Social Media for B2B
In the near past social media started as a place for sharing vacation photos, favourite music and making new friends. In the last decades, however, it has become a reliable tool for business and marketing. Building a presence in the social media is about adding value to your company.
Statistics from 2017 point that 2.8 billion users are on social media worldwide, which is almost 40% of the world population. We are spending more and more time online which defines the way we search, find and perceive information. Social media has become the perfect tool for business to reach audiences, especially when we talk about Millennials and Generation X.
We should have in mind the variety of platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Youtube, etc. It is essential to know their “personality” and features in order to publish suitable content, but what unites them is they all have the same purpose – communication.
Is social media suitable for IT companies?
When talking about Social Media Marketing we accept by default it is suitable only for B2C and has nothing to do with B2B. The truth, however, is that social media is not only about showing off your products, but about keeping in touch with audiences, communicating and building the image of your company. People are tired of being targeted as customers, they need to be targeted as people. They want to see not only what you do, but how you do it and also receive content that has a value for them, and social media is the perfect tool for that purpose.
From my experience social media for B2B is a must and it is totally suitable for IT companies. And if you do not believe me check out the biggest software corporations on their social channels.
So here comes the question:
What’s so valuable about using social media and how to be good at using it?
Fast and personal communication:
Social media allows you to be on the exact time in the exact moment. And that is essential for IT companies, isn’t it? World is constantly changing, everyday life is getting more and more dynamic. Emails and phone calls are just okay for specific and formal communication. However, sometimes it is not obligatory for the process to be that formal. On the other hand social channels like LinkedIn allow you to connect with people either in order to build partnerships or recruit new team members.
Valuable content:
Audiences appreciate content that is not sales-driven but educational and useful for them like blogs, tips, tutorials, white papers, testimonials, etc. At Dreamix we encourage knowledge sharing. We believe that sharing experience is the key to improvement as well as to personal and professional development.
Feedback:
Social media is pretty good for collecting instant feedback. You can learn what your audiences like. That allows you to reach them efficiently and faster and gives you the chance to build a strong community. And as we know developing a company is strictly related to communicating with audiences and partners.
Company Culture & Inner spirit
Your website is dedicated to formal stuff: your products/services, your company’s history, your team, probably a blog (which, honestly, I recommend as a must), some feedback from your partners, etc.
The inner spirit of a company, the company culture itself however, is something that is not so formal but should be shown and social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are pretty good for that. Starting from the weekly breakfast organised by the company, to the big smiles of your colleagues and the team buildings to the shelves with books and the cosy office space you have. Company is not only products, marketing and business calls as a person is not only his body – personality is what makes real sense.
Interactive content:
The more we are into the digital world and technologies the more perceiving information changes. And if in the past people were okay with reading a lot of text without losing concentration now we tend to be more interested in visual interactive content – whether it is a video, photos, infographics, presentations. Social media allows us to generate and share valuable content like the mentioned above.
Business socialising:
Social media channels like LinkedIn and Google+ build strong circles of professionals. There you can find potential partners, present your IT services to new people and build the image of your company. It is really useful for business communication as well as for getting in touch with your followers.
Here are some basic steps to follow when you develop your Social Media Marketing Strategy:
Know your goal: Do you want to get new followers? Do you want to build awareness of your brand? Do you want to show the inner spirit of your company? Be sure to know the answer in order to choose how to develop your strategy.
Choose your network(s): More is better doesn’t count here. It is essential to know which platforms are suitable for your business. It pretty much depends on your audiences. Try and see what works for you.
Know your audience: In order to post valuable content for your followers you need to know their needs, their preferences and interests.
Measure: Social media platforms allow you to measure the performance of your publications, their reach, whether people are engaged by your posts or not. That is how you can learn what to keep and what to improve.
Be yourself: Stay true to your company’s spirit, be who you are and it will work for you.
In conclusion:
Almost everything happens online nowadays – from searching information, to communicating and shopping to sharing knowledge and personal experience. Social platforms have become a must in every marketing and communication strategy. Definitely, IT companies should use social media too.
So, keep calm, be social and don’t forget to like Dreamix on Facebook.
