How B2B Brands Use Social Apps and LinkedIn to Market to Future Buyers
Social media for B2B is just as important as it would be if you were a B2C brand. Social media marketing platforms nurture relationships, can drive sales with great effect, and there are huge opportunities to get the word out on brands, products, and services.
B2B social media sites aren’t just limited to LinkedIn or opportunities on Facebook and Twitter. There are so many other sites that are underrated in what they can do for B2B digital marketing. Here’s a glimpse into how to use social apps to tag and reach whole new pockets of clientele.
Snapchat
Snapchat may be struggling to remain competitive with apps and platforms like Instagram however Snapchat continues to maintain hundreds of millions of daily active users. It’s used by brands as diverse as Cisco and General Electric to share company culture, talk direct to its consumers, and showcase what these brands are all about.
Pinterest is a social app built on high-quality images. Take the time to feature employees, infographics, and more. Pinterest also allows you to pin videos from a YouTube-based feed, Soundcloud audio or podcasts on the platform, and Slideshare slide presentations.
Tumblr
Tumblr is an interactive blogging platform with a half a billion active users globally, sharing infographics, written blogs, images, and videos. Lexus is a great example of a company using Tumblr and their account is worth checking out. For B2B brands, a social media marketing app like Tumblr is great at increasing brand awareness and establishing your mission, values, and objectives.
WhatsApp is preferred by as many as 29 percent of professionals for business communications. WhatsApp has hundreds of millions of daily active users and has numerous business-oriented features which could be appealing. WhatsApp allows broadcasting to groups of people, similar to a conference call. It’s also an ideal way to get the word out on contests or giveaways, promotion notifications, links to landing pages, share news, invite to events, send ‘thank you’ messages, and more.
Instagram might seem all pictures, barely-adults, and like an overdriven popularity contest however Instagram is the trendiest social media site going. In addition to LinkedIn, Instagram marketing B2B is incredibly important. More than 70 percent of users follow at least one brand, giving you the chance to connect with other brands looking for a connection. Engaging, relevant, and genuine posts that strengthen the bond between your business and theirs is a great way to generate likes and comments.
What about the basics?
Of course, the biggest platforms on the Internet shouldn’t be discounted in B2B2 marketing. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, and similar sites with extremely large user counts have a wealth of opportunity to connect with prospects, promote products or services, and to brand. These shouldn’t be all you use however. Emerging channels can add a sense of trendy-ness to any business-to-business brand that uses them.
A lot of businesses will build out B2B marketing campaigns from LinkedIn, which is an ideal approach for many. LinkedIn is, right now, the ultimate B2B platform. They have millions of interested users ready to connect and they’re an excellent place to focus on. They’re far from B2B’s be-all end-all though. Be creative, evaluate each platform as it comes along with regards to its potential for your business, and use your analytics to guide long-term digital marketing strategies. Join us today for more details!
