This Is Why Social Media Is Essential in the B2B Sales Process

Published on: 07 September 2018 Last Updated on: 29 October 2024
B2B Sales Process

Social media has been the cornerstone of B2C marketing for a long time. However, when it comes to B2B marketing and sales, it is only fairly recently that social media channels have started to dominate.

And while most B2B marketers now realize the enormous potential of this type of marketing, only true experts have figured out that simple presence on social media is far from enough. To raise awareness of your business, you need to be social on social media, which is, after all, very logical.

In other words, you need to initiate relationships, interact with people in a personal way and absorb your customer’s feedback. But apart from this, you also have to showcase your expertise in a humble way, listen to the voices and trends in your industry and keep an eye on competitors.

Marketing your business on social media can help you generate leads, improve website traffic, increase sales and create a brand identity with your target audience.

That being said, the sooner you realize that investing time and money in social media is necessary, the better results you will get. However, this type of marketing, just like crafting a Sales Enablement Strategy, takes time and skills.

Let this article be the first step on your journey to improving your B2B social media marketing. In it, you will find out the reasons why social media is essential for B2B sales and the tips on how to improve your sales through social media channels.

Why is social media so important?

social media so important

Have you heard of social validation? Social validation is a basic human necessity and its presence has but skyrocketed thanks to social media.

According to the Content Marketing Institute’s report from 2017, as much as 83% of B2B marketers use social media as their preferred marketing channel. And even though increased brand awareness is one of the main goals of social media campaigns, it is far from being the only impact of this type of marketing.

As the matter of fact, social media is right at the top when it comes to the factors making the biggest impact on purchasing decisions, closely following industry analysts and web search. Therefore, it is obvious that social media is essential for B2B sales.

If you want to increase your B2B sales, you need to use the following social media platforms:

Facebook

Without a shadow of a doubt, Facebook is the number one platform. It is important for creating a community, marketing, and advertising, as well as influencing decision makers.

LinkedIn

As a platform originally intended for business purposes, LinkedIn is as influential as Facebook in some segments.

Twitter

Twitter is the final element of the social media triad, but slightly less important than Facebook and LinkedIn.

You may be wondering why Instagram and Snapchat are not on this list. And indeed, these two platforms, especially Instagram, are great for marketing. However, they are more effective for B2C marketers.

Benefits of social media marketing for B2B sales

B2B social media marketing

To give you a clear picture of how social media can increase B2B sales, we will list some of the main benefits of social media marketing.

–        Firstly, it builds brand awareness and visibility.

–        It serves as an effective distribution channel for your business’ ideas, content and offers.

–        You can create PR opportunities, brand loyalty, SEO, as well as positive web mentions by building brand advocates.

–        Social media marketing drives new leads into the funnel when combined with whitepapers, fact sheets, eBooks and other content offers.

–        Have you tried to use social media to increase the number of email subscribers? If you want to add more people to your mailing list, this will do wonders for your business.

–        Moreover, this type of marketing is great for B2B customer feedback program and understanding the needs of your leads, customers, prospects, and advocates.

–        Social media marketing can greatly improve your SEO results through third-party links, mentions, and interest in your content.

–        You can build trust with your buyers by educating them and helping them understand the major factors that influence their purchasing decisions.

–      Social media is perfect for B2B loyalty rewards programs and customer care.

Challenges of B2B social media marketing

There are always two sides of a coin. In spite of the numerous benefits of B2B social marketing, there are also certain challenges that B2B marketers face on a daily basis when it comes to social media.

When in Rome…

If consumers use social media for connection and entertainment, your message needs to address these requirements.

In other words, you shouldn’t slip into business jargon on Facebook or post silly memes on LinkedIn. Apart from that, you should try to establish a deeper connection with your customers by finding out what they read, what they comment on and who they follow.

This will help you better understand your prospects and existing customers, and tell them what they want to hear and how they want to hear it.

Being present 24/7

When your audience needs guidance or asks a question, you should be there for them. It is all about responding when they reach out for help.

The challenge here is to anticipate such moments and be ready to shine. Create a list of tips, reviews, product demonstrations, and video tutorials, and promote them through paid search and social advertising.

For this and similar reasons, you should constantly use social media for real-time marketing, an increasingly popular method which allows you to engage with your customers instantly.

Cherishing your influencers

Finding your perfect influencer and starting a conversation with them is one of the keys to a successful social media campaign.

