Social Media Marketing – the B2B of You and Me…

Social Media Marketing Success..

Image by Rosaura Ochoa via Flickr

It should be noted there is a fine line between marketing a business and a brand. It can mean different things to different people.

But when it comes to social media, there is a clear and unmistakeable formula for success to marketing your business and brand via the social media platforms.

Whether you’re building a brand or marketing your business using different social media marketing methods, following the unwritten rules can go a long way toward your success…

Be social. Social media is no place for the hard sell. Think of social media as being at a friend’s cocktail party. If you only talk about yourself, you’ll be labeled a bore and left alone. There’s a place for business talk, but it needs to be weaved into the fabric of a two-way conversation.

Sometimes being the ‘life’ of the party is not always such a good thing…

Be human. Many companies have trouble coming out from behind their logos and showing some personality. The more human that companies can appear in the digital age, the more they can differentiate themselves.

In other words, be yourself. So many folks lose sight of who they are and are fixated on what they think they should be. You have something to give, you are unique and you should always strive to be yourself.

Engage. Communicate consistently and authentically, and don’t worry so much about the number of followers. You want engaged and loyal followers. And make sure to respond when asked a questions or, more likely, when presented a problem or complaint.

The keys to success in any business is communication. The more you communicate the more you can learn about your business and brand. Feedback is vital to improving your brand and position on the social media landscape.

Commit. It is better not to enter the social space than to enter it and then abandon your efforts there. Before launching social media efforts, carefully analyze each site and make a firm commitment to staying engaged.

This is very important. So many people begin social media marketing efforts but soon stop after not seeing the results they expected. And so many times if they just stick to it success is invariably around the corner.

Make sure there’s adult supervision of your social media efforts. Too many companies delegate their efforts to younger employees, even interns, who are familiar with social media but might not understand corporate strategy.

Hiring go getters is a noble gesture but without proper supervision and accountability you put all your social media marketing efforts at risk.

Be a thought leader. “Information is the coin of the social media realm, and providing great information is exactly what can distinguish your brand on social media.”

No truer words were spoken. Creating a think tank between employees is another step toward creating a pool of ideas. Perception is key and having different viewpoints on a particular subject can only improve the status quo.

Use appropriate caution. Because of the speed with which social media can send a message, it’s important not to be indiscreet. Establish a company social media policy, and be mindful that legal action can result from some inappropriate behavior.

With so many social media tools at our disposal, information can and will spread like wild fire. Having a company policy in place and accountability standards reviewed quarterly, if not monthly, can and should be part of every business plan.

Admit your mistakes. If your company has made a mistake, a sincere apology along with actually fixing the problem will garner more fans.

There’s no shame in admitting to mistakes. People admire honesty and taking charge. Be the first to fixing the problem and your business and brand will succeed where others fail.

Convert the “likes” to love. The more you can become critically involved in the lives of your followers, the greater the asset they become.

Focus on your follower’s want’s and need’s. Remember this famous quote, “Help enough other people get what they want..” by Zig Ziglar are words to live by.

Leverage your community. Give your followers enough to share so that their legions of followers can be introduced to follow you as well….More at 10 Steps to B2B Social Media Marketing Success | Business 2 …

Good content is the cornerstone of every social media strategy, without it your social media marketing efforts will be like a ship lost at sea, no compass, no direction. At the very minimum you should focus on your followers and fans, provide great customer service, which means communicate and listen effectively. Do this and your company and brand will be successful. There is no other obstical but yourself. Just do it…