and even online advertising don't exist in isolation from each other; the impact of all of these programs can be magnified by linking them wherever appropriate.
Avoid these common mistakes, and you'll greatly enhance your company's success with social media.
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