How does social media marketing work
“We need a Facebook page” – that’s what many small businesses think today. But first you should ask yourself: What exactly is social media marketing? We explain the basics and give tips for social media marketing in B2B small businesses.
1. What is social media marketing?
Abbreviated as SMM by Abbreviationfinder, social media marketing is part of the online marketing discipline . Various social networks are used to address the target group. Through the networks, users can be addressed both on a private (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter) or on a business level (Xing, LinkedIn).
In which form and on which platform this type of social media communication takes place depends on the company’s goal. Social media marketing can pursue a pure image or awareness building . But you can also sell targeted products and generate leads.
Platforms like Facebook and Xing offer more and more opportunities for targeted marketing. Using the “ Facebook Lead Ads ” tool , you can even collect targeted contact information from your target group through posts.
2. How does social media work for SMEs?
In general, every platform works differently. However, social media communication offers you both paid and unpaid opportunities on almost all channels . If you post target group-specific contributions, your fans or followers can mark them with “Like” or share them. This automatically increases the number of people reached (technical jargon: reach), because: If a post is shared, all social media friends will also see it.
This unpaid variant has only one catch : to get a lot of likes, you first need a large fan base. Building this up is difficult. Therefore, they should rely on paid advertising via Facebook and Co. Since the organic reach of Facebook posts is generally very limited, you should still promote your posts regularly even as your fan base grows.
The promotion of the posts works via the advertising function of Facebook. The advantage: by promoting the contributions, precise target group characteristics can be selected. Only people who meet these characteristics will see the post. You can also limit the results regionally, for example to the Augsburg district.
In the Facebook Ad Manager you can define the exact goal of your campaign at the beginning
How often the paid contribution is ultimately paid out depends on the size of the budget . This is used up according to the number of people who have seen, liked or shared the post. Consequently: the higher the budget, the greater the range. The principle of paid contributions is represented on almost every platform.
Therefore, the following applies to every social network: it does not work without a budget. But: the budget for small businesses doesn’t have to be big . It is only important that the contribution is played to the right users.
3. The social media concept
Social media marketing for companies needs to be well planned. Therefore, do not start a social media campaign without a coherent concept. At the beginning of every marketing concept there is a clear definition of goals and target groups.
You should consider the following social media guidelines for successful social media in B2B:
- Goals and target groups
Do you want to reach customers or decision-makers? The choice of the platform is based on this: private channels or business networks? - Company
goals Do the channel and strategy match the overarching goals that you are pursuing with your company? - Responsibilities
Who is responsible for the content and success control? Success in social media marketing only works through continuous support of the channel. Also think about how you can link content from content marketing activities with social media! - Measure success
How can you control the success of your social media communication? Social media metrics help you. You have to define this in advance. - Set a budget
How much can you pay monthly for social media marketing? An important consideration that many companies underestimate. - Increase awareness
Think about the methods you can use to build a fan base. This consideration goes hand in hand with the budget question mentioned above. - Agency
The effort for social media in the company is often underestimated. Therefore, consider whether you want to hire an agency. We would be happy to answer your questions without obligation. - Profiling
Now you strategically plan the structure of the profile. Choose appealing texts and images. Also consider the use of additional functions such as travel and contact inquiries!
4. B2B social media marketing: your advantages!
Social media marketing has more B2B potential than you might think.
Products and services from B2B companies are usually complex . The functions of a mobile heating center are simply not as transparent as a red lipstick. But: it is precisely for this reason that you should use social media!
The key to complex B2B products is: explanation . There is hardly any other marketing channel that you can do as well as social media! Create explanatory videos, design infographics, write texts – and share your knowledge with your fan base. Social media acts as a B2B service channel.
You can also use social media to build your image . Tell your target group what your company is currently developing. Share certificates, product checks or employee interviews. This is how you show your target group: You can trust us! Because: Image and awareness are an important factor in B2B customer acquisition.
Everything at a glance – you can achieve these goals with B2B social media marketing:
- Strengthen customer loyalty
- Generate product and contact inquiries
- offer help
- Increase image and awareness
- Explain products and create transparency
- Recruit staff
- Target group accuracy through information on residence, characteristics, age, etc.
Good planning and regular content are the be-all and end-all of your successful B2B social media communication. But: don’t take advertising on social networks lightly. Social media doesn’t work on the side – success, like all other marketing activities, requires know-how and time.
