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

Published on: 07 September 2018 Last Updated on: 29 October 2024

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?

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.

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

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

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

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 :

How Social Media Can Boost Up The E-commerce Industry

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10 of the Best Facebook Pages to Follow Now

In the first quarter of 2018, Facebook reported 2.19 billion users. For reference, that means that almost 1/3 of the world's population is one this immensely popular social networking site! If you're one of those billions of people who spend hours scrolling through their Facebook feed in search of the best new content, you'll find that eventually, you'll find yourself in a bit of a rut. It can be tough to find new content after a while. But the great thing about Facebook is that there are tons of great Facebook pages waiting to be discovered. Here are 10 of the best Facebook pages to follow, whether you're looking for fun, food, or even marketing tips. 1. Delish : If you're like us, you probably find yourself watching Food Network a lot, even if you have no interest in cooking half of the things your favorite Iron Chef makes. But if you're feeling adventurous, head on over to Delish, one of Facebook's best cooking pages. Not only will you get tons of great recipes to help you cook for one or 100, but most recipes come in the form of helpful videos, so you can watch the entire process from beginning to end. Personally, we recommend checking out their spiked lemonade and boozy pudding shot recipes if you're of age. 2. HonorSociety.org : As you may have surmised, HonorSociety.org is the official Facebook page for the National Honor Society. The page is a fantastic resource for students of all ages, from middle school to grad school. Why check the page out? In addition to great tips on how to maximize your academic potential, you'll have the ability to chat with other society members. This networking can be quite helpful when it comes time to find a job. If HonorSociety.org sounds like your cup of tea, be sure to click the link for more info. 3. We Rate Dogs : Alright, we have a confession to make. Some of us have social media pages solely to look at photos of adorable images. In fact, we once wrote an entire post about the famous pets of Instagram! We Rate Dogs is a perfect example of why social media and animals go hand in hand. The premise of the page is exactly what it sounds like. People submit photos of their dogs in adorable or silly circumstances (often in costume) and the page admins post and rate the dog accordingly. And for those worried that not all dogs receive a high rating, most receive the coveted 11/10 or 13/10 rating, proving once and for all that they're all the best dogs. 4. Animals In Predicaments : If rating dogs aren't quite your thing, how about checking out some animals in the most peculiar predicaments? Of everything you'll read about today, Animals in Predicaments is perhaps the most bizarre pages to follow on Facebook. It's one part meta-humor and one part adorable animal photo. When combined, the result is both odd and hilarious. Ever wanted to see a cat crash a nativity scene? This Facebook page has you covered. Want to watch a deer run and slide through a hospital? Yup, it's on here. Unfortunately, the page was last updated last December. However, newcomers still have plenty of great content to browse through. 5. NPR : As great as ridiculous animals can be, sometimes you need to stay informed about the current events of the world. For newshounds, NPR's Facebook page is a fantastic resource. They cross-post most content from their website, and they have an increasingly large library of video content to choose from so you can consume news any way you want. And the breadth of content is about as deep as you'd expect from an NPR page. They post tons of great info on world news, local matters, and music and entertainment. 6. Nerdist : Nerdist is kind of like the NPR for all things pop culture. They do a great job of aggregating content from around the web, so if you have a passing interest in anything remotely geeky, you've found your home. 7. Intrepid Travel Most of us have extravagant dreams of traveling the world yet lack the funds to do so. If this sounds familiar, you'll want to be sure to check out Intrepid Travel. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Intrepid Travel is a travel company that's less interested in selling you something and more interested in providing you with unique experiences around the globe, be it from first-hand travel or their own travel blogs. If you're planning on traveling anytime soon, they also have plenty of great tips to help you make the most of your travel experience. 8. UnMarketing : For entrepreneurs and business owners, marketing on Facebook is an absolute must. Facebook -- and social media in general -- offer a fantastic way to get in touch with your audience in a unique and conversational manner. However, learning how to market your business isn't always so easy. UnMarketing aims to help you perfect the art of brand management without coming across as too cold or corporate. Also Read: How To Remove Pname Com Facebook Orca 9. Wendy's If you want a prime example of UnMarketing's principles in practice, you'll want to check out Wendy's social media accounts. They have a habit of getting quite sassy, particularly when interacting with their competitors. In fact, Wendy's even dropped a mixtape entitled, We Beefin? earlier this year, which took direct aim at McDonald's and their seemingly always broken ice cream machines. It's about time someone stood up for those of us who just want a McFlurry. 10. Your City's Facebook Page : Last but not least, you'll want to be sure to follow your city's Facebook page. It can be super helpful to learn more about what's going on in your town, and they often post great information about upcoming events. These Are The Best Facebook Pages To Follow : We hope that our list of the best Facebook pages to follow provided you with something new and interesting. These pages should have a little something for everyone, so be sure to check them out. Be sure to check our social media section for more great marketing tips and fun pages to follow! Read Also : Digital Marketing: Utilize Facebook To Support Your Hospitality Business The Definitive Guide To Market Your Business On Facebook 5 Ways To Improve Mobile SEO

