Social media is not just for B2C anymore. B2B companies tend to focus exclusively on targeting the highest-level executives because of the misconception that those are the main influencers in the purchasing decision. Because of this reason, most B2B tech companies will not attempt to dip their toes in the social media waters, and those who sort of believe in social media will limit their power to LinkedIn exclusively. However, the reality is that social media marketing has a lot to offer for B2B companies. In fact, according to Think With Google, 81% of millennials have a say in purchasing decisions. So B2B brands better get on board.
Today, we don’t want to focus only on social media strategies for B2B; there are a lot of helpful resources addressing this already. Today, we want to address the technology industry because we think there is not a lot of information around this specific industry. Social channels are a great tool to generate awareness through preference, and this is something that large B2B industries have started to realize. According to the 2016 B2B Technology Content Marketing report, from Content Marketing Institute, 96% of technology marketers use social media content as their main content marketing tactic.
By showing their personalities behind their brand and by going above and beyond to express their opinions, B2B tech companies are starting to find their particular niche to interact and establish a conversation with their target audience. Here is one of the campaigns that tech company, Intel, recently ran with Red Bull. Intel used their Intel® technology to share new data about certain athlete’s performance to their audience’s screens in real time during the Red Bull X-Fighters competition. And let me tell you, this idea was a win-win for both of them!
However, Intel is not the only B2B tech company killing it on social media. Now that we have some stats that support the importance of social media for tech B2B, let’s explore some strategies that other companies are currently implementing successfully.
Give Them Something to Grasp Onto. Your social media content needs to provide value to your readers with information that they can use for their own company. In order to do that, your tech company should come up with your own specific niche of content where you can be there for your audience and interact with them, not in a sales-driven environment but in an educational one, to stay on the top of the minds of your online audience.
This is what the telecom company, Grasshopper, does through their Twitter channel. Their profile instantly communicates their main intention online: they are there for you, not to try to sell you anything, or talk about themselves, but to assist you and educate you.
Humanize Your Brand. Communicating to your audience and showing them the people behind your brand is crucial to engaging with your audience online. Telling good stories and sharing your brand’s personality is something that these two tech companies are already taking advantage of. The international tech and defense company, Raytheon, was recently recognized as one of the most community-minded companies. Sharing these types of company news with their community, as well as behind-the-scenes pictures with team member’s pictures on a daily basis, is what makes this tech company look human and what, ultimately, gives a reason for their audience to follow them:
The company, Events.com, also understands this concept and doesn’t hesitate to take the time to celebrate and share their client’s success with their community:
Talk to Those that Are Willing to Listen: It’s all about finding your specific niche and the right platform to communicate with your audience. Oftentimes, platforms like Facebook won’t necessarily be the right fit for your audience. For this reason, know that your audience will be key in any given social media campaign. Despite the odds or what 99% of society thinks, Google+ turned out to be the key to the social media puzzle for the tech company Logz.io. This company found out that their main target audience, developers and engineers, were very active in some of these communities, so they started to generate valuable content aimed at this particular niche.
Ultimately, don’t forget to check your data. Check which social source is bringing your most engaged users, what referrals visits are you getting, that your audience is mentioning you online, and what type of content is working better to increase your audience engagement. Remember, data alone won’t give you the right answers; asking the right questions to collect your data will.
Social media marketing has proven to be a very powerful tool for B2B tech companies. Whether you are looking to engage with your audience or to retain customers over other channels, social media works because it allows your customers to interact with you on their own terms. By sparking conversations and ideas, your tech company will gain the trust of your audience, but, more importantly, it will give them a reason to keep coming back.
If you are ready to take your B2B tech organization to the next level, be sure to get in touch with very own Wes Marsh, Director of Digital Strategy at On Target.
Thanks for reading,
