For many, Facebook is just another communication toy on the internet to exchange private information. But decision-makers also spend time on Facebook. Internet marketing expert Sanjay Sauldie shows how companies in B2B can integrate Facebook marketing into their internet marketing strategy without much effort and gives 7 recommendations for dealing with Facebook.
When most B2B companies think of Facebook, they imagine a private portal where people share mostly private information. For many, Facebook is just another toy of communication on the internet and apparently not at all suitable for B2B internet marketing.
If so many people are already active on Facebook, do you seriously believe that only end consumers or Hartz IV recipients spend time there? No, because the decision-makers of your target group are also on Facebook because they also have a private life. Don’t you think that a managing director of a retailer has the same need to connect with his friends and acquaintances? How about being present with your company exactly where your target group spends time – and attracting exemplary attention there?
Facebook strategies for B2B companies are multi-layered
A B2B company is also a brand. To build a brand, you need people’s trust. What happens to a brand that loses trust? Well, Toyota is going through a tough time right now and is suffering in brand value and therefore company value. In the past, a lot of effort was made – especially in B2B – to generate trust in their own manufacturing, production and delivered products.
In my seminars I often get the question: “Should we now allow our employees to be on Facebook during working hours and neglect the core work?”. Clearly, it’s not that easy, but it’s not that hard either.
Today you have the chance to do exactly these things – only at a fraction of the former cost.
iROI Facebook marketing in 7 steps
An active Facebook account generates social trust – it’s a sign of a successful business. Make sure you are active there and encourage activity. I recommend the following 7 steps:
- Get people to like your profile and connect with you. Write good and interesting content from different sources that support your expertise. Remember: good content is readily recommended on the internet.
- Monitor your visitors’ comments on your profile and participate in these discussions regularly
- Use the power of images – images make people understand your company and products better.
- If you have a physical product, show where it is used, perhaps in everyday objects (e.g. one of your production parts stuck in an iPad). This connects visitors with your product and generates trust!
- Show how professionals work with your products (e.g. on a factory floor) and possibly also show which employees manufacture your products (emotionalising your products and strengthening the brand)
- Videos support your Facebook page with dynamic content. Have you been interviewed? Are there videos of you at a trade fair, at an event where you can score with your expertise? This is ideal content to be published on YouTube and then on Facebook.
- Also have an image video made of you and show it to the entire internet world.
Facebook marketing for B2B companies in practice
Nobody expects you to have all your employees working on Facebook. Six months ago, Filip, a young student, approached me and offered to manage my Facebook account. Since I – like you – am very busy and therefore have little time for Facebook, I trusted this young man and let him manage my account piece by piece. And it has been very worthwhile for me!
In the meantime, I have also recommended him to other B2B companies – with very good results for them. I now only deal with specific comments myself. Follow my lead and get this young person on board who knows this world very well and who will consult with you! And I promise you noticeable success in B2B internet marketing with Facebook!
Last updated on 7. February 2023
