Leverage the Power of Twitter for Your B2B Business

Launched in March 2006, Twitter is one of the most popular social networking platforms in the world today—allowing users to create and share ideas and information instantly, in real-time. And with more than 330 million active users every month and 500 million tweets sent every single day, Twitter has grown to be one of the largest 24/7 news sources for virtually everything.

Twitter might seem a little risky to some B2B businesses, but if you understand the popular social media platform’s inner workings and use it correctly, the rewards are there to be had. 

• 145 million active daily users worldwide
• 66% of users are male
• 6 out of 10 users are between 35-65 years old
• 79% of Twitter accounts are international users
• 2 billion videos watched every day
  

When asked, “Of the social media platforms you use, which three (i.e. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook) are the most effective at helping your organization achieve specific objectives?” 67% of B2B marketers answered “Twitter,” according to the Content Marketing Institute.

Twitter not only helps your business connect with your customers in real-time but also offers many benefits, including establishing your business as a thought leader, building brand awareness, attracting prospects, engaging with customers, and generating traffic for your website. Here are some more interesting facts about using Twitter for business:

• 67% of B2B businesses use Twitter as a digital marketing tool
• 93% of people who follow small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) on Twitter plan to buy from them
• 85% of SMB Twitter users say the social media platform is a critical piece of their customer service strategy
• 80% of Twitter users are affluent millennials
  

6 ways to use Twitter to generate B2B leads and grow your business

1. Showcase your expertise

Set your company apart from the competition by showcasing your industry expertise on Twitter. Rather than being overly self-promotional, focus on educating your prospects and customers with valuable, share-worthy information on industry-relevant news, trends, and advice. Show your audience everything you know and why you’re a better choice over the competition, and they’ll start associating your brand as a trustworthy thought leader.

2. Answer questions

Twitter has become a haven for customer service activity, so make sure your B2B business is available for prospects and customers to ask questions and receive a response. You can also proactively engage your B2B customers by tweeting out those questions you know they typically ask, or that address their known pain points and then offering a valuable response. For example, if you are a manufacturer who sells finished products to a distributor, one of the biggest concerns your distributor might have is whether or not you plan on selling direct. Utilizing this Q&A-type format in your posts will not only help build your Twitter presence but also solidify your credibility.

3. Maximize your content marketing

‍Twitter can be a highly effective support system for maximizing your existing content marketing efforts by generating traffic to your website. For instance, when you publish a new article to your blog, share it on Twitter. When you release a news item, share it on Twitter. This is a great way of not only driving traffic to your website but also building high-quality content that will increase your social shares and reinforce your online presence.

4. Use visuals

Even with 280 characters, telling the story of your B2B brand in a tweet can be challenging, and that’s where product images and videos are highly beneficial. You can use visuals to feature your products, tell the story of your brand, share your company’s personality, highlight customer reviews, and even address sales questions. Your audience wants to know what your business is up to, and they will always be more engaged with that information when your posts include visuals.

5. Show your personality

Not sure what your company’s personality is? You’re not alone. B2B marketers have long struggled with how to portray their brand’s personality on social platforms. But if you want your B2B business to stand out from the crowd on Twitter, showing your personality is an ideal way of doing just that. If you’re unsure what your brand’s personality is, think about what you want your tweets to say about your company, and think about who the audience you’re targeting is. Then, let these distinctions set the tone for your tweets.

6. Optimize with hashtags

‍Hashtags were born on Twitter and are a highly valuable tool for boosting engagement and making sure your posts actually get seen. However, in order to get the most impact from your posts and help your B2B business reach the right audience, you need to understand how to use hashtags effectively. Take some time to research popular hashtags, investigate what hashtags your competitors are using, or perhaps create one of your own that is unique to your business. Branded hashtags are helpful for collecting and organizing content about your company. Just be sure to use hashtags that make sense for your particular industry and niche market. A great place to start researching popular hashtags, topics, and more on Twitter is their Advanced Search Tool.

Are you making the most of Twitter for your B2B business?

There are many ways Twitter can help your B2B business achieve its goals, and many ways of keeping your Twitter audience engaged and interested. As every business is unique, though, remember that what works for one might not work for another. Take time to monitor the analytics reporting feature Twitter offers to see what is and is not working for your company, and then adjust your strategy accordingly.

Still need more convincing? Here are three reasons your B2B business needs to be on Twitter:

1. Your competitors use it.
2. It’s a fantastic source of free marketing.
3. It can increase your B2B sales.