5 Ways B2B Organizations Can Use Social Media

There are so many misconceptions about social media and its use in business — I don’t even know where to begin to address them.

Wait, no, yes I do! The assertion that there is no role for social media in business to business marketing is patently untrue. Consider the following relationships (because, in case you’re unaware, the core purpose of social media is relationship development):

• Trade media
• Potential employees
• Potential investors
• Existing team members (from employees to board members to investors and vendors)
• Current customers

Are these individuals with whom your organization needs to communicate? Well, yes! Of course! Making it as easy as possible for all of these audiences to discover your company, to learn what makes you tick, to understand what it is you do and how you do it, to receive news and important information about your business is just good business. The way to do that is by publishing content on your website, making the information available through search and sharing it with networks you continue to build of the very people mentioned in the groups above.

From the KoMarketing blog:

According to Accenture Global Marketing’s recent report, Embracing Social Media in a B2B Context, a mere 8 percent of B2B companies are heavily engaged in social media.

Furthermore, researchers found that 17 percent of respondents don’t feel social media will be important to them in the coming years.

However, contrary beliefs were also revealed. Despite the lack of overall involvement, 65 percent of those polled considered social media to be “very important,” while 30 percent believed it is “extremely” important and cant be ignored.”

So it is to the 65 percent (and the 30 percent) that I offer . . .

5 Ways B2B Organizations Can Use Social Media

1. Publish your news release in a way that is searchable — and can be found by interested communities. New releases published with an option to subscribe via an RSS feed is the best practice in this area. Create a news room on your website and post your content there.
2. Encourage leaders in the business to expand their industry network and business connections in a virtual way. It assists the whole team in relationship development when the leaders make their connections visible to others in the field. LinkedIn is a very useful tool in this area.
3. Monitor the web for industry mentions and organization-specific references. When your brand is published about, it’s worth knowing, sometimes reacting to and often, requires a response.
4. Blog. If you need lots of great reasons, you can start here.
5. Be a facilitator of relationships in your industry. As business-oriented people, we appreciate the connection, the referral, the well-thought-out endorsement of another business. Connect others within your network and be remembered fondly and fortuitously for having done so. The rewards for you, and your business will come to fruition.