Let\u2019s jump in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why do brands need B2B social media? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
B2B brands everywhere are investing more resources in social media. Why? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because social media is critical for B2B brands that want to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Boost their reputation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Increase their sales<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Earn trust<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Increase their market share<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Retain customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Increase customer loyalty<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s take a look at how social media accomplishes these things and more for B2B brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media is where your customers are <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Customer expectations for B2B have changed. Whereas just a few years ago, a B2B brand could get away with having only a website and maybe a LinkedIn company page, today your buyers want to see you on at least one or two platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why? Because that\u2019s where they are. It\u2019s where they\u2019re getting industry news, finding thought leadership pieces, getting familiar with industry frontrunners, and even initiating contact with sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s also where they\u2019re spending much of the exploration and evaluation phases of the B2B customer journey<\/a>, searching for relevant content, looking at how you handle customer service, reading reviews, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take a look at these stats: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 90% of consumers will buy from a brand they follow on social media (Sprout Social)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 38% of customers prefer social media over other channels for resolving customer service issues, vs. 42% who prefer phone and 20% who prefer email (Statista)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 78% of customers believe that social media is the fastest and most direct way to connect with a brand (Sprout Social)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/3-1024x654.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThese consumers are your <\/em>buyers. They\u2019re majority Millennial, digital-savvy, and used to doing everything online. If they can\u2019t find you on social, then they\u2019re likely to pass right over you and move on to your competitors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The simple truth these days is that brands that aren\u2019t active on social look stagnant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether it\u2019s Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, or Clubhouse, find at least one platform that will work for you\u2014make sure it\u2019s the one that your customers use the most\u2014and invest the time and resources necessary to develop a robust and engaging presence. This will go a long way toward boosting your reputation and earning trust online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Related read: <\/strong>What\u2019s Clubhouse? Everything You Need to Know About the New Platform<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
B2B social media marketing drives traffic to your website <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Even if you\u2019re not ready to start selling via social media, social is an important way to increase your site traffic and direct users to specific pages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Landing pages, content downloads, free demo sign-ups\u2014social is key in getting users to the places you want them to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paid ads, whether Google ads or social ads, also perform this function, but users are growing ever more distrustful of advertising (74% of consumers think they see too many social ads<\/em>, according to Survey Monkey). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means that you simply can\u2019t rely on ads alone and that social media has to play an even larger role in directing people to the right places. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By delivering value through information or entertainment, in a format that your buyers are already familiar with and using regularly, your B2B social media posts<\/a> can be a much more effective way to increase traffic where it matters the most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This, in turn, can lead to increased sales and an increase in new customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
B2B buyers are more interested in self-service now than pre-pandemic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
According to a McKinsey study, a full 97% of B2B buyers<\/a> said they\u2019d be comfortable using a fully digital, self-service model to make a B2B purchase, with most of that group comfortable spending $50k or more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How does social media play into this? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chatbots, for one\u2014social chatbots, like the type brands can employ on Facebook, are one way to offer digital self-service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media posts can also direct users to your self-service channels if they\u2019re housed on an app or on your website. From text-based knowledge bases to video channels to customer preference databases, B2B buyers want to be able to access your resources on their own without needing to go through a salesperson or representative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social can amplify your B2B PR results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Finally, social media is an ideal platform for amplifying your B2B PR<\/a> placements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many brands, and even B2B PR agencies, overlook this critical step. Once press has been achieved, they stop their efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you\u2019re not amplifying your PR coverage by sharing it, repurposing it, and using it to support further PR efforts, you\u2019re only getting a small percentage of the benefits that you could be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While it\u2019s true that the outlets you\u2019ve been covered in will share the article, podcast, etc., you also need to be sharing it on your social channels. This will not only increase your press\u2019s reach and get more eyes on it\u2014it will also show the outlet that you appreciate the coverage and want it to be successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media is just as important for B2B brands as it is for B2C, as it builds trust, boosts your reputation, and can help you increase sales and share of voice<\/a> in your industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that you know why social media is so important for your B2B brand, let\u2019s move on to the next step: creating a strong brand voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to develop a strong brand voice on social media <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your social media posts say a lot about your brand. But are they saying the right thing? