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When most people think about social media marketing for industrial companies, what comes to mind is probably a great deal of doubt that such businesses belong on social media in the first place.

On the other hand, industrial companies tend to market most heavily to other companies (business to business, or B2B marketing), and this definitely has a place in the social spheres. The goals of industrial B2B marketing might be a bit different from retail or other customer-facing companies, but these goals are still worth pursuing.

We’re here to explain how social media marketing for industrial companies can be done well.

Why is Social Media Important for Industrial Companies?

The simplest answer to this question is that nearly everyone is active on at least one major social media platform, and the vast majority of those people have jobs. While browsing their social media accounts, these people may not be in “work mode,” but there are still plenty of opportunities for connecting with them professionally.

There are also many businesses with well-established social media profiles, and your business should be among them. Your competitors are likely to have a social media presence and are regularly posting too. You do not want to give them an easy way to have the edge over your potential customers.

But, Does Social Media Work for B2B Companies?

Yes, social media will help you achieve your business goals. We might be marketing experts, but that does not mean you have to take our word for it. Here are some statistics about how social media is used and how successful other businesses have found their social media marketing campaigns to be:

• Social media advertising was used by 83 percent of B2B marketers, and they ranked their social media results second, behind search engine advertising.
• 84 percent of c-suite and VP-level buyers are influenced by social media when considering purchases.
• 55 percent of all B2B buyers look for information on social media before completing a purchase.
• 76 percent of B2B technology companies are using social media to drive results--more than blogging, organic search, and paid search!
• 90 percent of B2B brands are using LinkedIn, and more than half of those buyers have used LinkedIn to research a purchase decision.

We think that’s a pretty convincing list from across the digital marketing spectrum. The next hurdle is to figure out what you should be posting to your social media feeds to achieve results.

What Should I Post on Social Media B2B?

The goal of social media marketing for industrial companies is a bit different from consumer-facing and retail businesses. When marketing directly to consumers, the objective is usually to increase brand awareness, build relationships, and directly drive sales.

For industrial and manufacturing companies, the target audience has different needs. The goal is to increase awareness and then drive traffic to your website, where the rest of your lead generation machine can take over to help grow your business. Here is a breakdown of what B2B audiences are looking to see in your feeds.

Promotional

Direct promotions may be one of the most important types of posts for your social networks, but they also need to be the least frequent. All consumers get tired of being sold to very quickly, and B2B industrial buyers are no different. Keep your promotional posts to around 10 or 20 percent of all your social media activity. Less is more; spend more resources perfecting the rare promotional post to get it just right rather than trying to create more of them.

Here's an example:

Industry News & Education

These posts should make up the bulk of your social media content. Remember, everyone is happy to have information that will help them do their jobs better. If you’re a continual source of useful, actionable information, you’re building trust over time.

News articles tend to get the best engagement from audiences, including racking up lots of likes and shares. Still, it’s essential to ensure that attention is working for you, too. Make sure that the news you’re sharing relates to your company or industry, and be sure to share any positive stories that you or your company are directly involved in.

Fill out the rest of this category by promoting blog posts from your website, especially those that present you as a thought leader in your industry. Other digital assets you might have will also help bolster your online presence. Some examples include podcasts, ebooks, webinars, infographics, and industry reports. It’s ok if these posts are tied to your products or services as long as they are genuinely educational and not pushing for a sale.

CG Consultants demonstrates with this example:

Despite the ups and downs of the current political and economical environment, ONS report that UK #exports hit a record-breaking high in the past financial year! #economics #manufacturing #ukmfg #goodnews #industrynews pic.twitter.com/bdNRKMn7Yh

— CG Consultants (@CG_Consultants) May 27, 2019

Employees

Bring your brand to life by showing your audiences what it looks like behind the screen and behind the scenes. Showcase your employees and highlight their outstanding achievements, or introduce new members to your team on your social channels. Do a video tour of your production or shipping areas, or visit a department in the office and show how they contribute to the customer experience.

Everything you share from your behind-the-scenes look will help potential buyers to see that you’re a company made up of smart, helpful people. This will help establish and maintain trust, especially if a lot of your business tends to be handled online. For that reason, it’s critical to never use any stock photography, video clips, or anything else that’s not authentically yours when sharing an inside look.

Here’s an example from Quad Plus introducing new team members:

Events

Whether you’re hosting or attending an event, social media has become one of the most important ways for people to learn about what’s coming up. It’s also a great way for people to get caught up about events they may have missed. Whether it’s a company-sponsored outing, an industry-wide tradeshow or conference, or a focused seminar, your social media feeds are where the coverage needs to be.

If you’re attending a major industry event, start gathering information as early as possible so you can sort out what’s right for your social media feeds. For example, find out who keynote speakers will be at an upcoming conference you’re attending. Then, you can research those people and post interesting information to your social media channels as an indirect way to promote the event.

If you’re hosting an event, be sure to use the signup tools provided by platforms like Facebook or Eventbrite. They make it easy for you to keep track of who plans on attending while also making it simple for people to spread the word and boost attendance. Once the event is over, you’ll also have a great place to thank anyone who came, share photos, announce prize winners, and share other information that would be useful to attendees.

Staying on Top of Your B2B Social Media Feeds

Although a social media strategy may require a different approach from the rest of your marketing activities, there is one constant across all fronts. Your marketing efforts must be consistent. It’s critical to maintain your brand’s voice and appearance while also creating content and distributing it on a regular, predictable basis.

For some businesses, this is a tall order, but that’s where a social media marketer comes in. They have the social media tools and experience to keep your social media feeds full, your followers engaged, and your goals achieved.

Originally Published on: 3/1/2021

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