Hello,
Welcome to the March edition of the Platinum Mix eNewsletter. Last month we took a look at refreshing your brand, this month we take a look at social media and the role it plays in B2B. This months issue will also shed a little light on the do's and don'ts of social media marketing.
Social media isn't just for Generation Y, it can be powerful tool for establishing brand awareness and building client/customer loyalty within an online community. It can open up communication channels with your target market and facilitate two-way conversations. Social media tools like blogging and social networks have been shown to be more effective in reaching the millions online better than traditional websites.
Social Media and B2B - do they really mix?
Many business to business (B2B) businesses don't know what to do with social media. The truth is social media probably isn't going to get you more clients but at the very least it will build domain activity, create awareness and build relationships. Social media has an inherent bias towards B2C, but B2B marketing itself makes up a significant portion of overall marketing activity, with a third of commercial Google searches related to B2B.
Social media is being used more in the B2B sector as just one tactic in a portfolio of techniques that are designed to generate awareness, drive leads and nurture relationships. It is predicted that B2B spend in the social media sphere will double in the next five years from $2.3B in 2009 to $4.8B in 2014. The reality of B2B marketing is that more traditional marketing tactics, such as; advertising, lead nurturing and PR, still matter more than social media at this stage.
There are, however, ways that social media can work for B2B's now. For example a hypothetical client who makes accounting software should pull back and widen their focus on the the whole industry e.g. blog on 'Tips for making small business accounting easier'. A cleaning service may want to blog about 'How keeping a germ free workplace increases productivity'.
Do's and Don'ts of Social Media Marketing
Social media can be an excellent tool, but there a few guidelines that need to be followed when it comes to corporate social media marketing.
DO’S!
1. BUILD A STRONG SOCIAL NETWORK.
It is crucial to interact with your network of followers, only then can you ensure that your message is conveyed successfully.
2. BUILD TRUST.
3. ESTABLISH A BLOG.
It is pretty difficult to drive a social media campaign without a blog. Integrate a blog into your website and update it regularly with ‘good’ content!
4. BE SOCIAL!
You need to be willing to be social.
5. STICK TO YOUR BRAND PHILOSOPHY.
DONT’S!
1. DON’T SPAM ON SOCIAL SITES
Everyone on the internet knows that Spam = Evil, so if you are engaging in social spamming, your SMM campaign will die immediately.
2. AVOID BLATANT MARKETING TACTICS, BE SUBTLE.
“What’s the point of having a subtle marketing campaign?” It’s the way things work in social media. The ‘social’ element (a.k.a user/follower/fan) in social media has little patience for overtly promotional and gimmicky marketing tactics.
3. DON’T FORGET TO KEEP YOUR SOCIAL PROFILES LIVE AND UPDATED.
Freshness is of the essence in social media.
4. DON’T FORGET ABOUT ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT.
5. DON’T DROP SEARCH IN FAVOUR OF SOCIAL.
Your SMM efforts should complement your SEO efforts.
6. DON’T TRY TO DO TOO MUCH TOO FAST.
Let your SMM take a natural course. Tweeting updates every 30mins – bad idea! Your followers want to receive useful tweets from you.
7. DON’T FIGHT THE COMPETITION.
Your social media activities should be primed to bring exposure to your site. They certainly should not be used to go on the offence and slander your competition. This kind of behavior will do more harm than good.
If you're not sure whether social media marketing is right for you, give us a call and we can suggest and discuss your options.
Platinum Mix can assist your business with all the marketing strategies mentioned in this, and subsequent eNewsletters. So if your business requires any marketing assistance, call us today on 08 9380 6929.
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