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because having a unified social media strategy is relatively time-consuming, many businesses have found themselves creating hasty profiles on three or four social media platforms, and posting what they can when they can\u2014sometimes, simply just to maintain a presence on the channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this is a fairly common situation, even among large B2B enterprises with lots of resources, it\u2019s hardly ideal. The problem is that you\u2019re not telling a unified story. You\u2019re not speaking with a defined, recognizable brand voice. And that means that you\u2019re missing out on a major opportunity to connect with your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you go from having a haphazard social media presence to one that clearly identifies what your brand is all about? The key is developing your brand voice. Follow these five steps to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Delve into your company\u2019s culture. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your brand voice is really an expression of your company culture, so a good place to start is to spend some time defining that culture. Is your company youthful and on-trend, like PopSugar? Or is it established and traditional, like Farmers Insurance Co.? Do you embrace risk, or avoid it? Is the culture lively, academic, warm, intellectual\u2026you get the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve come up with a few adjectives to describe your general company culture, you\u2019ve got a basic blueprint for your brand\u2019s voice \u2013 a persona. But a basic blueprint isn\u2019t quite enough. You want to be able to fill in the details, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To do that, start thinking about how you and your colleagues talk about your brand. How do you talk about it with each other? How do you talk about it with your clients? Are there specific topics that are important to your brand\u2019s mission?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answers to all of these questions will come into play as you develop your brand voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dove Beauty Care is one of the greatest examples of how a brand can develop an authentic and important social media voice. If you\u2019re not familiar with Dove and its social mission, all you have to do is take a look at their Twitter profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With just a single glance, you can tell what Dove is about: women, girls, beauty, and self-esteem. As you read through their tweets, you see posts on topics like body-shaming, negativity online, and how to talk to your daughter about self-esteem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dove\u2019s brand voice, we see, is empowering, uplifting, and inspirational. The company has honed this voice to perfection, and it\u2019s kept up along all its social media channels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s not to say that you need to have an explicit social message the way that Dove does, because that\u2019s not right for every company. However, your brand voice does need to go deeper than your product or service \u2013 it needs to express what your company is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Establish your tone (or tones) by identifying your customers.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve gotten a handle on your brand\u2019s voice by looking inward, to your company, it\u2019s time to develop your tone. To do that, you have to start looking outward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tone is, in essence, a subset of voice. While you have one brand voice, you can have several different tones that you use for different audiences or different situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your customer personas will give you some guidance here. If you\u2019re a large enterprise with many products aimed at different types of consumers <\/a>\u2013 think Johnson & Johnson, which makes both medical devices and consumer baby products, for example \u2013 then you may have separate social media profiles for each product group, each with its own tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take a look here at the Johnson\u2019s Baby Twitter account, versus the corporate Johnson & Johnson (@JNJNews) Twitter account:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-03-at-12.39.50-PM-831x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nvia @johnsonsbaby<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-03-at-12.39.40-PM-791x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nvia @JNJNews<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each profile offers different types of information in a different tone \u2013 Johnson\u2019s Baby is more personal, while Johnson & Johnson is rather formal, focused more on facts and figures. But both convey a consistent brand voice, which is responsible, knowledgeable, and caring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a great graphic by Stephanie Schwab of Social Media Explorer<\/a> that explains how tone plays into your brand voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"brand](\"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/social-media_brand_voice_example.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nvia Social Media Explorer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just as the tone is an element of brand voice, so too are your persona (as mentioned earlier), language, and purpose. Language means, simply enough, the words you choose to speak to your customers, while Purpose refers to why you\u2019re speaking to them at all. That could be to educate them on a specific product or topic, to engage them in a discussion of a particular issue, to entertain them with silly GIFs every Friday, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re dealing with multiple social media profiles or multiple customer groups, your tone and purpose may change; however, in general, your persona and language will stay roughly the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Cultivate authenticity.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
No matter what your brand voice is like, it\u2019s got to be authentic if it\u2019s going to be effective. Social media is about conversing and engaging with your supporters, not disseminating product specs (although it can be used for that as well if done sparingly and carefully).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having a clearly defined brand voice will go a long way toward helping you achieve this authenticity. Why? Because when the people who are posting for your brand know what that voice is, they\u2019re freer to be themselves \u2013 within those specific guidelines, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Think before you post.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This goes without saying, but it still bears repeating. It\u2019s important to have a consistent presence on social media, yes \u2013 but you don\u2019t want to post simply for the sake of posting. Doing this makes it more likely that you\u2019ll post something that\u2019s out of sync with your brand voice. And trust us: your followers will notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good rule of thumb when you post as your brand is to ask yourself these two questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Does this offer value to my followers? (Remember, entertainment is valuable, too \u2013 a post doesn\u2019t always have to convey information in order to be of value.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Does this fit my brand voice?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
