Social media has become an established part of B2B marketing, but many businesses still struggle to use it effectively beyond simply maintaining a presence on social platforms.
Social media can play several roles for a business, from communication and customer service to brand building and audience engagement. For B2B companies in particular, it can also be an effective platform for distributing expertise and supporting lead generation.
How?
Unfortunately, there is no quick answer to this question. But the following will help to break down the steps required by a business to leverage social media to drive lead generation:
Think of yourself as a publisher. As a B2B business, you have a wealth of knowledge and experience that is valued by your clients. Consider sharing some of these insights in the following ways:- Blog / Article Posting
- E-Books
- White Papers
- How to Guides (and Videos)
- Infographics
A thought-leader is someone (or a business) that is highly regarded by others as the go to entity. At first glance, many businesses are opposed to this form of marketing. After all, your knowledge and experience is a valuable asset for your business and making this open to the public (and possibly your competitors) doesn't seem smart. But look at the positives. By following this form of strategy, you are also positioning your business as a genuine thought-leader.
A thought-leader is someone (or a business) that is highly regarded by others as the go-to entity when searching for information. This form of 'brand elevation' is important for businesses that want to separate/or distance themselves from their competitors. In industries where price sensitivity is an issue, this also becomes a important factor to help you move away from competing with competitors over price by highlighting your capabilities and knowledge as a key differentiator from those also pitching for the business. Today, thought leadership can also come from the people within the business. Executives and subject matter experts can share their own experience and perspectives, helping to put credible human voices behind the company’s expertise.
If you decide to move in this direction, make sure your content is hosted and distributed appropriately. Articles and useful insights can remain freely accessible on your website, while higher-value resources such as detailed reports, research, templates or webinars can be gated where there is a clear lead-generation objective. Where a form is required, ask only for the information necessary to qualify or follow up with the lead. The objective is to generate useful prospect data without creating unnecessary friction for the user.
So, where does Social Media fit in here? Well, if this process is conducted in the right way, the content you create needs to be distributed and there is no better place than platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for these. This is partly due to the targeting possibilities available on these platforms that allow businesses to target potential customers based on Industry, Company Names, Company Sizes, Job Roles/Titles together with demographic information such as Age, Location and Gender. Once you have a target audience specified for your content, it's possible to promote (or distribute) your content to this exact audience.
Established in 2005, NEXA is a digital growth agency providing services across content, social media, SEO, lead generation, website development and digital strategy. With more than 100 in-house digital marketing specialists, NEXA helps businesses connect their marketing activity with measurable growth.
About Nexa
Established in 2005, Nexa is a digitally driven Content Marketing Agency based in Dubai, UAE. With 100+ in-house digital marketing specialists, we provide Content Creation, Content Distribution, SEO and Web Services from Blog Creation to Landing Page Development. Nexa is an Elite Hubspot Solutions Partner.
