Marketing

4 Lessons for the B2B Social Media Rookie

October 31, 2013

As with any skill, mastering social media doesn’t happen overnight. Lauren Sozio, Director of Marketing Communications at uSamp, shares four social media lessons she’s picked up over the years for navigating the Twitter-verse and becoming the life of the party on Facebook.

 

When uSamp first brought me on as a social media consultant, there were surprisingly few companies who believed in the staying power of these platforms. Skeptics saw social media as a wild adolescent unfit for the workplace. (Granted, there were a lot of trigger-happy brands with epic Tweet fails ala #motorcity). On the other hand, evangelists chased every network out of the gate. Maybe we were a little clumsy and naïve, but then again, we had unprecedented access to our customers in all of their uninhibited tweeting glory. Who wouldn’t be blinded by such vast potential?

Social Media: The Early Days

The first few months were chaos. We were timidly chiming into LinkedIn discussions, retweeting the Guy Kawasakis of the world because they had “klout,” and trying to stay up-to-date with ever-changing Facebook pages — one minute you couldn’t message fans directly; the next, you could send private catcalls outside of business hours. Not to be left out, Google+ emerged on the scene with much fanfare, Pinterest satisfied the collage-giddy, and Instagram offered up filtered eye-candy.

Now that I’m three years into the game, and both older and wiser, I’ve come away with a few lessons learned.

4 B2B Social Media Lessons Learned

1) Don’t Silo Social Media

Social media is not just a dinner party trick or a shiny accessory. It should be an integral part of any corporate communications plan. The messaging, the tone, and the ability to disseminate news and provoke discussion is unparalleled. No company should see social media risk in a silo. Instead, it should be viewed as a broadcast, engagement, and networking tool.

2) Find the Party, and Then Become the Life of It

It’s easy to blast your social media efforts across all platforms because you think that maximum exposure means maximum influence. Unfortunately, you are not doing yourself — or your brand — a favor. It is important to evaluate your audience — are you communicating directly to consumers or to businesses? What type of businesses? This is one of the few times where I’d suggest being a follower. In social networking, it’s all about going where the crowd is. That being said…

3) This is Not a Popularity Contest

Yes, there were those low points where we were tempted to buy votes from shady third party players that promised hundreds of thousands of likes. However, that came with the shelf-life of unpasteurized milk. At first, these popularity metrics were easy to cling to as they had subtle promises of ROI. But then it became apparent that these barely scratched the surface on conversion rates. Instead, focus on relationships. Connect with brand champions and thought leaders that can advance your cause outside of the social networks.

4) Don’t Lose Sight of What You Came Here For

Finally, remember that every tweet, post and pin reflects on a greater message you’re trying to get across. Sometimes it’s easy to go on autopilot and schedule tweets through 2020. But don’t forget that social is not a one-way street. It’s about the community. And isn’t it cool that this buzzword is now an integral part of how businesses function today?

What social media lessons and best practices have you picked up along the way? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

Photo by: Jason Howie

Director of Product Marketing

<strong>Lauren Sozio</strong> is a communications professional with 9 years of experience in generating thought leadership for startup and well-established organizations. She is currently the Director of Product Marketing at <a href="http://www.gocatalant.com">Catalant Technologies</a>.