Don't be Anti-Social:
Why B2B Brands Need a Social Media Presence

Around the globe, people are having conversations, sharing ideas and engaging in experiences on social media. What about your brand? Does your company interact or watch from a distance? By choosing not to participate on social media platforms, you may be missing out on opportunities to not only grow your business but make a lasting impact. 

1. Industry buyers use social media
   A common misconception among B2B marketers is that their highly specific, ultra-niche audience is not on social media. After all, community-based platforms are designed for personal users to post vacation pictures and share pet videos, right? Au contraire! Professionals are just as active on social media and use it regularly to conduct research, network, and make business decisions. In fact, research from LinkedIn found that 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make purchasing decisions.
   
   Don't hear what we're not saying, though. Your business may not need to be on every social media platform. Just because a new platform is getting a lot of attention, doesn't mean you need to hop on the bandwagon. The key is understanding your target audience and what platforms they engage with most. A good rule of thumb is if your audience is active on the platform, you should be too. For quick reference, here is a breakdown of demographics per platform to help you determine which ones are right for your business.
   
   
   
2. Customers want support, fast
   Unless you're married to Miles Teller and have a cold Bud Light in the fridge, waiting on hold is not a fun experience. Instead of spending hours on a service helpline, customers are going directly to the brand via their social media. Through DMs and comments, they can let companies know there is a problem and quickly get the help they need. While no business wants to get negative feedback, if they handle the problem professionally and in a timely manner, they can turn it into an opportunity to showcase their company's efficiency and quality customer service, mitigating potential damage to their reputation.
   
   This actually happened at Multiview recently. One of our clients had a billing problem and notified us by commenting on one of our LinkedIn posts. Because we actively monitor our social media accounts, we immediately responded and got her in touch with the right team member. The issue was resolved in a matter of minutes and the client left happy.
   
   
3. Social media supports sales efforts
   As we mentioned in point #1, your buyers are on social media daily, both personally and professionally. This means, whether they are looking for business solutions or scrolling through their newsfeed, you have the opportunity to get their attention. Regularly posting on your social media channels helps keep your brand top-of-mind with potential buyers, so when they are ready to make a decision, your business is the first that comes to mind. As a result, they become much warmer leads for your sales team and convert much faster.
   
   Companies can also take advantage of advertising opportunities on social media. Platforms have made it easy for businesses to not only create and run advertising campaigns via their account, but have started to integrate e-commerce features as well. For instance, Instagram now allows business profiles to tag items and sell directly from a post with a convenient, in-app checkout experience. TikTok users can also become Shopify merchants to create shoppable ads that show up directly in users’ feeds, appearing as a regular video. Snapchat is most known for its AR filters, which allow users to “try on” products or create videos with branded filters. For brands that want to drive more sales, it’s worth taking the time to explore the various selling tools within each app and how you can leverage them for your business.
   
   
4. SEO and social media are interconnected
   To be clear, social media doesn’t directly improve your website’s SEO, but it can positively influence it. Posting content on your social channels that is of interest to your target audience will get more shares and interactions. This then sends social signals to search engines that indicate your posts are useful to your target market. As people start to recognize your brand and see that others trust and enjoy engaging with you, they'll naturally want to find out more and visit your website to see what you have to offer.
   
   When creating social media content, keep in mind SEO best practices. Adding keywords in captions, hashtags, etc. will help get your posts in front of the right audiences. The more often your posts appear in front of industry professionals and decision-makers, the more likely you are to get organic traffic to your website. Also, don't forget to include links back to your company’s website to boost site traffic!
   
   
5. Humanizing your brand
   Don't make the mistake that business to business is a faceless interaction. In reality, B2B purchases are often more personal than consumer purchases since multiple stakeholders are involved in each step of the sales process. Whether you're selling HVAC equipment or accounting software, business is done between people and people buy from people they trust.
   
   Having a social media presence creates a more authentic view of your brand. Sharing what happens on the day to day and who's working behind the scenes, gives visibility into 'who you are' and 'what you stand for' as an organization. Social posts not only support your brand identity, but help shape the perception of B2B buyers, potential B2B customers, future talent and investors.
   

   Companies can gain additional traction through employee advocacy. By empowering their people to act as ambassadors for the brand on social media, the company becomes more tangible and personal as it starts being associated with people, not just products or services. In a Sprout Social study, 72% of consumers said they feel more connected to a brand when employees use social media to share information. On top of that, almost two thirds (65%) say when a CEO uses social regularly it feels like real people run the business. For this reason, social media is crucial for strengthening customer relationships and building loyalty.