The 3 Most Important Factors of Any Social Media Campaign
by MGB2B
Social media is no longer something only younger generations participate in. Now more than ever, it’s important that your manufacturing company utilizes it to reach a wider audience. In doing so, you’ll get your products and services in front of people who might not have initially seen it. Building a social campaign can be a complicated process, but when done correctly, the payoff is sizable. The most important thing to remember is that campaigns are “living” pieces of your company. They need to be monitored throughout their lifetime to ensure they are running smoothly. And if not? Here are a few things to keep in mind…
Organic vs. Paid
You’ve surely heard the terms “organic” and “paid” when it comes to social traffic. Organic traffic is the traffic you get on your social account without having to pay. So, if someone finds your profile, likes a photo, shares a post, or leaves a comment, without any prompting, that’s organic traffic. Paid traffic, on the other hand, happens when you pay to have your posts boosted, ensuring they get in front of your desired audience. The likes, shares, comments, and follows that result directly from these paid campaigns are paid traffic.
So you’ve built your campaign, now what?
To ensure your campaign performs to the best of its ability, there are a few things to focus on:
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Your Audience
Who you are trying to reach with your message? There are a lot of great metrics tools out there that can help you determine the audience you are already reaching, which you can eventually build off of. Twitter, for example, has an entire section in their user interface that breaks down your audience. From your audience’s interests, to their buying style, wireless carrier, and demographics, you have an incredibly detailed picture. If your campaign not performing as well as you had hoped, analyze this picture. You have time to reconfigure and adjust your audience throughout the lifetime of your campaign, as long as your monitoring it.
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Your Message
This facet is closely tied to your audience, and varies from each one. Consider speaking to a 28 year old engineer differs versus a 50 year old executive. The interests, abilities, and knowledge of these two people vary greatly. Your message should be tailored to each. Since social media has the ability to speak directly to your audience as individuals (and they’ve come to expect it), make sure you do just that.
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Your Platform
Social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn all have a purpose, and they’re not necessarily the same. Instagram is strictly for photos or easily-digestible videos. Facebook is a melee of articles, photos, thought-pieces, and more. Hopefully, before you’ve created a campaign, you’ve chosen which platform works best for you, your message, and your audience. It’s easy to default to Facebook but if you notice your campaign taking a hit, take a step back. Review the pros and cons of each social site (and believe me, they all have pros and cons.) If the platform you’ve chosen doesn’t check most or all of your boxes, halt your campaign. Move the budget over to a platform better-suited for your needs. It’ll make a big difference in your ROI.
As with anything, there are more than just three factors that could affect your social media campaign performance – these are just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to get in front of the right people, with the right message, at the right time, you have to do your homework.
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: Product Demos Are Things of the Past
by MGB2B
The Myth: No One Wants to Watch Demonstrations of Your Products.
The Truth: 55% of B2B Buyers Rank Product Demos as One of the Most Influential Types of Content.
Before the days of the world wide web, your printed product brochure and instructional materials were more precious than gold to your audience. Without them, B2B buyers had no way of knowing exactly how your products worked, how they were installed and used, or how they differed from your competition’s. Today, while a Google search won’t tell your buyers everything they need to know about your products, they can probably gather enough information to make an informed buying decision without the need for a demo. Right?
A recent study performed by the Content Marketing Institute and SmartBrief revealed which types of marketing content were most important to those responsible for B2B buying decisions. When asked to rank how much influence various types of content had on their purchases, 55% of respondents placed Product Demos in their top two. With over half of B2B buyers turning to product demonstrations to help fuel their purchasing decisions, you should think twice before removing your demo videos from YouTube. After all, you are the expert when it comes to your products.
Now that you know just how valuable B2B product demos are, it might be time to consider freshening up your collection. Here are five tips to keep your demos up-to-date:
Five Tips for B2B Product Demos
- Give it real-world application. Don’t just demo your product arbitrarily. Have it solve a problem that vexes your buyers.
- Keep it simple. Though tempting, don’t overcrowd your video with too much info. Stick to two or three of the most helpful features and common uses, and you’ll strike a compelling and digestible balance.
