Marketing that Sucks: Part 2
Example #2: Social Media for Business to Business that Has No Strategy Behind It
Social media for business to business is pretty much a total wash without any strategy behind it. Sure you can show a pulse for your company online by posting articles, videos, infographics, etc. (we do this) but to really reap the big benefits of social media for business to business, think Search Engine Optimization. Search engines are always hungry for fresh, relevant content. The more relevant (keyword-focused) content you put out, the more links there are driving people to your website. You want to create a web of relevant links online that drive people to your website for your offerings. There are lots of ways to put out content online —blogs, social media, directories, public relations, etc. If you’re serious about being found online, SEO should be factored into your social media strategy. They key to this is to make your blog the heart of your social media strategy. A blog provides a central channel for you to push out content to all of your social media channels. To make life easier come up with a 6 to 12-month strategic content plan that is aligned with your business goals. Then, do 6 months of keyword research for all blog post content. Develop a list of words, phrases and questions by looking at your website, reviewing social media sites your prospects use, looking at your competitions’ websites, analyzing industry blog posts, having sales staff provide you with the FAQs they hear the most, etc. Use Google Trends (unpaid), Word Tracker (free 7 day trial) and SerpStat (free and paid options) to find keywords with good search volume and low competition. Then, plan your content by using a content planner (you can download one here). Post your content according to the schedule on your blog. Be sure to consistently optimize the URL, the title in your blog post and make sure keywords are in your first paragraph and that any images are also optimized.
