Elizabeth Foughty
Having been immersed in the world of social media since its inception (I first wrote about it in 2009 when it was still called Web 2.0!), and spent the last 7 years in startups, I have had the opportunity to see B2B social media marketing done well, and also which elements are frequently overlooked. None of this is earth-shattering, and all of it would be found in articles on best practices in this space. Yet, teams frequently miss these powerful activities, limiting the full potential of their go-to-market efforts.
Reaching the Right Audience:
Before diving into marketing campaigns, it is crucial to determine where your target audience actually hangs out online. It’s disheartening to witness organizations discussing their strategies without considering where their desired audience is active. Are you focusing on Twitter because your CEO spends a lot of time there, while your actual buyers are predominantly on LinkedIn? (Unless you work in journalism, probably yes) Identifying the platforms where your economic buyers are is key. In one organization I worked for, the best platform was an old-school email listserv (no joke, it was regularly used by the target audience we wanted to reach!). Conducting polls, seeking insights from sales teams, engaging with customers, and consulting industry experts are effective methods for pinpointing the right platforms. Remember, these preferences evolve over time, so it’s essential to regularly reassess your targeting approach and incorporate it into your marketing metrics.
Embracing Active Listening:
Effective communication involves being an attentive listener. Are you actively paying attention to industry trends, competitor activities, and expert opinions? Successful B2B go-to-market organizations foster a culture of active listening, and then utilize internal discussion boards to disseminate market insights from marketing, sales, and product development. Then, critically, these learnings are synthesized into strategic initiatives. This last part is arguably the most important and most frequently missed. The organization where I saw this done best included this kind of update in their regular sales kickoff meetings as section on market trends and how to address them. And lastly, valuable content from partners, news outlets, and industry forums should be reshared to enhance the organization’s online presence.
Influencers aren’t just for TikTok:
Every industry boasts its own set of influencers (i.e., industry thought leaders) who hold considerable sway. Identifying these individuals should be a priority for your social media team. In each sector I’ve worked in (insurtech, commercial real estate tech, autonomous vehicles, and earth observation) one of the first things I did in each role was identify influencers within each community. It was the fastest way to learn impactful industry trends. Engaging with and sharing their content, as well as inviting them to conferences and events, can significantly amplify your organization’s reach and credibility.
Empowering Sales Teams:
Are you empowering your sales teams? I have observed that top-performing sales executives invest significant time on LinkedIn, sharing valuable content and actively engaging with posts. To further their reach and amplify their success, they need high-value content that resonates with their audience. This content should reflect where the customer is, which may require it to be sophisticated, complex, and market specific (speak the buyer language!). (Pro tip: If you’re smoothing out your messaging for the masses, then you’re probably not targeting the economic buyers of your B2B targets well.) Sales teams also benefit from ongoing training and coaching to maximize their social media effectiveness. The only way for this to be effective is for sales and marketing teams to be closely aligned and in extremely frequent communication (e.g., weekly). It needs to be a two way conversation where sales team share what content would be valuable and marketing also creates material based on what they are hearing and know of from the product team. I’ve been lucky in my career to work with some strong sales leadership that insisted on this path, and I’ve seen it pay off.
By reaching the right audience, actively listening, leveraging influencers, and empowering sales teams, organizations can really unlock the power of social media.
Elizabeth Foughty 