Business-to-business (B2B) marketing on
Facebook is not new, yet the usage is getting more common among businesses.
Facebook is quickly becoming the most powerful platform in social media because
of the sheer numbers of users, the engagement levels (when done right) and the
targeting possible for paid placements.
Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media
Examiner, published the “Social Media Marketing Industry Report 2015” last
year. This survey analyzed about 3,700 marketers across many different
sized companies doing marketing through social media. Much of the focus for B2B
marketing in social media was lead generation and establishing thought
leadership. In the B2B arena, marketers said they used the top-two
platforms in 2015:
•
41% used LinkedIn
•
30% used Facebook
This article focuses on Facebook for 2016.
Many businesses feel like Facebook does not
apply to their business. In some niche specific industries, this can indeed be
true. However, there are two key reasons that businesses need to pay attention
to Facebook.
1. Advertising intelligence
Create customized messaging to a highly
targeted audience. Then couple that with powerful analytics to make smart
decisions. Facebook has developed the most robust platform to reach your
prospects. And with 1.55 billion users on Facebook and over 1 billion
users active each day, your audience is likely on Facebook.
I spoke to Valerie Shoopman, co-author of the
number-one Amazon Best-Seller, The
Book on Facebook Marketing, about Facebook ad
strategy. Valerie says, “One of the strongest and highest return-on-investment
(ROI) factors is the Facebook re-targeting that allows you to show ads
only to people that have visited your website.”
2. Brand and reputation management
Even if a business is not depending on lead
generation from a business page, not being on Facebook means not showing
up in the largest social-media conversation on the planet. You can certainly
find top brands like NIKE and TOM Shoes are using the Facebook platform well.
However, if your business is smaller than these, you should still pay attention
to what is going on here in 2016 to position better your company in your
market.
Megha Rodriguez with Social Enchantment is
seeing lots of lost opportunities with brand and reputation management in the
B2B sector of social media. Megha said, “Brands that are not actively engaging
with projects and clients are missing it.”
Increase your effectiveness on
Facebook.
Be aware of shameless self-promotion versus
strategic storytelling with value! So many people disenchant their potentially
raving tribe of fans and followers by going straight for the kill rather than
building value through strategic posting.
If every post you use is a link to an offer
or coupon, you are likely missing the power of the Facebook platform.
Understanding and telling your story is essential to your success in any social
media.
Megha says, “To make Facebook work for you,
you must not try to fool your audience. You must be willing to be honest,
vulnerable and transparent. The social environment of Facebook rewards a
certain rawness that we were never taught to use in business school.”
There is a fine line between unfiltered and
transparent messages. The most successful Facebook marketers in 2016 will
thrive because of their ability to master the storytelling of an approachable
business culture.
What is new for 2016 on the
Facebook platform?
•
Facebook live video: This new feature is going to take center stage once it is
fully deployed to all mobile users. Currently, it is being introduced in
limited release to iPhone users. The important thing about this development is
that it will likely shift engagement opportunities and behavior that has been
rapidly adopted in the explosive growth of live-stream channels such as
Periscope, Blab and YouTube Live.
•
Facebook video posts: Video is continuing to be a big part of 2016. Last year
the amount of video from people and brands in Facebook's news feed increased
3.6 times year-over-year.
•
Facebook advertisement: We continue to see the rise of the cost of advertising,
but also the effectiveness of targeted reach that Facebook can offer to
marketers is increasing too.
Valerie says, “The newest thing on the
Facebook platform that has people talking is the new Lead Gen ads. It is
lowering the cost to acquire new leads and works extremely well with mobile.”
There is power in Facebook advertising for your business.
Wrapping up the trends for 2016 is mobile
usage, he shift to mobile viewing is the fastest growing area of social
media -- which is not solely a Facebook issue.
Don’t miss your chance to connect, engage and
add value to your clients, and just because you are in the B2B area
-- don’t write off Facebook.
Written by: Gene Hammett
Credit:Entrepreneur.com
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