Nowadays, social media has long been an integral part of our societyIt doesn’t matter whether you are in B2C or B2B business. With the huge number of users, everyone can find the right target group on a platform and should then use it for themselves. The core focus should always be to provide people with added value and solutions to possible problems, regardless of whether they are private individuals or companies. So, what are you waiting for? Start your B2B marketing on social media now!
In this blog post you will learn everything about the right platforms for you and how to develop your own content strategyso that you and your company can successfully enter the social media business.
Meanwhile, almost all found on social mediabe they employees, managers, self-employed people and many more. Even if these media are sometimes used for private reasons and not for professional reasons, users have become increasingly receptive to information from companies. This just needs to be presented in an interesting way, with the right planning and to offer clear added value.
Many people still believe that B2B marketing on social media is not worthwhile because sales and marketing are based on personal relationships. But this statement is no longer entirely correct. Social media also gives companies the opportunity to build and, above all, maintain a relationship with their customers. So don’t let this outdated opinion put you off and start your digital presence to build long-term customer relationships.
When choosing which network to use for your business, you must always consider your Keep your own target group in mind. Each platform appeals to a different group, which differs primarily in terms of age. As a rule, the younger the main target group of the respective channel, the less suitable it is for B2B marketing. This means that the currently very popular network TikTok is less suitable for B2B marketing.
One of the most important networks for B2B-Marketing ist FacebookMany people consider this platform to be “extinct”, but it is not at all. Facebook is still the most used social media platform in Germany and has become firmly established in our everyday lives. You can therefore assume that a large proportion of your target customers are active there every day, which is why this platform should be an important part of your social media efforts. Another advantage is the possibility of using Facebook Ads, i.e. placing advertisements on Facebook, to get more attention from the general public.
LinkedIn is a pure Business platformThis means that users are often connected to your current company and want to make contact with others. The biggest advantage of this platform is that users already have a B2B mindset and are much more receptive to business content than users of other networks. Many company decision-makers are on this platform, which is why you have a good chance of finding new customers there. Another positive aspect is that LinkedIn allows for very precise targeting, which is particularly interesting in the B2B sector. It can be differentiated by job title, professional experience, career level and qualifications, which enables high-quality positioning.
Other channels
Of course, there are other forums besides Facebook and LinkedIn that can also be used in B2B marketing. However, LinkedIn is clearly the most popular in terms of the options and the users available there. Another channel is, for example, Twitter. This is the least relevant compared to LinkedIn and Facebook, as the targeting options for the target customers are very limited. Furthermore, there are YouTube. This is the most popular video platform in the world, so if you plan to publish product or testimonial videos, this platform is a good choice. And then of course Instagram and XINGThese are comparable to Facebook and LinkedIn and are also a good option in the B2B sector.
In order to be successful as a B2B company, it is important that you take a holistic approach. You can only move your business forward if you think everything through and plan it. This means that steps such as analyzing your situation and your competitors, setting goals, defining target groups, deciding on a strategy, creating measures and monitoring success should all be taken into account. The following graphic shows the success factors of social media marketing that you absolutely must take into account.
Analyse
In order for you to really get your company off the ground, it is fundamentally important to have a Analyse This means looking at your competitors, which networks they use, how successful they are and which measures are evident. This will give you an initial overview and give you inspiration.
Goals
Once you have analyzed your situation, you must make your own Target intentions So what ambition do you want to achieve? Create Smart goalsThis means that they must be specific, measurable, attractive, realistic and have a deadline. Your intentions should not be formulated too vaguely and should be specifically measurable. In addition, determine criteria for measurability, the so-called Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). For example, if you want more visits to your website, you should regularly check your website statistics. It is important that you do not set your smart goals unrealistically and that you have a specific date so that you can reach your milestones.
target group
Then comes the most important part, defining your target group. You have to work out exactly which target audience you want to address. In the B2B sector, your customer group is usually much clearer and easier to identify than in B2C marketing, as it is not individual private individuals but other companies as buyers. So think carefully about which customers you want to address. To get a better picture of your potential customers, it is a good idea to create buyer personas. This involves an embodiment that addresses, for example, everyday life, age, position in the company, typical tasks or social media usage. This makes it easier to visualize your potential customers and helps to better understand their needs and problems. This makes it easier for you to create the right content.
Strategy
Die Strategy is to combine your analysis with the goals you have set. This includes selecting channels that are suitable for you and your target audience. You also need to have a clear Content Strategy develop a content strategy that must be continually optimized and developed. Based on your goals, you need to consider how you want to proceed. Do you want to attract attention? Increase reach? Generate leads? Take the lead in know-how or encourage interactions? To achieve the desired success, you should try to include every method possible in your content strategy.
Measures
In order to achieve the previously defined smart goals and the associated KPIs, you must derive concrete Measures Here, it is advisable to work with editorial plans so that topics can be planned in advance. This also helps to get an overview of the content and simplifies the organization and communication of your measures.
Success control
The last point is the Success control. You need to record your measures and actions online in order to check, ideally at the end of each month, which content worked well and which didn’t. Social media marketing is a process of constant optimization, as nothing lasts long in these networks due to rapidly changing trends. Monthly reports are therefore extremely important and should not be neglected.
Conclusion
Social media has become an integral part of many people’s everyday lives, of B2C marketing and also of B2B marketing! The consistent alignment of your content with the needs, interests and wishes of your target audience plays an enormously important role. If you take this into account and create a holistic and well-thought-out plan, nothing will stand in the way of your successful social media B2B marketing.
We as Social-Media-Marketing Agentur help you boost your business with personalized content and build fresh, new customer relationships.
Frequently asked questions
What should be included in a social media marketing editorial plan in the B2B sector?
An editorial plan must clearly define who is in charge, what the editing status is, the different forums and the deadlines for posts and images. This is the basic information that should be included in every plan, whether B2C or B2B.
Does social media B2B marketing only make sense for large companies?
The size of your business plays absolutely no role in considering whether you should use social forums. What matters is where your target audience is located. In other words, if the potential buyers tend not to be active on social media, then you should resort to other marketing strategies and options.
What other benefits does B2B marketing on social media bring?
If you use social media in the B2B sector, you have advantages such as rapid dissemination of information to your customers, easier market monitoring, improved position in search engines, significant increase in brand awareness and much more.
