Social Media for B2B: Beyond LinkedIn

Social Media for B2B: Beyond LinkedIn:
For the last few weeks, we’ve been taking a look at some of the questions we get asked most often. On our Inbound Marketing conversion forms, we are often asked, “how do I keep up with social media” and “what networks are right for my business?” While not necessarily connected, those two do go hand-in-hand. Currently, there are over 400 social media networks and new ones are popping up every day. Wow. With so many choices, it’s no wonder B2B marketers are challenged to make the right choices and stay on top of all the chatter.
A few of those 400 stand out as great choices for manufacturing and professional services.

1. LinkedIn – With over 147 million professionals as members, LinkedIn is a great place to start for B2B marketers. Best of all, the LinkedIn universe is heavily populated with desirable contacts at large companies likely looking for products/services to help their business.
2. YouTube – If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a video must be worth a million! Adult attention spans and free time are at an all time low and a short video is a great way to draw attention to your message. YouTube allows B2B marketers to demonstrate to targets “what’s in it for me” in a real, credible way.
3. Blog – while not typically seen as a social media network, this online portal is the quickest, easiest way to regularly communicate a company’s leadership, expertise and commitment. Plus, a well crafted and optimized blog post can contribute to overall SEO performance.
4. Twitter – It’s not just for celebrities anymore! Twitter is a great way to promote a blog, share industry information and attract industry media.

So, what about the other 396 networks? Do they make sense for B2B? Very possibly! The best way to find out is to conduct a social media review to determine where targets are interacting, where competitors are focusing and where potential exists to create a following.
Once that review is complete and networks are identified, a social media jumpstart may just be needed to set protocols and schedules to most effectively communicate a company’s message. Curious? Check out the e-book How to Enhance Your Internet Presence Using Social Media.