Marketing is undergoing a metamorphosis, with social media creating opportunities for a wide range of businesses. While most people will immediately see how social media can be a benefit to promoting companies that operate in the B2C sector, IT services businesses can sometimes struggle to see how it would be of use to them.
The approaches taken by B2C and B2B marketing in the past have been very different. For IT companies, a B2C campaign is usually designed to create a personal brand relationship with consumers, while a B2B campaign is driven by the technical value offered by the service.
When it comes to social media this distinction isn't valid, and even very technical businesses that operate in the B2B sector have to make brand engagement work for them on social media.
Awareness Creates Leads
The way that B2B IT services has traditionally been marketed isn't conducive to social media. Even if your target audience is tech savvy, your campaign will still need to use value-based messages to create brand awareness. Presenting a technical case on its own is not enough. You should therefore focus on the features of your service, rather than just technical specs.
For example; if you are a web hosting company, instead of using social media to explain your server capacity, you should explain how this translates into faster access speeds and reduced downtime for your customers.
Use social media to demonstrate the competitive advantages your service offers and you will start building a positive association with your brand. You can use your social media platforms to publish videos, advertise blogs and answer questions, all with the purpose of providing a useful service – and linking these associations to your brand identity. When a client sees your logo they should feel good about dealing with your company. This is how social media can create leads and boost your revenue stream.
SEO Matters
Google's ranking algorithms love content that gets shared on social media. The more people share something, the higher it will rank on Google. This aspect of social media marketing is more powerful than many realise. The higher content ranks on a Google SERP, the more trustworthy it is seen as being by your social media followers – stimulating a virtuous circle of improved rankings. So not only will people have a better chance of finding your content, but they will also begin to think of your company as being a reputable source of information.
When people think of your company as an authoritative source of information, they are going to be far more likely to opt-in to your owned traffic (such as your email list), and give you direct access to them on social media. This increases your chances of more shared content and direct inbound leads through social media. It all starts with making great content, and getting it out on social media.
An Emotional Connection
One of the biggest struggles in the B2B IT sector is the lack of personality that some traditional campaigns have. Traditionally companies in the B2B sector haven't needed to cultivate an emotional connection with their potential clients, but social media has changed that. Well thought out content that is published on social media will help your company foster a good feeling with your potential clients. The next time they need to buy additional hosting for their website expansion, for example, they will think of your company first.
Getting Started On Social Media
Creating a social media campaign for your IT Company doesn't have to be difficult, but if you don't have a marketing department, it makes sense to get an agency like JDR involved. Content based marketing isn't always intuitive, and most people who use social media personally aren't necessarily going to know how to create effective business content. The potential for developing your brand image on social media is incredible, but your company will have to create killer content that IT professionals will be happy to share with their network. Get in touch with one of our marketing specialists for more information on building a bespoke social media strategy.
