6 Mistakes to Avoid While Creating a B2B Social Media Strategy

Social networks have become indispensable communication channels for companies, whatever their sector. Yet, their use in B2B is still in its infancy, and many companies miss the potential of this channel of communication.

If you have the impression that your B2B social networking strategy doesn’t provide any ROI, perhaps you’re committing one of these common mistakes?

1. You publish too much (or not enough) 

A common mistake when it comes to social media is posting too much content, too often. You've probably lived it yourself, with a friend on Facebook who publishes photos of his dog six times a day and who you've already thought about blocking several times. Well for brands, it works the same way. 

According to a study by Sprout Social, publishing too often is one of the main criteria that push users to stop following a brand. But beware, the opposite is also true! Brands that publish too little also tire their audience. 

It is therefore necessary to set a reasonable and feasible frequency in the long term.

Here are some suggestions according to research from CoSchedule:

• Twitter: as many as 15 tweets per day
• LinkedIn: once a day
• Facebook: once a day• YouTube: once a week
• Instagram: 1-2 posts per day
• Pinterest: as many as 11 pins per day   

2. You don’t know which channel to use 

Despite what some people may think, being present on all social networks is not necessarily a good thing.  

The selection of your communication channels and social networks should be based on your target audience.  

In the case of a B2B company, for example, professional networks like LinkedIn will be favored and networks such as Snapchat or Instagram will be less of a priority. That isn’t to say you can’t use these networks, but conduct some research first to determine where your target audience spends most of their time. Besides, it’s better to have one well-fed network with a highly engaged audience than eight malnourished ones.  

3. You don’t value your audience 

A company that only posts statuses focused on them, their promotions or the details of all their services will soon find themselves talking in a vacuum.  

The first thing to do is to create quality content that’s interesting to your target audience. Think about who you are target audience is: a specific person with specific needs, someone who wants to save time, save money, be more productive or make their office a better place for their employees. Whatever their pain points, create content that responds to these needs. 

Don’t just share weekly or bi-weekly articles about your business, instead give something back to your audience. Don’t hesitate to share external content, content that is currently trending in your niche and something you think will provide value to your audience. At the end of the day, you want to make your social channels somewhere people come to for your unique brand voice and the latest insights. Sharing other people’s content builds a community – which is ultimately more valuable.  

As Rand Fishkin once said:  

'Best way to sell something - don't sell anything. Earn the awareness, respect, & trust of those who might buy.'

4. You don’t know about market developments  

Internet, social networks and new communication technologies don’t stop evolving. Every day, a new innovation appears and modifies consumer standards.  

What was a trend yesterday is now over and the variables are constantly increasing in a constantly changing environment.  

Therefore, it’s crucial that you keep up to date with changes both in your industry and how social media works. Don’t be afraid to share this journey with your audiences and show them that you’re current, you’re listening and you’re paying attention.  

5. You don’t optimize your profiles 

If your goal is to grow your following or gain traffic through social media, it's important for people to understand who you are and why they should follow you right from the beginning. 

And this starts with optimizing your social profiles. This involves obviously includes a profile picture, preferably your company logo, a link to your site and a way to contact you. The more information you include in your profile, the better! 

Your ‘about’ section shouldn’t be a list of what you sell, but rather provide a good reason why someone should follow and interact with your business.

6. You don’t know your customers 

From the creation of your profiles to the publication of your content, you must keep in mind who your target audience is, based on the personas of your customers. 

Be present on the networks where your customers are present and publish updates that will interest your customers and address their issues. 

It may be tempting to post cat gifs or to react to today's trending hashtag to reach a wider audience, but ask yourself first, "Is this really something my clients would like to see?"