Social media is considered to be a tool that B2C (business to consumer) companies use frequently and tend to excel with in regards to their sales. But, what about B2B (business to business) companies? It’s not often that you can apply one solution to two extremely different equations and receive the same results. You don’t usually hear about an IT company killing the social media game on their Instagram. However, that does not mean there is no point in investing your time and efforts into social media platforms for B2B companies. It also doesn’t mean that all B2B companies that have social media engagement are doing it well.
So, does social media serve any importance for B2B sales at all?
The answer is a resounding YES! It may not be in the ways that B2C companies function with their social media platforms, but there are an array of significant benefits as to why social media is important for B2B sales. To get the best results in your sales, it’s best to integrate social media into your sales strategy. Don’t be afraid of engaging on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even LinkedIn.
Wait, what are these mystical significant benefits we can gain from a social media presence with my B2B? Get ready to take some notes on how to truly improve your B2B sales.
Improving Your SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
This is one of the most important aspects on why social media is important for B2B sales. Social media is critical for better SEO. By improving your position in Google’s organic search results, you are a more credible source than other companies. Both Bing and Google algorithms incorporate social signals in their search results. That’s great, but what does this mean? Well, this means that publishing links on your B2B social profiles can boost your SEO ranking. It can also increase the traffic to your site. If you regularly publish helpful resources and have a strong social presence, it can peak others interest in your company.
Let’s be honest …
The equation for successful B2B sales is this: when using social media, you gain better SEO. Social media is truly a means to an end here. Your company needs better SEO to boost your B2B sales, and what is the best way of doing that? Social media.
Drive Sustainable Traffic To Your B2B By Increasing Your Exposure
Whatever your company may be, building your brand is essential to your business plan. You always want to nurture brand awareness, and having more exposure online helps you develop just that. When you have more exposure online, you actually establish a more trustworthy reputation with your clients or customers. This is exactly why social media is important for B2B sales. If you have this increase of exposure online, the great benefit of engaging on social media is to start conversations with current or potential clientele.
Having a consistent social media presence creates an excellent source of referral traffic. Most people have a personal profile, and may stumble upon your business profile first. Social media can spark curiosity in people, which will eventually lead them to your website.
Here’s a few tips on how to engage successfully on social media:
- Post frequently!
- Your posts should be high quality, relevant content.
- Stay consistent to your brand and the industry your company is in.
- Encourage dialogue to occur with your audience by replying promptly (within 1-2 business days) to messages or comments. The sooner the better.
- Whatever platform you’re using, make it easy for the audience to click to your website by links, resources, and offers.
- Maintain and nurture relationships with your audience by answering questions, solving problems they may be having, and responding when they reach out to you. (Yes, even when it may be a bad review or negative comment)
If you want to get into more nitty-gritty specifics, this list can help:
- Receive notifications when prospects join LinkedIn
- Join and participate in LinkedIn groups. This can lead to connecting with potential customers through LinkedIn
- Follow the right Twitter users
- Narrow down a wish list of companies to follow – then FOLLOW THEM
If you have more questions or need help getting started on your social media networks, contact Dorian Solutions today.