To choose the right influencer for your brand, you need to study their audience, understand why they engage, what is their reach, style, and many additional aspects.

Getting serious about selling on social media

Once you have put in a lot of effort toward entertainment and connection, you need to sell. After all, that is the main goal of each business.

To grow your website traffic and nurture leads, you need to match your marketing efforts and sales goals. When you engage with the knowledgeable, empowered and well-connected customers, you practically close the gap between the social world and the business world.

The elusive ROI

Oh, the infamous ROI… This is definitely among the top challenges for all marketers, not only in the B2B field.

To get a satisfactory return on investment, you always need to give your customers new and fresh content on social media, as well as attend to their needs and join conversations with influencers. Then, when everybody starts listening to what you have to say, seize the moment and make the final move.

It is all about timing. With the right timing, you can sell everything, even ice to Eskimos.

The future of B2B sales

The future of B2B sales

Everybody is wondering what the future of B2B sales will look like. So far, we can identify three main trends.

The buying process will become easier

In essence, a more open approach to purchasing is obviously emerging, as well as a multi-channel unified experience closely resembling the B2C experience.

Moreover, along with those two, the need for highly personalized interactions will result in increasing buyer trust and lead to more data becoming available.

The focus will shift to long-term customer value

Businesses will have to focus on customer needs and customize their selling approaches, Also, adding value to products and services will be an indispensable part of every sales process.

In addition, selling will become more intelligent. In other words, sales teams will need to educate customers about their needs and engage with stakeholders and decision makers to discover and highlight those needs.

Data and analytics will play a major role in creating customer value

The days of guessing in sales have long gone. To create value for customers and interact with them effectively, social media marketers will have to use data and analytics through:

–        science and sales

–        AI and the virtual experience

–        sales and the social business

In many of these strategies, social media will play an important role. From the multi-channel approach and market intelligence to education and connection, B2B sales will be impossible without social media platforms.

Finally, from a technical point of view, it is evident that outsourcing social media is becoming increasingly popular. This is a strategy that can be very effective, especially for small businesses. However, if you decide to do this, we advise you to be careful and avoid the most common social media outsourcing mistakes.

How to Sell More on Social Media

Sell More on Social Media

Now that you have learned why social media is so important for the B2B sales process, you probably want to know how to use social media to increase sales.

Here are the five useful tips on how to sell more and better on social media.

Choose the right social network(s)

Not all the platforms will work for all businesses. When choosing the best social media channels for your business, you need to consider several factors:

–        your niche

–        your audience

–        your goals

For example, according to a study by Google and Millward Brown Digital published in 2015, the number of decision makers aged between 18 and 34 years increased by 19% in only two years (from 27% in 2012 to 46% in 2014).

This is why you need to find out the favorite platform of your customers and tailor your message to them, the network and your brand.

Remember – no business jargon on Facebook or crazy memes on LinkedIn.

Be active on LinkedIn

Whatever other networks you choose, keep in mind that LinkedIn is a must. When it comes to B2B marketing, this platform is essential and you can’t risk not using it.

To shine on LinkedIn, you will have to be very active. This means that you should:

–        use LinkedIn’s Saved Search feature in order to create a search based on your ideal customer profile and be notified each time such a person signs up

–        join and participate in LinkedIn groups to build your network and referrals

–        connect with potential customers to start conversations

Contribute to existing conversations

This goes for all the social media networks you are active on. When you contribute to conversations about your brand and interesting topics in your industry, customers see this as adding value.

The best way to do this is Twitter and its search function, but you can use other networks too.

Share relevant content

More and more B2B buyers search for information on services and products on social media. Your answer to this should be simple ‒ sharing relevant content.

This is another way to add value, and you can do it by providing white papers, product sheets, case studies, webinars, comparison worksheets and so on.

In addition, you can share useful blog posts, infographics, tutorials and other types of content. In a nutshell, you can share anything that you think could help your customers.

Use the right tools

Finally, using social media for marketing purposes without different kinds of tools is practically impossible. There are so many aspects software tools can improve and so many ways they can help you rock your campaigns that not using them is a real waste of time.

Using effective social media marketing tools will help you find more relevant content, schedule your posts, measure and analyze the effectiveness of your campaigns, as well as use that data to improve your future campaigns.

Wrapping up :

Social media networks are becoming an essential part of every B2B sales process. However, in order to sell more on social media, you need to understand all the benefits and challenges of this process.