5. Get personal.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you want to make the jump from a great brand voice to a truly outstanding one, then get personal with your fans and followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the best things about social media is how easy it makes connecting with others, no matter who or where they are. Take advantage of this! Talk to your supporters one-on-one. Thank a fan for saying something nice about your brand. Address complaints by apologizing directly to the person who\u2019s complaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting personal goes hand-in-hand with cultivating authenticity and will go a long way toward making your brand feel more like a person and less like an entity that just wants to sell you stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this is the prime advantage of social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/2-902x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDeveloping your B2B social media strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For B2B brands, social posts should fall into a mix of the following categories: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Owned content\u2014blog posts, reports, ebooks, and other resources from your company<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cBehind-the-scenes\u201d posts featuring employees, highlighting workplace culture, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Posts on trends, resources from thought leaders, and other industry information\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Now that you have a general idea of the categories your posts should fall into, let\u2019s move on to the step-by-step method for creating your strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/4-1024x654.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n1. Clarify your goals. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is it exactly<\/em> that you\u2019re trying to accomplish with your presence on social media? To drive awareness? Increase website traffic? Improve conversion rates? You won\u2019t be able to create a useful game plan unless you know what it is you\u2019re trying to do\u2014simply throwing random content up on a blog or Twitter feed without a specific purpose in mind will not give you good results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Define your audience. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is your ideal customer? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defining your audience is crucial to your social media efforts. Your audience determines not only where you spend your time marketing, but also the type of content you will be providing, as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember that nowadays, B2B buyers are not only Boomers, but Millennials and even Gen Z. The types of content that these generations consumer are extremely different, so you\u2019ll need to create content that can work for any and all of these groups (unless you\u2019re able to uncover more about whom you\u2019re marketing to, in which case you\u2019ll want to focus heavily on that one audience). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Consider your resources. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be realistic. If you\u2019ll be implementing a social strategy on your own, keep your time limitations in mind as you plan. If, however, you have an entire marketing department at your disposal, take full advantage of it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Analyze your competition. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before you jump in headfirst, take some time to see what sort of online marketing your competitors are doing. Check out their strengths and weaknesses, and then use that information to craft your own unique strategy that fills in the holes they\u2019ve left wide open. (Some of the tools included below can be very helpful in conducting this social listening research.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Determine tone and frequency. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can\u2019t just write a blog \u201cevery once in a while,\u201d or it\u2019ll never get done. Plan in advance to write two blog posts a week, every Monday and Wednesday, or to post three Facebook updates per week, or to contribute to two LinkedIn discussions each week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll also need to decide what your official voice or tone will be in all these posts. Remember that you have options, even though you\u2019re in B2B. It doesn\u2019t have to be formal and businesslike. Conversational will almost certainly perform better with any audience, and you can also be funny, if that fits your brand and comes naturally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whatever you choose, make sure that it\u2019s a tone that will appeal to your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Identify core topics.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Decide in advance what topics you\u2019ll write or post about, so that you\u2019re not faced with the challenge of coming up with new material out of the blue each day. One option is to choose a day each week to post in a specific category\u2014for example, Tuesday could be industry trends day, or Friday could be workplace culture day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Planning out an editorial calendar for the month or at least two weeks at a time is recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Engage your audience. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that you\u2019ve completed the first six steps, you\u2019re ready to get started! Share that content, but don\u2019t stop there. Be sure to engage your audience in conversations<\/a>, to build those relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Use analytics<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, check your stats frequently to see what\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t. Analyze your performance based on the goals you set out in Step One, and then make changes as necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each platform has its own analytics you can access, though Google Analytics will be of huge help as well. These reports can show you where your traffic is coming from, so if you see a huge increase or decrease in traffic coming from, say, Facebook, one week, you\u2019ll want to go back and see what you were doing during that time that could have had that effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/5-1024x654.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe social platform every B2B company should be using\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
…is LinkedIn. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LinkedIn was already a major player in the B2B world pre-pandemic, and with the upheaval that came in 2020\u2014including the huge increase in all-digital B2B selling and buying\u2014LinkedIn\u2019s role has only gotten larger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
