The evolving social media landscape has offered firms a myriad of digital tools that can be utilized to optimize their marketing communications mix. In this article, we share insights from our own experience navigating B2B social selling.
Content mix is essential in B2B social selling
Taking advantage of the data analytics now offered by top social media websites, we looked at the engagement data on our Twitter and Linkedin accounts over the past quarter. We noticed that the top 10 posts that had the most reach and engagement were an equal mix of original content and curated content.
It is always ideal to produce great quality original content as often as possible. Original content allows you to customize your message to your target market and encourage them to respond to a specific call-to-action. However, this can prove too expensive for most small companies. On the other hand, sharing purely curated content is easy with any marketing automation software and requires less time and effort. There is already a wealth of interesting articles that can you can share to increase your social media engagement but you also miss the opportunity to establish brand authority and drive conversion.
It’s important to strike a balance between the two. Using curated content can prove to your followers that you are not out to only promote yourself but genuinely try to help them solve their problems. It can enhance your company’s trustworthiness as long as the content is relevant to the target audience. Publishing original content helps you initiate a conversation with your followers and build an ongoing relationship. This allows you to push them further into your sales funnel towards eventually converting.
B2B social selling is not a sprint but a marathon
Be prepared to be in it for the long haul. Compared to B2C, the B2B buying cycle is longer and a lot more complicated. Decisions are often done not by one decision-maker but by groups who scrutinize the purchase. According to Eloqua, the average sales cycle is 117 to 156 days. In our case, we have clients who have passively consumed our content for years before they felt ready to reach out and inquire about our services.
In a 2011 study conducted by Aberdeen of 520 B2B companies in the US, 17% of sales generated by marketing was acquired through social media. It also noted that 84% of B2B marketers surveyed actively use social media in some form.
How do you get the attention of your prospect? In B2B social selling, your social media posts cannot be everything for everyone. Thus, it is best to target those identified as “purchase initiators” or persons who are in a position to spot the problem and make recommendations to top decision makers.
Establishing authority in your field is essential, so avoid using too casual a tone of voice. According to Hubspot, strategic use of industry jargon may boost credibility. It is imperative to maintain a consistent style that will earn the respect of your target audience.
Be patient and continue to maintain a compelling social media presence. Your prospect will eventually engage with you when they are ready.
Lower Engagement Rate is Normal
I have experienced working for both B2C and B2B companies and have observed a big difference in the engagement rate between the two. It is much harder to evoke a reaction or gather feedback from a B2B audience. While this can be frustrating, it is not unusual. The 2014 IHS GlobalSpec Research Report highlighted the social media habits of B2B technical professionals and results indicate that users tend to be passive participants. When asked how frequent they actively participated in social media sites, most respondents revealed that they only do so “a few times a year.” Their top three activities include watching a video, posting a comment and sharing an article. This does not come as a surprise since B2B industry users of social media are more rationally driven rather than emotionally-triggered. A low engagement rate does not automatically mean that your campaign is ineffective.
The study also highlighted that Linkedin is their social media platform of choice. The top three activities are: searching for contacts (69%), consuming content about product or industry news (47%) and researching suppliers (26%). According to Buzzsumo.com, Linkedin drives more traffic to corporate websites than all the major social media platforms combined. Forrester reported that in 2013, 81% of B2B customers surveyed visited LinkedIn monthly, with 26% doing so primarily for business purposes
This information is noteworthy since most B2B companies want to determine where prospects are flocking to gather information about potential suppliers or service providers. They need to evaluate which channels are grabbing the attention of engineers and industry experts who have purchasing influence or might be the decision makers themselves.
The new functionalities introduced by Linkedin in recent months have contributed to a higher engagement rate among its members. According to Linkedin, more than 50% of users spent an average of more than two hours per week on the platform in 2014, up 10% from the previous year. The VA Partners LinkedIn account is testament to this growing trend. In the first quarter of 2015, we saw a 35% increase in our Linkedin followers compared to an increase of 5% on Twitter. Need help getting started on Linkedin? Check out this handy guide.
Admittedly, B2B social selling alone will not drive significant sales growth. But a well thought out omni-channel digital marketing strategy will ensure that you are able to reach your target audience through various touch points.
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