The ROI of social media is an ongoing debate between marketers and the C-suite. While most professionals who work in marketing stand firmly by the value of social media, they still occasionally flinch when required to report bottom-line results or recruit continued support for their efforts from executives. After all, social media is ideal for relationship building and influencer outreach–two things not easily measured. The reality is, however, that social media marketing requires time and resources that mandate the support of company leadership, and sometimes its worth is elusive, especially in certain B2B markets.
Despite the fact that its results are difficult to measure, social media is an ideal place to participate in conversations that relate directly to your B2B specialty. Let’s take Twitter, for example, where companies can establish thought leadership, engage prospects and give their company a conversational, human voice that is hard to establish elsewhere. Below, we’ll explain how to approach each one in B2B and what its worth is from the executive point of view.
Much like LinkedIn, Twitter is an ideal platform for establishing thought leadership in your industry and beyond. Users can share their writing with communities where it will truly resonate, and often that exposure will result in further sharing with users’ extended second and third-level networks. Soon, you’ll have thought leadership associated with your name or company that’s hard to achieve elsewhere. Through that leadership and your willingness to provide industry insight free of charge, your company’s values and product will gain connections with potential leads and new prospects.
This is an important part of the social media cycle that’s often neglected. Once you have the attention of new prospects, as described above, they must be excited to connect with you. This is an opportunity for your company or its leaders to develop a responsive, human voice that engages every customer and potential customer in new ways each day. Rather than repeated broadcast-style tweets that push products or content, reach out to other users. Answer their questions, ask them for thoughts on particular topics and be friendly. An engaged prospect inches closer to becoming a customer without even realizing it.
Twitter is the perfect platform to not only participate in B2B conversations, but to guide them. Find Twitter chats related to your company’s industry and offer to guest host or be featured in a question/answer series. Shaping the national chatter that’s related to your specialty provides the perfect opportunity to become a buyer’s natural choice in that field. Demonstrating your expertise through outreach and natural conversation in large online communities is a perfect way to become top of mind.
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