September 16, 2010
Last month I talked about the growth of social media use in the B2B sector, and some simple steps marketers should consider when formulating a social media plan. Now – which social media tools are best to implement your plans? Here’s a hint – most don’t look much different from the social media tools you see and use every day.
- Develop a LinkedIn account, and search for and join discussion groups in your market space. Monitor conversations and bring useful information to the discussion.
- Create a Twitter account and follow relevant businesses, industry leaders, and/or industry competitors. Engage your followers by posting tweets and link to interesting articles, news coverage, stories about your services or products or upcoming events.
- Establish a Facebook page so people may “fan” your company. Initiate conversations and provide pertinent information. Inform fans about your company’s involvement in community projects or organizations.
- Start a blog and update it regularly with posts such as client case studies, product applications, industry news and trends, webinars and other content that’s relevant for your audiences.
- Create a YouTube channel and post videos explaining how to use or repair products, or feature interviews with a top executive or customer.
Of course, keep in mind that social media is all about relationship building – developing these applications means nothing without meaningful interaction. Thus, it’s important to develop fresh and interesting content on a regular basis and share it in as many ways as you can.
Don’t miss out on these online opportunities to reach and engage with your target audiences, gain mindshare and reach potential clients!