LinkedIn\u2019s own statistics bear this out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to usage, LinkedIn\u2019s platform has 61 million \u201csenior-level influencers\u201d\u2014people who influence business decisions at their organizations. In addition, 4 out of 5 users on LinkedIn drive business decisions in some fashion, and 33% of B2B decision-makers are using the platform to research their purchase decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is an audience you can\u2019t afford to overlook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to what you should be sharing on LinkedIn, think thought leadership content<\/a>, insightful commentary on news stories, industry issues, or current events, and of course, the content your brand is creating. Live streaming on LinkedIn is also a great way to connect with potential customers, as live streams on the platform receive 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than regular video posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What tools can help you manage B2B social media? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The scope of B2B social media marketing is broad and multifaceted. From tracking one\u2019s performance to designing graphics and writing social copy, social media marketing requires a great deal of creative and systematic thought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news: there are a ton<\/em> of social media marketing tools at your disposal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The top 13 B2B social media marketing tools we recommend are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- SharpSpring\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hootsuite<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sprout Social<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Buffer<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hubspot\u2019s Social Inbox Tool<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Zoho Special\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- SEMrush<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Agorapulse<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sendible<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u00a0SocialPilot<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u00a0Kicksta<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u00a0Marketing Video Builder\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u00a0Falcon\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s dive in and explore each tool: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SharpSpring <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: $550, $850, $1250 per month, and agency and enterprise pricing <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re looking for a complete sales and marketing platform with robust social media tools, look no further than SharpSpring<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll get everything you expect from a social media management solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Easily import and organize images, copy, and hashtags into a content calendar for your company (and your clients)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Post immediately or schedule ahead to automatically post to an unlimited number of unique social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Monitor engagement and growth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
But SharpSpring Social goes beyond scheduling, publishing, and monitoring. You also gain access to powerful social listening and conversion tools you can only get from a fully integrated CRM marketing automation platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In order to make the most of your social management platform, you\u2019ll want to identify hot leads and immediately start marketing directly to them. SharpSpring makes this easy by giving you access to trigger automation based on activity on social media\u2014add those hot leads to a series of relevant emails or simply notify your sales team when it\u2019s time to engage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re looking for a platform with top-tier analytics and the ability to generate reports that clearly demonstrate the true value of B2B social media marketing, look no further than SharpSpring Social. You\u2019ll wow your CFO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hootsuite<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: Free plan, $29, $129, $599 per month, and enterprise pricing (with a 30-day free trial)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hootsuite <\/a>is a one-stop shop, allowing users to manage all social media accounts on one platform. Hootsuite has over 15 million users<\/a>, many of which belong to Fortune 1000 companies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the words of their chief marketing officer, Penny Wilson, \u201cWhat was once the focus of a small number of enthusiasts inside an organization, today social media is at the heart of the digital strategy of the largest and most successful businesses<\/a>. Hootsuite makes social media approachable for all businesses, including those in regulated industries, government, or higher education. Every day, we see companies use our platform in unique, innovative ways to engage with their customers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sprout Social<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: $99, $149, and $249 per user per month (with a 30-day free trial)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparable to Hootsuite, Sprout Social<\/a> offers multiple resources within a single platform, including post scheduling, monitoring, and reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Alfred Lua notes, Sprout Social \u201cis one of the few social media management tools that provides customer relationship management<\/a> features.\u201d This benefit allows Sprout Social users to look at their customer base holistically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their reports are excellent for teams that don\u2019t want to spend much time formatting and reconfiguring data, as they come in a format suitable to present to both department heads and clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buffer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: Forever free plan, $15, $99, $199, and $399 per month (with a 14-day free trial)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buffer<\/a> is often commended for its intuitive design and responsive customer service. It offers products for publishing, engagement, analytics, and team collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One blogger remarks, \u201cBuffer as a company<\/a> is all about a set of principles that value diverse workforces, flexible structures, well-balanced employees, and radical transparency\u2026Considering the Buffer product is about interacting with people\u2014we\u2019d say things like diversity, flexibility and honesty certainly do make for more productive social relations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hubspot Social Inbox Tool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: Component of Hubspot\u2019s all-in-one marketing software, starting at $1,120 per month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hubspot\u2019s Social Inbox Tool<\/a> is primarily used to manage one\u2019s social media engagements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the HubSpot Knowledge Base, Inbox allows users to \u201cidentify interaction-generating content, respond to social conversations, gather intelligence about new followers, and see social stream matches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hubspot\u2019s Social Inbox Tool can be integrated into a company\u2019s existing CRM, making it easy to determine the number of leads and customers you\u2019re bringing in from your B2B social media marketing efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zoho Special <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: Standard at $10 per month or billed annually, Professional at $25 per month or billed annually, Agency at $200 per month or billed annually, Agency Plus at $300 per month or billed annually <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to offering an all-in-one platform setup, Zoho Social<\/a> includes a social calendar feature. Zoho also has the ability to track target keywords across one\u2019s accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TechRadar notes Zoho\u2019s Agency and Agency Plus package includes benefits \u201cspecifically for the needs of marketing agencies<\/a>, which allows for brand and communications management for client lists, while also allowing for white labeling.