If you want to convince your B2B leads that you’re the real deal, leverage social media as your proof. You can talk a good game and claim you’ve worked with companies in the industries that you’re targeting, but the fact of the matter is that competition has made leads skeptical. What are they really getting if they sign up for new business with you? Take a lesson from B2C clients: showing is a lot more effective than telling. If customers see your product or service in action, they’ll have a better sense about how that could apply to their specific needs. Here are the easiest ways to do that.
Your Website
We’ve said it before: treat your website like a business resume. It’s the one spot you want all of your leads to migrate to, whether they’re coming from your social media posts, press releases, prospecting, marketing automation, or simple search engine queries. So it’s ideal if yours is packed with visuals and information that can provide your leads the most complete understanding about what it is that you do, and how it applies to them. Testimonials, case studies, photos, and videos can all be used strategically to demonstrate your market authority and entice your leads to learn more.
Your Social Channels
More and more, people turn to social media to share advice and recommendations. If you’re consistently out in front with your posts, the more likely your messages will be heard. This is where snappy one-liners, questions that touch on pain points, and a lot of visuals come in handy. It’s also the best place to incorporate user-generated content, which is essentially free advertising for your brand.
Make sure to have someone who can monitor your social channels. They should gauge how your social media proof is resonating and what responses it’s generating. They also need to identify any negative activity about your brand so that it can be addressed quickly. That doesn’t mean discounting the complaints from your detractors — it means correcting the problems they experienced and showing everyone how you’ll make it better. Sometimes negative situations can become better opportunities if you know how to handle them properly.
What Social Media Proof Should You Post?
There are many different styles of posts and promotions that you can use to your benefit. However, the general consensus is that if it’s a social post, keep it brief and to the point, while webpages leave more room to maneuver with long-form content. Here are some examples for each.
Website: Case studies, testimonials, ebooks, white papers, photo galleries, portfolios, brochures, blogs, and press releases.
Social Media: Promotional or how-to videos, blog snippets, infographics, links to market-related articles, polls, quotes, webinar invites, image-based promotions, and other platform-specific tools like Facebook or Instagram Stories.
What Shouldn’t You Post?
Clickbait. (That is all we’ve got to say about that.)
Outsource or Keep In-House?
Robust marketing departments may find it easier to keep all of this outreach in-house. Conversely, small- to medium-sized ones can benefit from outsourcing some or all of their social media to an established agency. That can include their social posts, website development, blog content, and email automation. If those are areas where you’d like to improve, we’d be happy to help! Click the link below for a free consultation.
