Social media strategy for manufacturers & distributors

B2B social media refers to the various social networks that can be used not by individuals but by companies. These communication channels are used to spread messages, redirect to a website or generate leads. Presence on social networks is essential for companies. Any communication strategy today takes into account the social media component to deliver the messages and values of a given company in a direct way.

When we talk about the B2B social media approach, we are essentially talking about 3 or 4 social networks that are interesting for professionals. It is necessary for companies to position themselves on LinkedIn: this leading platform for business activity alone generates 80% of the B2B leads from social networks. For market watch and content curation, Twitter is the other essential site. Facebook, with its large number of active users, is useful for public visibility and targeted advertising campaigns.

Several techniques can be developed for companies to be effective on their social networks. Each platform attracts a certain type of potential prospects, so it is important to target your communication strategy for the networks you want to be present on. Social media can be used for social selling, which consists in conducting a process of listening to and searching for contacts. The information available, especially on LinkedIn, is useful to learn more about the people you want to contact.

To carry out an inbound marketing strategy, companies generally turn to YouTube first. Videos can be used in a very effective way to convey messages, develop storytelling and allow people to identify with a brand. Videos can then be relayed on other social network accounts. Lastly, a site like Instagram can be strategic to target a younger audience.

It is up to each company to determine whether the management of social media is possible internally or if it should be entrusted to an agency or service provider. It is important to be aware of the time-consuming nature of this mission and the importance of using the right tone on each platform. More and more companies are choosing to work with a specialized service provider who manages all of a brand's social networks as a community manager. An external solution allows you to monitor and animate an account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A service provider also knows in detail how each platform works and will be able to provide adapted content to obtain the desired reactions from the audience.

Due to lack of time or lack of internal resources, not all companies can manage their social networks themselves. By using a service provider, they can be sure that their communication and e-reputation will be controlled by a specialized company. Other advantages of outsourcing include the creation of relevant content fully in line with an inbound marketing approach, development of the customer relationship and the acquisition of leads through targeted creative messages.

In order to know the effectiveness of a communication strategy on social networks, it is essential to take the time to see the return on investment. However, it can be difficult for companies to really judge the performance of their publications on social networks. An external provider can use precise statistical tools or a method such as closed-loop analysis to determine the effectiveness of communication on these channels. Engagement, conversion and traffic to a site after a post is made are good indicators.

It would be a big mistake to ignore social media in a company's communication strategy. Studies have shown that two thirds of the companies present on LinkedIn have already gained customers through this channel. Among professionals, over 40% use this platform to get information before making a B2B purchase. Twitter and Facebook are also becoming important drivers for sharing content online.

Joining a marketplace can strengthen a company's presence on social networks. VirtualExpo Group has set up several thematic marketplaces to meet the needs of companies. Each of them has its own social media account to relay news and products from different sellers.

This is the case with MedicalExpo, the medical equipment marketplace, present on Facebook since 2012. With over 185,000 subscribers on this platform, it promotes the companies that have joined the marketplace every day. New products are highlighted with a large photo, a short presentation for more impact and a direct link to the corresponding product page on the marketplace.