The Concise Guide to B2B Social Networking

For many B2B marketers, PR professionals and communicators there’s still a lot of confusion about which social networks they should use — and how they should use them.

In this concise guide I’ve broken down the benefits of each social network into brief bullet points — nothing more. I hope you find it useful!

LinkedIn

  • LinkedIn is the professional social network and all B2B companies should have acompany page
  • It’s a great content-sharing platform
  • Build up a following by having a ‘follow’ button on your website’s homepage
  • Create targeted adverts to attract a precise audience
  • Each of your marketing, sales, customer service and technical employees should have updated LinkedIn profiles and be active in relevant groups
  • LinkedIn groups can be used for sharing content, networking and as a way for the employees to position themselves as knowledgeable about their industries

Twitter

  • Twitter is about networking, not broadcasting news
  • Listen to the conversation around your industry
  • Focus on your business niche and build up a valuable network

Google+

  • Google+ is important for SEO
  • Google Authorship links blog posts to a Google+ profile, making posts stand out and building credibility and trust. For this reason alone, all blog authors should have a Google+ profile
  • Google+ business pages have unique networking features like Communities and Hangouts
  • Content from LinkedIn, etc can be recycled
  • Gmail, Google+ and YouTube can all be managed from a single account

Facebook

Facebook isn’t a ’natural’ B2B channel, but if done properly it can be very powerful.

Like Twitter, Facebook is not about broadcasting; no-one will follow a company to get sold to – they need an incentive. Here are some examples:

  • Special offers, such as a free upgrade or service
  • Publicize an event, anniversary, etc
  • Ask questions
  • Post videos – these are ranked highly on Facebook
  • Post consistently about topics of interest to your industry
  • Encourage comments (how long have you been using your…?)
  • Facebook is also good for employee engagement
  • EdgeRank – make sure you understand what it means

YouTube

SlideShare

  • SlideShare is a must if you produce PowerPoint presentations or infographics
  • It’s visual, creative and great for SEO
  • Pro version gives you lots of analytics

Examples of B2B companies using social media effectively:

So there you have it — the definitive guide to B2B social networking!