A popular, current discussion among B2B marketers is the fact that they are prioritizing social media and search and content marketing above all else. Both have become vital tools in the digital age. While social media presents difficulty in measuring ROI, its ability to engage an audience and contribute to the total package, leading in the end to bottom line sales, is undeniable. Search and content marketing is easier to gauge but requires the development of relevant content in tandem. Done correctly, it can lead to sales in unexpected places.
What marketers might not realize is that maximized potential for these tools lies in using them together. This helpful video explains the emphasis placed on social media by companies like Google and Bing. For the past five years, they have slowly compounded social media and search function. First, blog posts showed up in search results, and eventually, features like the Google +1 button enabled them to base search results partly on popular vote. These developments opened the doors to marketers to combine social and search for optimal results.
For example, answering one customer’s question via social media, and having it indexed in search, can serve to answer hundreds of future customers’ questions at the click of a button. Active customer listening via social provides opportunities to find and answer those questions. Developing, and then disseminating relevant content via social now offers powerful opportunity to answer questions where they start – at the initial search.
This information proves that taking the time necessary to learn how to use social and search in tandem offers endless potential.
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