It’s hard to imagine our world today without social media. Advances in mobile technology, with a corresponding reduction in prices, have meant that more people than ever before have access to powerful smart phones, and this in turn has led to a huge increase in the number of people using social media platforms.
Facebook alone, with its associated companies such as What’sApp, has around 1.4 billion active users across the globe. In South Africa there are 11.8 million Facebook users, 6.6 million Twitter users, and 3.8 million LinkedIn users! That’s why social media is a great place to interact with the general public, but social media management services can also help you make the most of it from a business to business perspective.
Here are the 3 most powerful B2B social media platforms that you just have to be on:
It’s little surprise that LinkedIn is at the very top of the pile when it comes to B2B social media, after it all it was designed with that specific purpose in mind. When you use your LinkedIn profile correctly you can connect with almost four million business minded people across South Africa, as well as hundreds of millions worldwide, an important consideration in the global market we all work in. A recent survey of business users found that they found LinkedIn three times better for lead generation purposes than Twitter. To make the most of these opportunities it’s essential to have a comprehensive profile, and yet many stop after they’ve input the bare minimum. Your LinkedIn profile should be updated regularly to include the latest achievements of you and your company, as well as providing articles that show you’re an expert in your field.
LinkedIn may hold the crown, but no business can afford to be without a Twitter presence. The enforced brevity of Twitter, where each message is restricted to 140 characters or less, can also be an advantage when it comes to B2B purposes. Businesses are forced to get to the point and avoid the usual preamble, which means it can be a very effective platform for putting across a sharp and powerful message. Creating high quality posts in such a short space can be a challenge in itself, but expert social media managers will ensure that every tweet of yours counts.
Facebook may not be the first thing you think of when discussing B2B social media, but with such a huge user base it simply can’t be ignored. Facebook supremo Mark Zuckerberg is now bringing constant innovation to the platform, and one of his aims is to make it much more user friendly. It’s not only a great place to find consumers, it can also be used to source and interact with suppliers and potential clients. Find out more about our Social Media offering at http://business.juanq.co.za/social-media-marketing/.
