INBOUND ACCELERATOR

LinkedIn is the top-rated social media platform for B2B marketers, with 95 percent of B2B content marketers using it as a primary channel for distribution of organic content. And some studies show it is nearly 3x as effective in generating B2B leads as Facebook. (Source)

With constant updates to algorithms, new features, and changes in consumer behavior, your social media strategy needs to shift, also. Is it time to try something new?

When it comes to B2B marketing, your social media strategy must include LinkedIn. You may not necessarily need to use paid promotions, but carefully crafted organic content can be key in establishing your company’s brand position, as well as driving traffic to your website.

One of the most common questions businesses have about using social media is this: How much is enough? It should also be coupled with the question of “How much is too much?”

Each social media channel has a different answer dictated by the dynamics of that particular channel. (Click to see our complete guide to social media for businesses.) Fast-paced Twitter has a different recommendation than professionally focused LinkedIn.

When Facebook announced its most recent algorithm update, it said it wanted to foster “meaningful interactions” — bringing back to the social aspect and conversations, which moved content from a user’s family and friends higher on the newsfeed than that from brands or pages. But it also prioritizes conversations, meaning it is important to incorporate content that invites users to comment, not just read, click ‘like’ and scroll on.

What does that mean for you as a business, trying to use Facebook to increase awareness, website traffic and sales?

Every social media channel has a unique personality that impacts how it is used for marketing. Instagram is all about the image. Pinterest is also visually-oriented and well suited for saving links for the future. LinkedIn is all business.

Thirty million businesses use LinkedIn, including 90 percent of B2B marketers. (Source)

Social media is a huge component in the marketing and PR strategies for nearly every business, but with so many different channels available, each with their own intricacies and idiosyncrasies, there are many details to consider in creating the right strategy for your business.

Not long ago, we provided a guide to the basic guidelines for using several of the top social media channels for business. But one of the specific elements of social media use that we didn’t touch on in that post was the hashtag. Here I’d like to dive into more details on how to choose and use hashtags that can extend your social media audience and help you stake a claim to your brand identity online.

Social media is no longer an “extra” part of a business marketing plan. For many small businesses, it may be the majority of the strategy, used as a substitute for a formal webpage, as paid advertising, and as organic and word of mouth promotion to reach both new audiences and current customers.

In fact, 9 in 10 marketers say that their social marketing efforts has increased exposure, and 75 percent say it has increased traffic.

Getting those results, however, requires a commitment to creating quality content and staying in front of your followers with organic content in addition to paid promotions. Half of all small businesses say they post on social media daily. Is that enough?

With so many different channels, each with their own niche in terms of content type and user experience, knowing how to effectively use social media in your digital and content marketing mix can seem a bit overwhelming. That’s why I’ve worked to pull it all together for you in one place:

• What to post

• When to post

• How often to post

• When to incorporate live video

• And a few tips on advertising and paid promotions.

Although we at JONES are huge proponents of organic content on social media (download this case study to learn why), there are definitely times when advertising is a necessary complement to your regular schedule of high quality posts, videos, and links.

And while Facebook ads may seem inexpensive, it is essential to target them for your specific audience, rather than wasting money on ads that are primarily reaching people in the wrong geography, demographic group or interests.