The Golden Rules of Social Marketing

The Golden Rules of Social Marketing

Social marketing has become an integral part of our lives and continues to evolve. A few years ago everyone was talking about the importance of B2B companies being active and creating pages on sites such as Facebook and Twitter– now the conversation has shifted and is moving towards the idea that every marketing campaign must be social.

The new theory is that social is more than just a channel or tactic; it is a strategy that should be present in every aspect of your marketing. And now that B2B finally understands the power of social, how do you harness it? How do you entice and engage your audience to share your message and to be a brand ambassador?

As a marketer, you need to learn to leverage social media – for building relationships, listening to the market, promoting content, and influencing buyers even before they’re identified as potential leads. You have to do more than social media; you have to do social marketing.

So here are the golden rules:

1. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
It should be obvious, but social marketing is about being social, and that means you need a good personality to make your brand likable.

2. Inbound is not enough.
Each of the tactics described in this guide can work on their own. But, for a business to benefit fully from them, they should be combined with outbound marketing. Never underestimate what a bit of paid promotion can do for your business.

3. You must have good
content and solid offers. Without well-produced, engaging content, any and all tactics you employ will most likely fail.

4. You will need a strong call to action.
The tried-and-true, strong call to action is just as important in social media as it is anywhere else. Be clear about what you want your audience to do after consuming your content or engaging with your brand.

5. Always add value.
At the end of the day, if you are not providing some sort of value to your prospects and customers, you are not doing your job and social media will never work for you.

6. Never forget that social is a two-way street.
No one likes being talked at. Yes, broadcast your message, but remember to keep the lines of communication open in both directions. When contacted, always respond quickly and sincerely. Be sure to mix up your messaging and use a combination of content and offers.

7. Peer-to-peer
sharing is the best way to get your message heard. Don't just DO social, BE social!

Social marketing holds tremendous opportunities for B2B companies looking to drive new business and increase revenue, but only if you first develop a solid foundation and an understanding of what makes the world of social marketing tick. No matter how complex your current strategy is, you will want to re-visit it on a yearly basis and make sure you have everything you need to be successful.