- Keep it short. No one has the time to sit through a ten-minute video. Aim for 2-3 minutes – this will not only keep them watching to the end, but them much more likely to share it.
- Include a Call To Action. Conclude your video by directing your viewers to action. This could anything from reaching out for a consultation, requesting a sample, or buying the product itself.
- Go with pros. If you can, have them done professionally. You know your product inside and out. But a marketing or video production team knows how to make it look good. Capitalize on the benefit of your knowledge and their professional expertise.
B2B product demos are not a thing of the past and marketing videos are only gaining popularity. Invest in your demos, and keep your sales team armed with engaging material that your buyers will want to share – and respond to. (Want more marketing video tips? Read this.)
Continue ReadingSocial Smackdown: What Are the Best Social Media Ads for Manufacturers?
by MGB2B
Social media advertising is a valuable piece of your manufacturing company’s marketing program. It’s right up there more traditional media like in-person events and trade publications. And just like choosing trade shows or magazines to run ads in, social media channels depend on your brand, message, and budget. So, to help you along the way, we’ve evaluated Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn below. Take a look and determine which offer(s) the best social media ads for manufacturers based on campaign goals and budget.
Social Smackdown: The Best Social Media Ads for Manufacturers
First up: the channel that is still largely believed to be a B2C only platform. While Facebook certainly falls on the more social side of social media, it has a whole host of B2B benefits. Facebook is a good place to highlight your company’s personality and culture through photos and videos. Imagine your target audience scrolling through their news feeds – what are they doing? Glancing at photos of friends and family, checking out local events, and reading articles related to their personal interests. So Facebook isn’t the ideal place to promote your highly technical white paper. But it is a great home for photos of your latest employee recognition night, holiday party, or trade show. When it comes to advertising on Facebook, here are a few things to keep in mind:
What Facebook Ads Are Good For:
- Growing your social media audience
- Recruiting talent
- Promoting content (blogs, infographics, videos)
What Facebook Ads Cost:
- Under $0.50 CPC (cost per click)
- Under $0.50 per like
To learn even more about what to expect with Facebook advertising, check out this guide from Buffer.
Next up: Twitter, the micro-blogging channel often favored by manufacturers and B2C companies alike. Twitter has made rapid response a standard in social media customer service. Twitter is ideal for dropping a quick hook and pulling users onto your manufacturing website. Many users follow a combination of personal and professional accounts. Users are generally less put off by promotional messaging than they would be on Facebook. That being said, Twitter has become an advertising ocean where your message can easily get lost. Using attention-grabbing visuals and carefully built audiences can help your ads land in front of the right eyeballs.
What Twitter Ads Are Good For:
- Growing your social media audience
- Promoting content (blogs, articles, infographics)
- Building awareness
- Highlighting event attendance
- Launching new products
What Twitter Ads Cost:
- Around $1 CPC
- Under $2.50 per follower
To learn how to improve your Twitter ads (while they’re running), read this blog.
As the social media network for professionals, LinkedIn fits right into many B2B social media strategies. Since profiles are tied to users’ professional identities, it’s more likely that their information is valid and up to date. Half of B2B buyers refer to LinkedIn when making purchase decisions. Running social media ads for manufacturers makes a lot of sense. Content like white papers, blog posts, and technical articles that didn’t work on Facebook are a great fit for LinkedIn. And, you can target users based on their job titles, functions, and seniority. But before you slap some ads up, here’s what you need to know:
What LinkedIn Ads Are Good For:
- Promoting content (white papers, technical guides, downloadable resources)
- Recruiting talent
- Building awareness
- Lead generation
What LinkedIn Ads Cost:
- CPC ranges between $3-$10
Including social media advertising in your marketing strategy can help your manufacturing company reach new audiences, share valuable content, gain leads and talent, and help support existing customers. Every campaign is different, as are the costs and benefits, but the guidelines above can help you begin to form a plan for your social strategy. Need help taking it to the next level? Drop us a line.
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