Why Twitter Is One Of Your Biggest B2B Marketing Allies

What’s your go-to social media platform for B2B marketing? Many people will say LinkedIn because of its professional nature and networking potential. But what about Twitter?

A report released in July 2017 rated Twitter number one when it comes to B2B initiatives (perhaps surprisingly for some). According to Pulp Strategy’s Content Marketing Report 2017, Twitter is king for B2B marketing, garnering 47% marketer acceptance in the non-conventional B2B channel distribution segment.

Twitter was actually rated higher than Facebook in terms of brand approval (63% vs. 56%), a reality that highlights how the social network has become much more accepted in the eyes of businesses, and how diverse B2B marketing strategies have become.

If you are not already, maybe 2018 should be the year in which you look to start leveraging Twitter for your B2B initiatives.

This is especially pertinent given that mobile usage among B2B buyers is growing significantly.

The ease of use and accessibility afforded by Twitter apps for mobile devices means that B2B decision makers can move along their buyer journeys without even opening their computers. In fact, mobile is no longer a secondary consideration, but rather an essential tool for business professionals.

The bottom line is that business decision-makers expect to have a seamless mobile journey with B2B companies. One that dovetails with the rest of their engagements across all other platforms.

Twitter provides B2B marketers with opportunities to connect, converse and engage with their audiences, as well as increase brand awareness and attract new prospects.

Here are a few ways you can take advantage of Twitter to boost your B2B marketing efforts:

1. Define Your Objectives

As with any marketing initiative, your Twitter strategy needs to be clearly defined before you even start. Will you use Twitter to drive traffic to your business website, encourage engagement with your brand or establish yourself as an industry thought leader?

The thought leadership aspect is particularly important because B2B buyers want more insights to help guide their decision making. In fact, 96% of B2B decision makers want more insights from industry thought leaders, while 92% said they want “less focus on product specifics and more focus on value”.

2. Make Your Insights Digestible

Original research that helps establish your business as an industry thought leader is excellent for boosting your brand’s reputation on Twitter. But you need to ensure it’s delivered in a format that is easily digestible and shareable on Twitter.

For example, a B2B decision maker is unlikely to click through to and open a 50-page whitepaper on their mobile device. However, they might be inclined to read an infographic or retweet some killer stats from your research.

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Repeat Yourself

Twitter internal data shows that B2B decision makers are 335% more likely to click on a link in a tweet if they have seen the tweet four times. That might sound insane to some people – and almost seem spammy – but it’s a genuine stat and thus should be a key consideration when defining your Twitter strategy.

In short, don’t be afraid to send the same tweet more than once – especially if it contains a link to one of your organization’s products/services. Just make sure you sprinkle it in amongst other forms of tweet – engagement based, insight inspired, demand and lead gen focused.

Twitter is indeed a ‘go-to’ B2B social media channel, and it would be wise for every business, every individual, to consider dovetailing Twitter with LinkedIn when looking to social media as a marketing channel that stimulates thought leadership positioning and lead generation.

Tricia Goss

Writer, editor and client advocate specializing in reputation management, content marketing, technology and non-profit topics.