Social media is constantly evolving. Initially created as a platform for keeping in touch with contacts, it has now become a vital tool for effectively reaching and engaging with targeted audiences to achieve marketing objectives.
As B2B marketers strive to remain competitive and explore new marketing trends, LinkedIn and Twitter have become invaluable resources. However, the differing features and attributes of LinkedIn and Twitter can make it hard for businesses to know where to start when it comes to forming their marketing strategies.
With over 875 million members worldwide, it’s no surprise that LinkedIn has established itself as a leading B2B social media platform. There have been some key benefits to note that have contributed to LinkedIn’s widespread adoption and popularity amongst professionals.
Personalised Profiles
According to LinkedIn users with complete profiles receive 30% more views per week. LinkedIn Profiles are tailored to highlight an individual’s professional background, education and skills, rather than personal details such as hobbies or interests. This allows recruiters to efficiently identify key information when evaluating potential candidates.
For B2B marketers, this streamlined approach can be beneficial in identifying potential leads and prospects. By focusing on professional information, businesses can easily assess the compatibility of potential clients, partners or employees, saving both time and resources that may have been put into false leads.
LinkedIn Premium
LinkedIn Premium is an optional subscription service, that provides additional tools to enhance users networking and business development capabilities. For example, the advanced search feature allows premium subscribers to search for leads and prospects based on a diverse range of criteria, including job title or location, so audiences can be targeted more effectively.
Premium members can directly message users outside of their network. Bypassing the wait times from using a regular LinkedIn account provides a faster, more valuable opportunity for businesses to expand their connections and generate more leads.
LinkedIn Premium also provides users with in-depth insights and analytics regarding their profile and activity, allowing them to track engagement and optimise their marketing strategy accordingly.
With 39% of LinkedIn’s subscriber base being premium users, according to Finance Online, it’s clear that professionals value the additional features when it comes to expanding their marketing and networking efforts.
Creator Mode
LinkedIn’s Creator Mode allows professionals to position themselves as thought leaders within their industry. With Creator Mode, a “Follow” button replaces the usual connect features, making it easier to build an active audience and increase engagement with content. As well as this, users can select topics of interest that highlight their expertise, making it simpler for like-minded individuals to connect.
Users who have enabled creator mode are seeing a 50% increase in followers and a 30% increase in engagement compared to the previous format, according to Prominence Global.
B2B marketers utilising this tool can elevate their brand’s visibility and drive traffic from their website, which will build their presence.
B2B companies can reap significant success from leveraging the social media platform. In fact, 82% of B2B companies include Twitter as part of their social media marketing strategy, according to The Content Marketing Institute.
The Search Function
One of the key advantages of Twitter for B2B marketers lies in its search function and ability to target relevant keywords. By searching with hashtags and relevant industry keywords users can efficiently locate individuals who are already having conversations about what you have to offer.
As you learn more about the individuals within your niche online, you can confidently establish an authentic connection with your audience, initiate meaningful conversations, and build relationships. All of which mean, B2B marketers can create a positive image for their brand, and position themselves as industry thought leaders.
Broad Audience
With over 330 million active users, there is a vast pool of potential customers, industry influencers and clients for B2B marketers to utilise. Twitter allows marketers to target specific demographics that align with their ideal customer profile.
The analytics tools offer key insights into the performance of tweets and audience engagement metrics. By monitoring this information, marketers can ensure their content resonates with their audiences, giving them the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their preferences.
By developing a better understanding of their audience, marketers can increase engagement, conversion rates, and customer loyalty.
Avoiding the Hard Sell
It is crucial for businesses to avoid the ‘Hard Sell’ approach when sharing content on Twitter. Unlike traditional advertising, social media platforms like Twitter are consumer-centred and best used to build relationships and trust with the audience. Marketers can achieve this by sharing valuable content that educates, entertains, and informs, instead of sales pitches.
Twitter’s features assist B2B marketers in directly connecting with their audience through direct message and commenting features. Where Twitter’s platform is tailored to interactivity, it’s ideal for initiating a relationship-based approach with an audience.
Utilising Both Platforms
Undoubtedly, both LinkedIn and Twitter are powerful tools for B2B marketers looking to enhance their marketing strategies.
LinkedIn’s professional profiles, LinkedIn Premium, and creator mode offer a streamlined approach that saves time and resources while enhancing brand visibility. Meanwhile, Twitter’s search function, broad audience and analytics tools provide B2B marketers with the opportunity to create a positive image for their brand, position themselves as industry leaders and build relationships based on mutual interest and values.
In combination, by taking advantage of their unique features, both platforms can assist B2B marketers to create a more comprehensive marketing strategy that has a broader impact.
Tailoring your social media presence to reflect your marketing strategy and goals can drive high-quality traffic to your website, generate valuable leads, and help your sales team to achieve their business goals.
Contact us today at info@ilexcontent.com for a free, no obligation consultation on how we can elevate your social media content and increase your brand awareness.