We’re b2b, do we really need to be on Twitter?
On a number of occasions we’ve been talking to a new b2b client and they’ve said something on the lines of ‘I don’t think we need to be on Twitter because not many of our customers use it’. So I decided to write this blog explaining why b2b companies really do need to be on Twitter.
1.You’ll be missing out on valuable organic SEO
It is important to remember that Twitter content is indexed by the search engines. This means that if your tweets are well written and keyword-friendly, then your posts have a good chance of being picked up. So if your tweets are linking through to your website or other sources of information about your company, then web traffic will be going to those places too.
Always try and use hashtags that are relevant to your industry and anything that is topical. For example, in the construction sector #ecobuild is a topical hashtag around January to March, so relevant tweets about the UK’s largest construction show will get seen and shared.
2.It’s a great way to share!
If you’re regularly adding content to your website, such as news stories, case studies and blogs, you won’t have an easy way of sharing it unless you are on the main social media channels. As Google ranks websites with fresh content much more highly than those that are not updated regularly, for many of our b2b clients, their blog is the most visited area of their whole website. And when visitors land here, they tend to continue their journey through the site. Social media channels, such as Twitter, can have a very positive impact on directing traffic to a regularly updated website.
3.It enhances credibility
Everyone expects credible companies to have a presence on Twitter and Linkedin these days – not being active on these channels at least can harm your credibility. It is really important if you want to be seen as a leading company in your industry to be posting on at least a couple of the main social media channels. If you’d rather someone else take care of this – please get in touch with our social media team by calling 01709 300130 or emailing hello@dragonflypr.co.uk. If you’re not on social media, a bit like not having a website, it gives the impression that you may be stuck in the past and are not embracing new technology – beware!
- You may miss out on leads!
Many b2b companies engage with suppliers through Twitter or Linkedin – therefore if you’re not on social media, you may be missing out on valuable sales leads. In fact, a recent study revealed that 48% of social media leads for b2b companies came from Linkedin.
Many b2b companies have seen competitors using social media and gaining a great following for example with architects, building designers, contractors and the like – all people who could use their services or specify their products. Research has shown that 89 per cent of all purchases start with a search engine and that potential customers could therefore be picking up your competitors’ tweets and youtube videos rather than yours – don’t let this be the case!
5.If you’re not on social media, you won’t be able to respond to any criticism that may appear online
Some companies say ‘if we start using Twitter or Linkedin then we’re opening ourselves up to criticism’. The simple answer to this is that every company is open to criticism, regardless of whether or not they are on the main social media channels, it just means that if you do have social media accounts, you will have a means of responding. A couple of years ago, one of our social housing clients was concerned that if they opened a Twitter account and started tweeting, it would give their tenants free reign to complain about them. We managed to encourage them to embrace social media, which gave them a platform to answer any criticism, take it offline and deal with it, without tenants going straight to the press. This also helped to reduce the number of negative press articles that appeared. Their Twitter account is now a place where we share safety, health and well-being news and developments in the interests of tenants, which has resulted in a much better level of engagement. It also allows them to engage with wider political and non-political stakeholders too.
Like to know more about how Dragonfly can enhance your social media presence and achieve your goals? Just drop our social media team a line on hello@dragonflypr.co.uk or call 01709 300130.