Is Youtube Social Media? Know Your Answer Here

Are you wondering if YouTube is a social media platform or not? Well, somebody can say that YouTube is one of the most engaging social media platforms across the entire social media network. This question is not only in your mind, but many users doubt whether YouTube is a social media platform or a video hosting site. Yes, you are right. YouTube is one of the social media sites which have been more than over the years. Recently, people are generating revenue by publishing multiple videos on the YouTube platform. At the time, users only created an account and signed in to watch multiple types of videos. But now the thing is entirely different. Here are some facts I will discuss that you need to know about YouTube so that you can clear your doubt: is youtube social media? Read below to know… YouTube: An Overview! Everyone knows Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms on the Internet. But in recent times, YouTube is replacing its position. As per a particular survey, we can see that YouTube has roughly active users of around 2.3 billion whereas Facebook has roughly 2.9 billion active users. As per research, we can see that YouTube has a steady growth of 73% of adult users as of 2019. At the same time, Facebook has roughly 69% of adult users, per the reports 2021. Nowadays, YouTube is not only considered one of the social media platforms but also one of the best digital marketing platforms. This means people nowadays make money by publishing multiple videos on YouTube, such as unboxing videos, vlogging, and so many others. Characteristics Of A Social Media Platform If you want to know whether “is youtube social media platform” or not, first you need to know what characteristics a social media platform should have. Even this is not the end. These characteristics below will let you know why YouTube is considered a social media platform. Social media platforms always heavily rely on user-generated content. This means users can create content, and even they can share as well. It means users get to interact with each other at every time. No matter by replying to comments, sharing posts, or even by directing messages and so many others. Social media platform is where you can personalize your account or profile and even control your online presence. Another characteristic of Social media platforms is that it enables users to connect with a network that shares interests. Social media platform is a software tool where controversial posts get viral and engage within just a few minutes. After going through the above-mentioned social media characteristics, will you still wonder if youtube is considered social media? I hope you are not. Despite the descriptions mentioned above, I am going to share some more YouTube features which help to clear your doubts is youtube a social media platform. Is Youtube Social Media: Know Some More Features Recently developers have launched some interesting features where users are getting engaged regularly. That is why the rate of registered users on YouTube is increasing. Below I will share some more features which make YouTube a social media platform. 1) Subscriptions, Likes & Comments One of the most valued features of the social media platform YouTube is "subscriptions." In this case, subscriptions offer a minimal opportunity to get interacted between viewers and creators. If a YouTube user subscribed to your channel or any creator channel, it means that the user is likened to the channel and easily gets updates about the channel. On the other hand, as a social media user, likes and comments are the most important things which can easily create interactions between fans and creators. Users can even use the comment section on YouTube, which messages people on YouTube. 2) Community Posts You might have a question: does youtube count as social media? Well, if any social media platform or any online platform has a community posts feature, we can count that particular platform as a social media platform. In this case, the community posts feature means that you, being a creator, can share images, GIFs, and Polls to the community polls. This is another example of a user engagement feature. Do you remember users from 2008 or 2009 using community features on past social media platforms like Orkut or Facebook? Yes, this feature is the symbol of a traditional social media platform. 3) Youtube Shorts Before you search for the answer, is youtube social media or not? First, let me tell you about a new feature on YouTube - yes I am talking about YouTube shorts. If you still didn’t yet search for them, just visit and get introduced to the new feature. YouTube Shorts is one of the platform's newest features, launched in the year 2021. Here you can upload short videos to add effects, stickers, and music. Are You Not Interested To Know The Advantages Of Youtube? There are multiple advantages of YouTube that you have to know. Yes, so that you will be getting more interest in using YouTube and can enjoy this exciting social media platform. Below I am going to Discuss some of the advantages of YouTube. YouTube is one of the online platforms where you just will be able to see videos on mobile. In recent times, there are so many online platforms that you only experience on a desktop or hardly on a laptop. But YouTube is one of the best social media platforms you can experience on your mini device. YouTube is one of the most popular sites on the planet where you can spread any type of message more quickly. Users generally encounter videos on Facebook Timeline or even on Twitter Timeline. But if you can share videos across the Internet and want to spread them to a wider audience, then YouTube is one of the best platforms. YouTube is the only online platform that is cost-efficient. This means you can share videos, even watch movie trailers, or even listen to songs but with cost efficiency. Thus, we can say YouTube is undeniably a cost-efficient platform. Final Thoughts I have discussed some facts on YouTube, and I hope I have cleared your doubts: so, is youtube social media? In this era, you must thank developers for launching new features on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or even Facebook. Not only that but from being a marketing platform to a video launching platform, this is the second-largest search engine which will go a long way. Who thought that YouTube could one day become the number 1 global online search engine platform? Are you still wondering that is YouTube social media? If yes, then do let me know in the comment section below. Thank you for reading till the end. Learn More About: How to Stream on YouTube Effectively? A 5-Minute Tutorial On Making YouTube Intro For Newbies 2 Easy Steps to Change YouTube Channel Name Without Changing the Gmail Name

