How and When to Craft Social Media for B2B
For B2B leaders who see the potential upside of social marketing, many still struggle with how and when to craft social content in order to generate demand and nurture relationships. Mainstream social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) were not specifically built for the business-to-business audience so the task can be overwhelming and appear pointless. Indeed, a recent survey from Eloqua shows that most B2B companies deploy social media tactics without a strategy and subsequently waste valuable resources creating content in the wrong areas.
Part of the battle is knowing how to craft social content and when to post it. Jeff Haden (@jeff_haden) recently posted his secrets to perfectly crafted social media on Inc.com for B2B and B2C marketers. This post focuses solely on the B2B tidbits.
How Should B2Bs Say It? |
|
|
| 1. Message Length | 16-25 words is best | 11-15 words is ideal |
| 2. Question Marks | Do not use | Do not Use |
| 3. Exclamation Marks | Use when appropriate | Do not use |
| 4. Hashtags | Use wherever possible | Use wherever possible |
| 5. Numbers | No effect | Use when appropriate |
When Should B2Bs Say It? |
|
|
| 1. Prime Days* | Sundays | Wednesdays |
| 2. Prime Time | 9AM-Lunchtime | 10AM-12PM |
| 3. Prime Minutes | Top/Bottom of hour | Top/Bottom of hour |
* share regularly but save your best content for prime time
B2B companies can make the most of the myriad of social media marketing tools by optimizing their social media strategy across the various social platforms. Strategy (there’s that word again) is critical to developing a plan that will help weed through the noise and nonsense so your business can be seen as a publisher of useful content. This is especially important for nurturing leads along the supply chain where timely social content can act as a service and support mechanism.
“What you say is important. But so is how and when you say it.”
– Jeff Haden, Inc.com
If you have any further insights on how to best craft social content for the B2B space, please share your thoughts below or on Twitter (@SterlingKlor).