This is definitely not a one-time activity. Rather, think of it as of a long journey that includes a lot of small steps. It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock your B2B social media campaigns.

But if you take all the steps that we listed, you will find that the results will follow. This is one of those journeys that you have to enjoy if you want to reach your destination.

Read Also : 

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Instagram Marketing

Best 5 Instagram Marketing Tools You Should Be Using

No one would like to be left behind and it is undoubted that business has to be on social media. You may be off Twitter and Facebook but are you on Instagram? Instagram is not for photographers and teens only because it has Instagram marketing tools that will help your business grow. There is so much going around on Instagram and you do not want to waste time learning this platform. Use this write-up to learn more about its tools. 5 Instagram Marketing Tools : 1. Social insight : Social insight is among Instagram marketing tools which run a deep analysis of the account. It is easy to follow the engagement, interactions, and growth of the account. The main feature helps you estimate the required posting time and gain data on followers. You can also see info on average engagement. Additionally, this is more than a business account as this feature allows you to connect with others and compare their analytics. This is a promising tool that business owners use. 2. Repost : Repost is one of the most essential Instagram tools for sharing user-generated content. When you do this, you show customers that you are appreciating them and their opinion. This tool is easy to use because you just need to click and share content while acknowledging the creator. This tool enables you to bookmark videos and photos you would like to report. It becomes possible to find photos by typing the username or hashtag and reposting by one button. This tool contributes to strengthening business relations with clients. 3. Instagram business blog : Of late, Instagram has announced the launching of the business blog. This tool will be used as a resource for business so as to contribute to other companies’ success. According to Gramlike, you need to visit the blog to get the required info on the offers of this tool. You need to keep updated with news from the company and learn the way this tool is effectively used. Also, try finding out what other accounts of businesses are doing. Statistics of Instagram marketing show that forty-eight percent of brands have accounts and this includes almost all top one hundred brands. This indicates that Instagram competition is fierce and you need all the Instagram marketing tools to be on top. Nobody knows Instagram better than Instagram. 4. Boomerang : Boomerang is yet another tool for video creation that appeals to the audience. Possessing a strategy that develops involves engaging the audience in the best way. You have to speak their language. According to liquid creativity, videos of the boomerang are a crucial section of the language. You can use it for purposes of filming videos on one second. The nice thing is that you do not need so much time as there is no need of audio. There is no need of working on dialogues. Capture the best moments behind scenes and make interesting videos about the product. A second can always be the difference. 5. Later : A free plan is available. It provides thirty posts per month, one user, and one social profile. This is one of the Instagram marketing tools called the Linkin bio that makes it easy to shop Instagram feed. The Linkin bio is a landing page resembling Instagram feed and displays posts as clickable images. It is possible to access videos, photos, and accounts in later and have several media libraries; therefore, you do not have to share videos and photos with team members and Instagram accounts. It becomes possible to manage several accounts in the business plans. You can just have managers in teams to approve content and contributors and team members submitting media. Conclusion : It is fortunate to note that Instagram has edited its stance when it comes to Instagram marketing tools when it comes to scheduling. You will realize that these tools supporting scheduling also support direct Instagram publishing, and others help in boosting presence on social media. Read Also : 5 Marketing Tips To Help Grow Your Business On Instagram Getting Familiar With The Types Of Instagram Contests Why Every Business Needs Digital Marketing

READ MOREDetails
whatsapp not working

WhatsApp Not Working: Why It Happens And How To Fix It!

