Which Channels Should You Use in Your Social Marketing Campaign?
Your social media strategy will determine how your organization uses content to achieve its social marketing campaign goals. For most companies, an effective social media strategy can:
- Build brand engagement and awareness
- Drive traffic to your website
- Generate leads
- Grow revenue
Each social media platform serves a slightly different purpose; some are business to consumer (B2C) focused while others are business to business (B2B) centered. Which platforms your use should be determined by who you are trying to reach and what kind of content you have to offer.
What is B2C content?
This is what we commonly think of when social media posts are mentioned. Posts can be stand-alone (as is the case with Instagram), or link to other content (such as blog posts or website landing pages). Visual content, such as photos or videos, can be shared in this format, too.
What is B2B content?
While blogs can be used in B2B platforms, you can also promote material like the following:
- White papers
- Infographics
- Case studies
The goal of B2B social media posts is to promote thought leadership for your company, which can result in increased sales, increased influence, and greater opportunities in the future.
Know the channels
Before posting anything to social media, be sure you understand the platform, tailoring your message to the specific venue.
The oldest and still most-used social media network hosts both B2B and B2C content, but primarily focuses on more personal content.
Again, content can have either a B2B or a B2C focus. Here, though, because of space constraints, posts should be most centered on thought leadership. Posts on Twitter can help your company gain a foothold as an industry thought leader. When posting on Twitter, try to find a way to put your company’s spin on things, and to make its voice unique.
Content on this social network is generally focused on B2B and talent recruiting. When posting to LinkedIn, focus on thought leadership and company news. If your goal is recruiting new talent, you can also use LinkedIn to highlight company culture.
This platform can be used for B2B, but it tends to be more effective for B2C marketing, with compelling images and stories for your company. Posts on Instagram should be inspirational and aspirational. Let potential customers see what they wish to attain in your imagery, and tell a story that makes them want to buy in.
Tailor content
When posting on B2B social media platforms, the primary goal is to generate leads and promote your company. With B2C social media platforms, the focus is on creating greater brand engagement and awareness. With this in mind, content should be created individually for each specific social media venue.
It’s also important to be aware of the content and character restrictions for each social media platform. Famously, Twitter posts are restricted to 280 characters. However, Facebook and LinkedIn have different character limits for posts, headlines, and calls to action, so check to ensure your content isn’t being cut off mid-sentence.
Again, be sure to modify your content for the platform in which it’s being promoted. Social media campaigns have the potential to increase your company’s profile in a number of ways, if you take the time to plan it correctly.
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