Using social media in the B2B world can be tricky. When creating content for social media, you want to walk that line of professional and pulled together for your corporate clients, but you also want to embrace authenticity and honesty.
It’s a hard balance to strike, for sure, but it’s nowhere near impossible.
As a matter of fact, here’s three companies that do it effortlessly.:
- Oracle - A cloud computing and software firm that serves countless Fortune 500 organizations
- Illumina - A biotechnology company invested in genetic research and genome sequencing
- Hootsuite - A marketing technology company based in Vancouver
So, what exactly are they doing right, and how can you do it too? Here’s a quick breakdown we’ve put together for you.
They Use Social to Preview
Take Oracle, for example. The company uses its social channels to give sneak peeks of technology that’s just over the horizon. They post about everything from artificial intelligence and robots to space travel and future business tech. It gets people excited about what’s to come – even if it’s years down the line. Furthermore, it maintains their followers’ attention and helps keep the company at the top of consumers’ minds.
It also shows that Oracle is on the cusp of technology and information. For B2B clients looking to use Oracle’s products, this could make the company stand out from potential competitors.
They Keep It Light
As much as you might think cloud computing would be boring, Oracle’s social accounts aim to change that perception by using humor. As an added bonus, they use a cooking show (See Coder’s Kitchen) and do regular April Fools’ jokes to help keep things light. If you’re uncomfortable with cracking jokes as a B2B, April 1st can be the perfect time to try one on for size without much pushback.
For developer Zahra Khatami, cooking recipes is like #coding. “I want them to taste better each time compared to the previous ones & I want my cooking to be more accurate without their previous bugs, so I upgrade them each time." https://t.co/dFQOsd16Wq #CodersKitchen pic.twitter.com/PV67iinPn9
— Oracle (@Oracle) January 30, 2018
Try to break down that wall between brand and customer – your followers are probably tired of all those marketing messages you’ve been spouting off anyway. Engage them, entertain them, and make them laugh. In return, you’ll be rewarded with their loyalty.
They Share Insights and News
Illumina is big on sharing information – even if it doesn’t come from them. They’re regularly posting, retweeting, and sharing news, insights, and happenings from across their industry in order to empower their followers with knowledge. They’ve used their social accounts to become not just a brand to their clients, but a solid informational resource as well.
Today on @NatureGenet, deep neural networks and artificial intelligence helps to predict potentially pathogenic rare disease mutations with some help from non-human primate #genomics. Thanks to collaborators from @Stanford, @broadinstitute, @UChicago, @UF https://t.co/1sYjlISjNx pic.twitter.com/rnHvw3T66j
— Illumina (@illumina) July 23, 2018
Always remember that providing value to your customers is key, no matter what type of business you’re in, or what products you’re selling.
They Take Advantage of Less-Than-Mainstream Holidays
Everyone can make a good Valentine’s Day post, but creating one for Columbus Day? Now that’s unique!. Illumina often does this on its social account, celebrating everything from National Emoji Day to Take Your Kids To Work Day.
It's #WorldElephantDay! DYK that these majestic animals are teaching us biology and helping us in understanding the basics of how cancer works? Check out the latest episode of Adventures in Genomics to learn more!https://t.co/fZ7r5Wj9Xw pic.twitter.com/qMjmNhgWAZ
— Illumina (@illumina) August 12, 2018
These sorts of posts are easily shareable and easy for followers to participate in. You might even want to make it into a contest, providing the winner with a prize.
They Give You a Peek Behind the Curtain
Hootsuite is great at letting followers get a glimpse at what’s going on behind the scenes, and commonly post content about employees and life at the office. This type of content humanizes the brand and gives clients a face to put to the names they’ve known for so long. It also helps establish a more personal connection between the follower and the brand, and can even serve as a corporate recruiting tool to bring in great employees that fit the company’s unique culture.
They Bring in the Furry Friends
B2B social content doesn’t have to be all staged, professional photos with lengthy and boring captions. Hootsuite shows us just that. The company is regularly throwing fun pet pictures into the mix, which helps give the brand both personality and shareability. After all, who doesn’t want to share a cute pic of a barn owl or a puppy hanging out with their friends?
You don’t necessarily have to get all cute and cuddly with your feed, but consider posting things other than products, services, and marketing messages. Give your followers something to like, share, retweet, and react to. That will increase your chances of extra exposure too.
B2B Social Doesn’t Have to Be Stuffy
As you can see, B2B companies can have fun on social media while building strong, lasting connections with clients. All it takes is the right content!
Get in touch with Tobe today to hone in on your B2B social strategy. We’re here to help!
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