Thousands of users appear to be unable to use WhatsApp every other month. A number of users complain on Twitter about not being able to send/receive messages on the social messaging app. One of the most widely used instant messaging apps available today is WhatsApp. Many rely on it for everyday communication. You can only imagine how annoying it can be when WhatsApp stops functioning out of the blue. WhatsApp may stop functioning for multiple reasons. While certain WhatsApp problems are unavoidable, there are other issues that you may resolve to resume sending and receiving messages. Are you also having trouble using WhatsApp? Do you want to know why your phone isn't working with WhatsApp and how to fix it? We want to help. The causes of WhatsApp not functioning on your phone are listed below, along with some potential fixes. Why Is WhatsApp Not Working On My Phone?   Here’s a swift look at a few of the issues that could cause WhatsApp to malfunction on your phone: Internet connectivity WhatsApp is dated Account deleted Smartphone expiry WhatsApp server down Internet Connectivity    WhatsApp may not be functioning on your phone because you may have neglected to turn on the internet. Or there may be a problem with connectivity. Sending and receiving calls via the instant messaging app requires being online. To find out if your internet is functioning, you might try using different programs or browsers. If something appears to be wrong, make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data. You can always get in touch with your internet service provider if nothing else works. WhatsApp Not Working: How To Enable Data Connectivity   To allow internet connectivity on your device for WhatsApp to work, you need to keep your mobile data on. If not, you must be connected to an active Wi-Fi. Here's how to activate your phone's mobile data. To enable mobile data on both iOS and Android smartphones, slide down the notification panel and hit the arrow icon. In case you cannot locate it, proceed with the steps listed below to activate the internet on your device: Open Settings. Go to the SIM card and mobile data or Mobile Data management section, depending upon the OS you are using. Toggle the Mobile data switch. WhatsApp Is Dated   Verify that your WhatsApp is up to date if everything else with your internet connection seems normal. WhatsApp frequently stops supporting older versions, which might leave your data vulnerable to hackers. WhatsApp releases new versions with enhanced security and other features frequently. The app can stop functioning if your WhatsApp is using an outdated version for an extended period of time. You'll receive a notification saying that in order to continue using WhatsApp, you must update. It's time to upgrade WhatsApp if you receive a message like this when you launch it. To update WhatsApp, click the Download icon located at the bottom of the screen. WhatsApp Not Working: Ways To Update WhatsApp    Here's how to manually update the app, in case you'd like to: Launch the App Store and Play Store, then look up WhatsApp. To update WhatsApp, click the WhatsApp search result and press the UPDATE option. It is not usually necessary to update WhatsApp frequently in order to utilize the service. But to stay safe, make sure you're using the most recent versions in order to avoid any problems. Account Deleted    This can also be the cause of WhatsApp not functioning properly on your device. It's possible that WhatsApp erased your account if you haven't used it in a long time. In the event that your account is inactive for 120 days, WhatsApp retains the right to remove it. Whatsapp claims that it takes these precautions to protect users' security and privacy. WhatsApp won't erase your account as long as your smartphone is connected to the internet and has WhatsApp installed. The only thing you can do in this situation if your account has been destroyed is to make a new one. Smartphone Expiry   Each year, WhatsApp publishes a list of gadgets that violate the platform's security and privacy guidelines. WhatsApp is forced to stop operating when the business stops providing support for these smartphones. Most of these gadgets are running outdated operating systems (OS). Recently, WhatsApp support for Apple's first-generation iPhone SE, iPhone 6S, and iPhone 6S Plus, as well as handsets running Android 4.0.4 and earlier versions, was discontinued. As of right now, the app is limited to Android 4.1 or later, iOS 10 or later, and KaiOS 2.5.0+ devices. You should absolutely check the status of your operating system and upgrade to the most recent version if it's available if WhatsApp isn't working on your phone. WhatsApp Not Working: Checking For Updates   Here's how to check for updates on your iPhone and Android smartphone. Open up the Settings app on your phone. Look for updates to the software. Select the Software update option and then click Check for updates. Install any updates that are available by downloading and installing them. To use WhatsApp on your phone, you must have a suitable device. If your phone doesn't fit the minimum requirements, your only option is to think about upgrading. WhatsApp Server Down   This has to be the most obvious reason, that is beyond your control. If WhatsApp is unavailable, it won't function on your phone. Occasionally, a glitch in WhatsApp's servers could make it impossible for you to send or receive messages or even make phone calls. As it's a backend problem, your only options are to verify if the servers are truly down and bide your time till WhatsApp provides a solution. You have no choice but to wait until the massive instant messaging company resolves the problems if this is the case. Wrapping Up   These were the potential causes of WhatsApp not functioning on your device, along with potential fixes. The remedies provided in this post to fix WhatsApp not working are thorough. After reading over these answers in detail, you will be well-equipped to protect yourself from scenarios that could cause you distress when using WhatsApp.If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask about WhatsApp not working, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! More Resources: Ways To Fix YouTube “Something Went Wrong” Prompt Mastering The Art Of Connecting: How To Reach Out To A Recruiter On LinkedIn   Get Rid Of Boring Instagram Theme: Learn How To Change Theme On Instagram

READ MOREDetails
Personal Injury Law

Unconventional Marketing! How to Market Your Personal Injury Law Firm on Pinterest

