Some business-to-business marketers shrug off social media as a consumer branding and sales channel, sticking to company page branding and PR announcements on social platforms. They are missing a lead source, argues Tessa Berg, vice president of B2B agency Tenlo, in a recent MarketingProfs post. She urges B2B promoters to consider the many ways they can use social platforms to generate leads, and AccuList certainly supports these tactics via its own LInkedIn and Facebook/Instagram marketing programs.

Where to Go on Social Media? Where the Customers Are!

In deciding investment in social outreach to snag leads, start by profiling your target customers and where they gather on social platforms. Here’s a hint: 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn, compared with 13% from Twitter. That doesn’t mean B2B marketers should exclusively use LinkedIn. For example, Twitter allows for more direct interaction with prospects. And with the proven effectiveness of video marketing, why not leverage platforms like YouTube and Instagram to stimulate interest via product or branding videos?

Supplement Organic Reach With Paid Ads

Social platforms want to monetize their audiences so the reach of organic social activity has been increasingly subordinated to paid advertising. At the same time, many social platforms have improved targeting options for paid advertising. So it makes sense to pair organic actions with highly targeted paid social ads. Social tracking data will uncover important insights into which content and messaging on which social channels generate the best engagement and site traffic. Clear calls-to-action driving to owned content (website or landing page) will help capture leads better than a generic “Contact Us.” Offers of engaging content, say a video on product installation or an infographic addressing a key issue such as sustainability, also help gather lead contact data, Berg adds. Don’t get stuck in a rut with success, however; Berg prompts marketers to vary the types of ads and the content of ads deployed to avoid losing audience interest over time in the fast-moving social world.

Answer Questions and Leverage Presentations to Make Connections

One of the easiest, most effective ways to create relationships with prospective customers is to address the questions they pose on relevant platforms such as LinkedIn, Quora, and Reddit, Berg notes. Empower social and technical teams to answer in a timely and effective way to position your company as an expert and build audience connection. As a bonus, you will likely boost SEO and keyword rankings at the same time. Also, most B2B organizations already create presentations on industry trends, product updates, and case studies, and this content is prime for boosting engagement, social sharing and viral reach, especially on platforms that are dedicated to presentations, such as LinkedIn SlideShare.

Make Social Engagement a Team Effort

Get company team members involved in a social strategy, urges Berg. After all, people work with people, and a display of your company’s talent and team culture can validate a partnering or purchase decision. Define a theme, outline appropriate content, explain the dos and don’ts of hashtags, make sure to run messaging by legal advisors, and then start with a test of “safe” content, adjusting policies if necessary, she advises. See https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2019/41608/seven-ways-b2bs-can-use-social-media-to-boost-conversion-rates-and-generate-leads?adref=nlt080619