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SEMrush<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: $99.95, $199.95, $399.95 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SEMRush<\/a> is an SEO tool used for keyword research, optimizing Google Ad campaigns, performing competitor analysis, and social media account management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Specifically, SEMrush can perform scheduling and image editing<\/a>. It also includes a UTM-builder and can be used to manage ads on various social media platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, SEMrush\u2019s strengths lie in its ability to combine social media management with a company\u2019s overall B2B SEO strategy<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agorapulse<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: $49, $99, $199, and $299 per month (with a 14-day free trial)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agorapulse<\/a> is a great resource for agencies, as well as any business with multiple clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scheduling posts on Agorapulse is easy and flexible, allowing users to effortlessly queue and reschedule when necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One can also build a CRM database in Agorapulse for customer tracking purposes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sendible<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: $29, $99, $199, $299 per month, and enterprise pricing (with a 30-day free trial)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similar to Agorapulse, Sendible<\/a> is ideal for agencies or organizations with several clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unique features include the ability to personalize one\u2019s dashboard, integrate with the graphics-focused app Canva, and download royalty-free images. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SocialPilot<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to providing users an easy way to manage their social media accounts, Social Pilot<\/a> also has a unique feature that curates relevant content for your brand (or client\u2019s brand) from a variety of industries. This can be a helpful tool for your social team as they\u2019re creating content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more information, you can check out their blog<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kicksta<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kicksta<\/a> is primarily used to grow one\u2019s Instagram following. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After allowing Kicksta to access your company\u2019s social media account, the tool will \u201clike\u201d approximately 30,000 photos per month on targeted accounts. After receiving the likes, these accounts reciprocate by following your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ryan Beltran, CEO of Original Grain, remarks, \u201cKicksta helps introduce new audiences<\/a> to our brand while providing consistent organic Instagram growth.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marketing Video Builder<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: Free or $33\/month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Created by Animoto<\/a>, Marketing Video Builder helps users create their own \u201cprofessional-tier\u201d videos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Videos on social media receive 1200% more shares than text and images combined, so this tool is well worth considering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marketing Video Builder offers pre-built storyboards to help inspire you. This tool also has integrations with LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Getty Images. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Falcon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing: $129 per month<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Falcon<\/a> is a social media management platform where users can create posts using a \u201ccollaborative content calendar.\u201d Falcon also provides analytics, customer experience management, and even a landing page builder<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Falcon can be integrated with Microsoft and Salesforce, and when used with Hubspot, it can also help segment your audiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media supports a more personalized customer experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Personalization is what both B2C and B2B customers are demanding, and social media helps your brand deliver in multiple ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For one thing, social media offers customers a more human view of your brand, especially if you\u2019ve been diligent about developing your brand voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Related read: 5 Steps to Developing an Outstanding Brand Voice on Social Media<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
B2B buyers, just like B2C consumers, expect to be able to connect directly with the brands they\u2019re working with. That means getting a personal, human response when they ask a question or post about an experience they had with your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Customer retention starts with connecting with them on this level, anticipating their needs and responding to them quickly and empathetically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But while your customers benefit from your B2B brand\u2019s social media presence, your company stands to benefit even more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interacting with your customers on social platforms lets you get a clearer picture of what they value and what they engage with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you share content on social, for example, the number of engagements can show you the general degree of interest your customers and potential customers have in that type of content. You can even ask outright for their feedback and get their opinions firsthand (otherwise known as collecting zero-party data<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The data you gather via social media analytics can also help you to further hone your content strategy, social strategy, ad strategy, even product and service offerings. Just as social media allows your customers to see who\u2019s behind your brand, it also allows you to see your customers for who they are online\u2014their interests, needs, desires, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Hootsuite<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- SharpSpring\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n