Social Media Marketing – A Life-Changing Strategy

A social media advertising strategy is all your steps and efforts to promote your brand or company on social media. Now the question arises why market on social media? Well, the answer is that this form of marketing has many benefits, including brand recognition, increased website traffic, and much more. You can create better awareness about your product or service through social media. Moreover, social media is a convenient way to reach your target audience. Businesses failing to imply this form of marketing surprisingly got some amazing progress. This article will summarize all the relevant information related to social media marketing, along with how it can be a life-changing strategy. Read this article to discover some potential benefits of it. Benefits Of Leveraging Social Media Marketing It’s important for your brand to get the attention of your target audience and clients. It can help you to build a larger following and a loyal customer inflow. Here are some of the potential benefits that can elevate your business progress. These are: Improvement In Brand Social media or SM marketing, when done in the right way, has a favorable effect on your brand. It can help humanize your business while fostering loyalty, respect, trust, and authority. You may increase the credibility and trustworthiness of your brand by publishing material that highlights the real people behind it and actual customers. A signature generator can make your work much easier and more convenient. People prefer genuineness. Your brand may distinguish out from the competition by putting the needs of its employees and customers first and living according to its core values. Your brand can greatly benefit from aligning ideas with deeds promoting activism and philanthropy. Better Consumer Service As Well As Satisfaction A major benefit of this form of digital marketing for small and medium-sized brands is that it offers you a straightforward channel for your audience. Furthermore, it enables real-time interaction with clients. This can have both positive and negative impacts on brands. Businesses using social media to provide feedback usually listens to what their target audience says and give accurate responses. Consumers may either compliment or criticize you in their posts and comments. Furthermore, how quickly and appropriately you answer might affect your brand's reputation. Businesses not paying enough attention to this channel of communication might appear insensitive to customers and irritate them, who usually put an end to support them. Studies The Competition By reading the social media posts of your competitors, you can learn where you need to improve and what not to do. This might assist you in getting a feel of the positioning of a product within the market or the trends they are focusing on. Take ownership of a coffee business as an example. The holiday season is almost approaching. Your sales have been slower than normal, you've noticed. Check social media to discover if similar businesses are selling coffee in seasonal mugs during winter. You can adapt the marketing techniques of social media you see and give them your special spin. You'll be able to simply check the number of likes, shares, and views a post receives on social media. Good ROI One of its main benefits is that it lets you grow a massive audience without having to spend a lot of money. Making a company profile on most sites is free, and while you can make use of things such as paid advertising, it's unnecessary. On the other hand, you might grow your customers as well as your reach by producing continuous content your desired audience finds useful. Enhances SEO The efforts you make at search engine optimization can also benefit from social media networks. There is a connection between your search engine rating and social media, even though your ranking is not directly impacted by the content you put on social media platforms. One of the advantages of social media is the ability to promote your material. More traffic and engagement result, both of which are encouraging user signals. Furthermore, it increases your prospects for building backlinks and increases the possibility that your profile will rank for specific search terms on its own. Boost Up Website Traffic Ideally, your social network post should direct visitors to your site, which is most likely where they will wind up. Consider your social media sales funnel. When people see your material on a social platform, they click on a link to visit your website for further information and, ideally, choose to buy from you there. Although e-commerce conversion is a completely different subject, social media marketing can at least draw visitors to your brand website. You need to go beyond self-promotion if you want to attract repeat clients. Your company website should be listed in your profile on all of your social media channels so that people can simply get more details about your enterprise. This will help you to drive more customers and clients. It ultimately boost your website traffic. Final Thoughts Social media marketing is one of the most beneficial tools to promote your brand. It is proving its importance in business in different ways. People are more appealed to by effective SM marketing strategies than any other way. Therefore, implying this life-changing strategy and improving your business's overall revenue and customer traffic is important We hope this article will provide you with all the relevant information related to social media marketing. Make sure to imply it to get all its benefits. Read also: Make Your Business Popular Online Social Media Marketing role in Technology How are Social media Playing a Role in career building?