Why B2B social media should be part of every marketing strategy
I am a millenial. I’ve been on Facebook for 12 years, I just looked it up. LinkedIn, Instagram, Xing, SnapChat, Pinterest – except for TikTok, I’ve been through them all.
Even though my life no longer takes place to a large extent on social networks, they remain an important part of it.
Especially professionally.
Especially professionally? It’s true: I get the most important information from my field, about new developments and happenings through my professional networks. Social media is much faster than direct contact.
When I meet fascinating personalities, I click on their LinkedIn profile. Not to collect trophies, but to create further opportunities for professional exchange.
A life without social media?
I imagine that sometimes. But actually it would be pretty boring.
For me, it’s the most normal thing in the world to exchange ideas online. I don’t have to keep real and digital life separate. Online is also real – just different.
Every B2B company should be aware of this fact: There is no purely professional me.
Our personality is naturally a part of our professional life. It is what makes us who we are – both as a private label and as a company. This personality represents the greatest USP of social platforms!
Most Germans already live on Facebook, Instagram and Co.
Here’s the thing: In Germany, broad sections of the population use social media. There are 14 million users on LinkedIn and 17 million on Xing. The social veteran Facebook has 32 million active users. A total of 58 million Germans are regularly on the platforms.
There are a hell of a lot of us: Almost 70% of the population.
If we subtract the oldest and youngest, practically everyone is online.
That includes your B2B target group.
Surely not all age groups use social media with the same intensity or identically as my generation and the following ones.
But there are only a few people who do not seek contact with friends, acquaintances and colleagues there. Because social media is above all social exchange. We show who we are and what we are interested in. Be it a cooking channel or a specialist group for system integration. The transition from private to professional life is fluid.
This is one reason why we follow companies online whose products and solutions we are interested in. No matter if it is a fashion brand or the supplier for special sealings.
We want to keep ourselves up to date, know what’s going on, belong somewhere.
We do not distinguish between B2C or B2B in our use of social media. We are simply online.
B2B social media has the chance to become just as personal!
That’s exactly why no B2B company can do without a presence of its own in the social networks. Here, your audience moves in a completely natural and informal way. The number of possible contact points is legion. Not to mention the unfiltered feedback you can get back. (Of course, from time to time this can also mean hearing unpleasant things).
B2B social media pays directly into your business goals:
Do you want to make your brand better known? Social.
You want to strengthen customer loyalty? Social.
Do you want to appear more authentic and approachable? Social.
You want to be more present online? Social.
The right social networks help you get closer to prospects and customers. In this way, you learn from them and build a sustainable customer relationship.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that every industrial machinery manufacturer needs to be present on Instagram. Even if there are exciting use cases, it’s worth focusing on your core audience.
Social media has become an integral part of our lives. Good B2B marketing picks up its customers in the middle of life: That’s why B2B social media is an essential part of any successful marketing strategy.
Don’t be afraid to develop a viable social media strategy!
