Do you think that social media for B2B manufacturers is pointless? Considering that 72% of Americans have a social media profile, the likelihood of your audience being on social media is practically guaranteed. If you're not there for your audience, your competition will be.
The key is finding your prospects and then figuring out how to reach them on social media.
Four reasons why social media is essential for B2B industrial manufacturers
It might seem obvious, but remember that you're selling to people. And people are on social media looking for information, not just TikTok videos. People also want to connect with the companies they choose to do business with. Social media is the perfect place to start building these relationships.
If your audience can find you easily, they will have the chance to learn about your business and determine what makes you stand out from your competitors. On the other hand, if you're not active on social channels, they'll have no choice but to stick with what the competition is saying.
Here are a few fundamental reasons why B2B manufacturers should focus their attention on social media.
1. Social Media is Cost-effective
Social media offers B2B companies a cost-effective way to reach a large audience. It's cheaper than traditional media like TV, print, or radio, with lower costs per impression. Advertising on platforms like Facebook or X (Twitter) is also highly customizable to suit any budget.
A vital element of social media marketing is its ability to connect with a specific audience. If your B2B company has a defined buyer persona, you can create ads tailored to reach only the demographic you are interested in, greatly enhancing the success of your campaigns.
2. It's Great for Market Research
Analyzing the latest industry trends and knowing your target audience better is easily accomplished through social media. For a B2B manufacturing company, online market research is conducted in a few different ways.
Firstly, social media offers valuable information about your audience, including insights into their interests and online behaviors. Understanding your prospects and customers is essential for future digital marketing strategies. Still, it can also serve as a product and service development guideline.
Social media channels can also gather customer feedback, as they provide a simple means of communicating with your brand. B2Bs should use this relevant information to update their products and services in a data-driven manner.
3. Social channels build strong relationships
A robust social media presence allows a B2B manufacturing brand to create and nurture valuable relationships with its prospects, customers, partners, and industry stakeholders.
Maintaining authentic conversations by responding to customer inquiries and sharing relevant information about your organization and products creates a sense of community. This transparent and personalized communication with your target audience also offers a genuine way of building trust in your business.
Social media channels such as LinkedIn can also help your business connect with future partners and collaborators, including other B2B manufacturers, potential suppliers, and distributors. Finally, an exceptional social presence can separate your business from the competition, especially if your brand reaches a stage of thought leadership where your expertise is indisputable.
4. Social Media is great for customer service
Responding to your customer's questions and queries in real time is easier than ever with social media. Directly communicating with your audience allows you to respond to complaints, comments, or suggestions in real time and maintain a sincere connection with your audience. Platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, are excellent choices for creating easily-accessible service pages where all inquiries are handled.
Using social media for customer service also allows your business to set up chatbots that can answer frequently asked questions. These platforms also provide monitoring tools that are great for tracking mentions of your brand, which helps you locate and respond to any lingering customer concerns.
Where is my audience?
Only some social networks will be the right fit for your business. Facebook is a good starting point since more than two-thirds of adults who use the internet are on Facebook.
Buyers may not be researching products on Facebook. Still, they are reading up on your company culture, job openings, expansions, and other newsworthy topics. So what else is your audience doing online? Are they looking for video tutorials on YouTube or scanning Pinterest for ideas? Are they also keeping up with other industry professionals on LinkedIn or Reddit?
Twitter is another excellent place for making connections and positioning yourself as a leader in the B2B manufacturers industry. Using the right social platforms and having a great website will help you to meet your prospects where they are.
Another way to utilize social media to your advantage is by showcasing your products online. Visual-based platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram are excellent for promoting multimedia content to your audience.
These platforms allow B2B manufacturers to share aesthetically-pleasing content. Moreover, considering the immense popularity of such networks, companies can also target their desired audiences with great precision.
Engaging your prospects in this fashion is a foolproof way of attracting new and delighting your existing customers.
How can I reach new prospects with social media?
Now you're ready to jump in, but where to start? Here are a few ways to get the conversation going:
1. Make use of social listening
Spend time listening to what people are saying and what topics get the most action. You can also keep tabs on what your competitors are doing so you can stay ahead.
2. Share your content regularly
Your social media feeds are the perfect place to promote your blog posts and announce various promotions and events. You can also create interesting behind-the-scenes videos or interviews with personnel. Just be sure not to be overly promotional, as your audience probably wants to avoid direct commercials.
3. Re-share content from industry experts
Build trust with your audience while giving them the information they need by sharing content from other industry experts. Promoting someone else's ideas might feel counterintuitive, but acknowledging and sharing valuable content from other sources is a powerful way to demonstrate your leadership.
4. Encourage engagement
Be active on your social media accounts and ask your audience to join. For example, start a hashtag on Twitter or Instagram and ask users to share photos. Try running a contest or giveaway on Facebook, or answer tough questions posted by users in Reddit and Quora communities.Get in the social media game
Being active on social media should be a part of the digital arsenal of every B2B manufacturing business. A dynamic social presence is directly responsible for increasing your brand's online visibility but can also bolster its credibility in the eyes of your target audience.
In addition, frequently posting valuable content (such as helpful articles, case studies, and white papers) on social channels can improve your company's optics and position your brand as a trustworthy expert in the manufacturing field, resulting in more leads and more significant revenue.
When you’re ready to put your social media accounts to work for you and create an inbound marketing plan, we’re here to help.
Contact New Perspective to build a social media strategy that will expand your reach, grow your audience, and generate more leads for industrial and B2B manufacturers.
