In the modern, social-media-driven marketplace, B2B and B2C companies are not all that different: they both need to appeal to their target audience through SM platforms, craft a strong message, track progress, and connect with influencers from their niche. That said, there are numerous different ways in which these business types will achieve their long-term goals.
For instance, while a B2C brand should connect with its audience on an emotional level through engaging storytelling, a B2B brand is better off crafting data-driven messages filled with useful infographics, explainer videos, and industry reports to prove their worth in the competitive arena. With these differences in mind, let’s take a deeper look at how both B2B and B2C brands can boost their sales on social media and pave the road to long-term success in the online universe.
Determine your most relevant SM platforms
There are numerous ways in which B2B marketing differs from B2C marketing, and the most obvious one might just be the selection of social media platforms. Given the fact that different types of demographics prefer different types of social media, you need to figure out where the bulk of your audience resides and focus on improving brand recognition on those SM channels.
This requires some digging around on your part. You want to check user demographics for every platform in order to determine the best place to position your brand. Typically, B2C brands will get luckier on SM platforms such as Facebook and Instagram instead of LinkedIn or Google+. Conversely, a B2B company should engage with their potential clients on several different SM platforms, including LinkedIn and Google+, but also Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Focus on value-driven CTAs
Designing a strong call-to-action button can mean the difference between increased traffic and conversions, and your website losing its initial momentum and falling by the wayside. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple, transparent, and optimized CTA button, as it may just be the thing that propels your brand forward.
But remember, people nowadays can’t be bothered with overcomplicated shopping processes or complex checkouts, so to increase your click-through rate, focus on the following:
- Craft an engaging message to incentivize your audience.
- B2C brands should focus on emotion, and B2B brands should focus on the data-driven copy.
- Make it as straightforward and transparent as possible.
- Let people know what they’re getting into.
- Make good use of CTA buttons offered by SM platforms.
- CTAs such as Shop Now, Book Now, Learn More and Contact Us work extremely well for B2C brands.
- CTAs such as Learn More, Watch More, Download, Request Time, or Book Now is great at generating leads for B2B brands.
- Your CTA should be clearly visible and follow the compelling copy naturally.
Get as many reviews as possible
No matter if you’re running a B2B or a B2C brand, you can bet that your potential customers and clients are reading online reviews of your company before deciding to make a purchase, no matter how enchanting your story and visuals might be. This begs the need to acquire as many positive reviews as possible that you can proudly display on your social media feeds and website.
To achieve this, it’s important that you collaborate with influencers and focus on delivering quality service. However, setting up paid surveys online for audiences to answer will also give you the relevant industry insights that will help you fine-tune your entire social media marketing strategy. Remember that without in-depth insights about your brand’s performance in the online arena, you cannot hope to develop the right approach regardless if you’re after individuals or companies.
Optimize for mobile devices
Social media audiences around the world are increasingly experiencing the content of various kinds on their mobile devices, taking their SM feeds with them wherever they go and thus checking out interesting brands such as yours on their smartphones. This means, regardless of business type, that an interested customer or entrepreneur might be trying to load your website’s homepage on their mobile device this very instant.
This is your golden opportunity to capitalize on an expansive new demographic of mobile users by optimizing your website and social media existence for smartphones and other handheld portable smart devices. Even if the potential customer or client doesn’t make a purchase right away, you will have still generated a lead you can easily follow up. What’s more, if your website’s copy and UI is optimized accordingly, the visitor is bound to contact you again once they get back to their laptop or PC.
Stay on top of relevant KPIs
Finally, as a modern business trying to make it big in the social media universe, you need to constantly stay on top of your relevant KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in order to drive innovation and adapt your strategy to the latest trends in the industry. Among the most relevant KPIs are:
- Clicks, Likes, Comments, Mentions, and Shares.
- Follower Count, Impressions, Web Traffic, and Share of Voice.
- Sales Revenue, Lead Conversion Rate, and Non-Revenue Conversions.
- Customer Lifetime Value, Resolved Issues, Positive Feedback, and Cost per Lead.
Conclusion
Selling your products or services on social media is not an easy task, as it requires meticulous planning and execution in order for your brand to gain the traction and recognition it deserves that will attract paying customers and clients. Nevertheless, with this essential guide in hand, you will have no problem boosting your social media presence and, in turn, increasing your conversion rate.