The rise of Pinterest has been remarkable. Today, 29% of Americans use Pinterest, which makes it one of the most popular secondary social media platforms. This image-based platform offers a new way to appeal to potential clients. As a personal injury law firm, you may find it difficult to market yourself on such a platform.  Every law firm needs to work with a specialized marketing agency that understands how the industry works.   According to Constellation marketing agency, law firms and their marketing come with their own sets of challenges and opportunities.   This is especially true in digital marketing, which holds immense potential for law firms.   Online marketing is essential, especially today when digital platforms and technologies are increasingly influencing consumer behavior.  Read this guide to find out how to do it.  Create Personal Boards for Your Law Firm The point of boards is to allow users to categorize videos and images. For law firms, you need to concentrate on avoiding the corporate look.  According to the Hunter Law Group, a personal injury attorney in Tampa may decide to create a board specializing in local content.  For example, another option is to provide fun behind-the-scenes content. Don’t worry about not looking professional—Pinterest has never been designed for that. 1. What are You Doing? Let your boards tell a story. The point of a Pinterest board is to give people a reason to keep coming back. Create a board with updated information about your firm's activities.  A personal injury attorney in Tampa may decide to write about any charity or volunteer work they recently indulged in.  Thus, the point is that they’re not directly marketing, and they’re using the social media 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of content posted adds value and has nothing to do with self-promotion. 2. Get an Official Account  Business accounts have been a thing on Pinterest since 2012. You should apply for one of these so you can mark out your Pinterest board as the official board of your law firm.  This may not seem important, but it adds a layer of credibility and ensures someone with a similar name can’t overtake you.  3. Think about SEO Pinterest is expected to have 83 million active monthly users by the end of the decade. These users mean that Pinterest results get high rankings on Google.  Make sure you use targeted keywords to enhance your SEO ranking. Use similar keywords across all your images so you get more exposure. 4. Create and Promote Unique Content Don’t expect to just share a range of content across multiple social media platforms. In fact, you need to create unique content for Pinterest to encourage people to go out of their way to visit you.  Plus, combine this with sharing buttons on your website, and your law firm will see more traffic flowing to Pinterest.  Pinterest Marketing & How to Get More Clients as A Lawyer  Law firm marketing and Pinterest might not seem to belong in the same sentence, but let me tell you – it’s a hidden gem.   With millions of users actively searching for visual content, personal injury law firms have a good opportunity to shine on Pinterest and attract clients. It is an unconventional choice. However, it is one of the best platforms, just hear us out.   Here are ways you can use Pinterest to grow your practice!  1. Create Boards that Engage and Tell your Story  Start by creating boards that are more than just advertisements of your services. Think of it as advertising through storytelling. Do you have a philanthropy focus or charity you support?   Additionally, highlight that by creating a board and describing what you do for it, how your clients get involved, and why you support it.   Are there team members who participate in community service frequently?   Create a board dedicated to this with stories and pictures!   Just remember: Pinterest is all about authenticity! So, expertly curated advertisements might not always be the way to go. You must personally connect. 2. Focus on the Visual Aspect Pinterest is a visual platform, but it’s also a search engine. Help people find your pins by optimizing them with targeted keywords.   Therefore, consider the keywords clients might enter Pinterest or Google to see you: “personal injury tips,” “legal advice after an accident,” etc. Plus, use those words in your image files, descriptions, and board titles to increase your Pinterest visibility and improve your Google rankings. 3. Create a Business Account for Professional Bragging Rights To establish trust and a level of professionalism, you’ll want to switch over to a Pinterest Business Account.   So, by doing this, Pinterest will now officially recognize your business on the platform, and you’ll gain access to analytics tools that will allow you to keep track of how well you’re doing.  In fact, having an official account also helps make sure that your boards are easily recognized as belonging to your law firm and that no one else has similar names.  Last Word – Pinterest Can Be Useful: It’s wrong for people to say that Pinterest isn’t useful for law firms. You just have to think outside the box to get people interested in your law firm. You can’t use the same corporate tone across all of your channels. Pinterest is one of them where you have to adopt a more casual tone. With that in mind, experiment with the images you post and see what works and what doesn’t. How are you going to make your law firm succeed on Pinterest? Read Also: Things About A Personal Injury Lawyer How To Choose A Personal Injury Lawyer

READ MOREDetails