There are many B2B business owners who think that social media isn’t right for their brand. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Social media is an incredibly useful tool for any business, with each platform offering a variety of features and benefits to market your brand.
According to Brandwatch, around 76% of B2B brands have a social media presence on at least one network. We’d advise all B2B businesses to pick at least one channel and give it their all – this is your chance to give people an insight into what makes your business tick, as well as an opportunity to get closer to your customers and clients.
We’ve listed five B2B businesses who are killing it on social media, and outlined the key lessons you can take away from each of them. Let’s get started.
Slack – Dazzle and delight with your content writing skills
Slack’s social media (and wider marketing operation) is a joy to scroll through. Hats off to the team at Slack who post consistently interesting content that interests and engages their audience.
The Slack team take a leaf out of content writing 101 and use a varied writing style that jumps off the screen. You might not expect the social media for an office productivity tool to be a pleasure to read through, but it surprisingly is.
Key lesson: Write in a conversational tone of voice to connect with your audience. Mix up your posts with emojis, hashtags, dashes and dots to add personality to your posts. No one wants to read mundane, robotic copy – be human!
Buffer – Listen to your audience and offer fantastic customer service
We love Buffer. The social media scheduler is a fantastic choice for managing social accounts, making it easy to schedule and post content in just a few clicks. We also love Buffer’s marketing set up. Handy blog posts are accompanied by informative social media channels, where the team share useful titbits for anyone working in the industry.
A quick look at their Twitter demonstrates their exemplary customer service, with Buffer team members jumping on customer issues and responding in a timely, helpful manner. There’s nothing worse than trying to reach a b2b company who don’t offer speedy replies, and can have many social media managers tearing their hair out. Keep up the good work, Buffer!
Key lesson: Remember to sign off your customer service replies with your name to show that people are interacting with a real person. This will reassure them that their issue is being handled, and helps to build relationships.
Mailchimp – Have fun – it’s not all about selling!
Email marketing platform Mailchimp have a lovely-looking Instagram feed. A quick glance through their colourful page and you’ll see eye-catching illustrations, video and quirky visuals – and their follower count is thriving. The main thing that stands out is that you can’t tell from looking at the feed that they’re an email marketing business. Instead of selling, they focus on delighting and entertaining Instagram users.
Mailchimp also make great use of Instagram Stories, using them to showcase celeb takeovers (skateboard hero Tony Hawk no less), and fun ‘day in the life’ features of the Mailchimp team. People browse Instagram to be visually inspired, not sold to. By offering artsy, fun content, Mailchimp blend into their surroundings, demonstrate their fun side and offer value to their audience.
Key lesson: Make sure your content fits in with the platform you’re using. If you’re a b2b company using Instagram, make sure your posts are visually attractive. No one wants to scroll through a mundane Insta.
Sprout Social – Show off your office culture
A great way to make your b2b company stand out on social media is to share photos and videos from your office. This is especially true when you have a fun-filled employee culture, just like the guys over at Sprout Social. Their colourful Chicago HQ springs to life on their Instagram feed, where users can scroll through insightful posts that showcase life at the company.
As a b2b business, it’s crucial to demonstrate your human side. Introducing the people behind the scenes who are working on your clients’ accounts helps show that you’re real, and can help strengthen customer relations. Sprout Social’s Instagram is a delight, and their content helps illustrate the sheer joy and engagement that their company culture encourages
Key lesson: Use Instagram to show (not tell) your followers what your company ethos is all about. Giving users a compelling glimpse behind the scenes can help recruitment and brand reputation.
DHL – Stay visual with user-generated content
Parcel service DHL has a stunning Instagram feed, which is bound to give users a bad case of wanderlust! Their page is made up of colourful travel photos, all of which include the instantly recognisable red and yellow of the DHL branding.
By encouraging user submissions in their Instagram bio (“Pick any spot on Earth – yup, we’re there. Tag your photos with #DiscoverDHL to be featured!”), they’ve curated a steady stream of user-generated content. UGC is the most effective form of content for a business, and it’s a brilliant way to use your audience as an unpaid marketing team (clever, right?). There are currently 1,705 photos using the DiscoverDHL tag, and with an audience of 36k, it’s bound to grow.
Key lesson: Give users an incentive to share their photos. Sometimes being featured on the page is enough, but you could also offer vouchers or a free gift to the best submission of the month.
We’re exhibiting at the B2B Marketing Expo 2019 this March. Come and visit us at stand 1934 for handy social media, paid social and PPC tips – we’re also offering free audits. We’ll even throw in a coffee if you’re lucky… 😉
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