5 ways to use social media for B2B leads
With the intensive rise of social media use within all aspects of day-to-day living, it is no surprise that businesses have been keen to exploit the opportunities in terms of attracting and engaging with consumers. But how can B2B companies utilise social media platforms for lead generation...
These days, the companies who are using lead generation strategies on social media are able to achieve enhanced results at the top of their funnel. Therefore, obtaining brand awareness and generating conversion optimization, achieving better sales productivity and therefore ultimately producing a higher revenue growth for the business going forward.
If you want to be successful with social media, your main focus should not be to generate leads, but to connect with potential clients and to provide value to your target niche. Once you establish yourself as an authority in your industry, leads will automatically come pouring in. Sometimes this process might take months to fruition, but it is definitely worth the wait.
Powerful Social Media Strategies
As a B2B marketer, you can leverage the knowledge and creativity of other B2B professionals to establish yourself as an authority in your niche and get your B2B lead generation to the next level. Here are some of the most powerful social media tips to use today.
1. Combine your social media strategy with your content marketing strategy
The best way to establish yourself as an authority in your niche is to provide valuable content to specific groups of people, for various target groups. Content can range from videos and articles to whitepapers and infographics. Content can be easily spread via different social media channels to increase the company’s output and make potential buyers aware of its existence.
To make the most out of social media marketing to boost your brand image, you need to develop a wide variety of content, use strong calls-to-action complemented by LSI keywords and also share your content and tell others to do the same.
2. Make the most out of the Unique Strengths of Each Social Media Platform
The best platform for B2B marketers is LinkedIn. However, this doesn’t mean Facebook or Twitter are unimportant. Let’s take a look at how you can maximize your impact on each distinct social media platform:
– Facebook: if you have used Google Adwords before, you should start using Facebook Ads. This tool is absolutely gorgeous when it comes to segmentation, personalization and ROI. In addition to that, you need to have a personalized Facebook Business page to stay connected with your fans.
– Twitter: this growing network is probably one of the easiest tools to connect with network partners in your industry. Twitter is not only a great place to find out important things or read the latest news, but a network that enables you to “hijack” a trend or important news and grab the attention of prospects.
– LinkedIn: this is the primary network used by B2B professionals. This is where you need to forge new connections and be helpful to potential clients. By positioning yourself as a leader in specific groups, B2B prospects will automatically come to you for answers and even for joint ventures.
Your LinkedIn company page is of paramount importance, especially as this is the place where you need to convince your prospects that you are genuinely interested in their needs. Optimize your LinkedIn page for search and post original content that can be shared by both your staff and visitors.
3. Post at Peak Times
Another great B2B lead generation method is to post throughout the day when your audience is more likely to be online. This time it’s ok to experiment and see which time of the day your audience is more likely to click your posts. You can also use Facebook Insights or other analytics tools to discover when you should post in order to enjoy maximum impact.
4. Be Active on Q&A Portals
Q&A portals are probably the best when it comes to showing thought leadership. Be there where your B2B clients are looking for help. Be specific about the topics you are available to respond to. You can’t know everything, and you must not leave the impression that you are a guru in all areas.
5. Special Offers
It is a natural psychological reaction for people to want free stuff. Social media offers a brilliant platform for you to host competitions and giveaway free prizes. These are the kinds types of enticements which are something people enjoy to share with their social channels and audiences. Also by including an entry form, you’ll have the chance to gather important lead data. At the end of the form, you must allow an option for people to then go and share the offering via their alternative social media platforms. This way, people who get involved can share the opportunity with their community and with every mention, you’re able to keep growing the relationship by engaging with, acknowledging and appreciating their posts and content ideas
Takeaway
There are many other useful B2B lead generation methods that can enable you to make the most out of social media. You can post regularly on your blog, build social relationships through contests and webinars, sponsor online events, promote sequential offers and use smart networking.
Social media has skyrocketed in popularity and power. Use it in your B2B journey to gain a competitive advantage in your niche and to stand out in the crowd – your success is guaranteed by using social media marketing like a professional.
