As Twitter developed, new features were added such as direct messaging, explore functions and eventually suggested topics and conversations tailored to individual users. It is now an incredibly powerful tool for digital marketers, with it being one of the major channels used in social media marketing strategies. It’s now commonplace for most businesses to have a company Twitter profile, where they can share their work, promote, network and build a following. It wasn’t until last year when Twitter for Professionals began to roll out, which is designed to help businesses promote themselves. Twitter for B2B marketing can be an excellent platform to use. Here are the 2 major aspects to consider:
1) Branding & Personality
A business’ profile on Twitter should suitably reflect their branding and personality. From a visual perspective, the key components are the username, display name, profile picture and header image. Naturally the profile picture should be the company logo, and the header should match the same colour scheme, typography and theme. Establishing your business on Twitter with suitable visual branding, as well as posting about exciting industry insights that you have experience in, can be highly beneficial.
The most important aspect of the username, or handle, is ensuring that it reflects the business name, which is why abbreviations can be less desirable. It needs to be easy to remember and related to your business, so users can tweet you directly. The display name however, can be longer and should always be the full name of the business. This is because on the Twitter Feed when your posts will be seen, the display name and the logo. Essentially from a branding perspective, your business should be clearly identifiable at first glance on somebody’s Twitter Feed.
The business persona can be demonstrated through the Tweets and content being posted. Twitter gives the freedom to perhaps be less formal, and more colloquial. It all depends on the individual business, however the key part to consider is consistency. There should be a consistency in the Tweets and replies being sent out, with variations in tone of voice being jarring for users who are discovering the company for the first time. Many larger companies may have a whole social media team, or external marketing agencies handling their Twitter profile. This is when the tone of voice can become confused, so it’s crucial to have control over the content being posted and ensure everyone has a solid understanding of the company’s personality, values and identity.
2) Creating Conversation
Networking is a major aspect of B2B marketing and this is why Twitter can be such a valuable platform. Businesses can choose to send out Tweets that are specifically promoting their services or products – perhaps if a new range was released for example. Alternatively, identifying popular trends and using the corresponding hashtags can be useful for increasing your exposure. Another valuable strategy is offering industry insights; industry-specific hashtags may be more niche, but also ideal for reaching your target audience. Generate leads by finding others who are using the same hashtags and showing interest in the topic. Conversing with them, asking questions, and encouraging discussion help to build brand awareness, trust and perhaps even generate leads.
Other than hashtags, it could be useful directly mentioning other professionals or businesses you have relationships with, in order to grow exposure and impressions. This way conversations can be made and users can get involved. Creating polls and asking questions is a great way to encourage engagement. Any hot industry topics or important updates can be tailored for a poll or open-ended question, sparking debate or sharing of opinions on said topic.
The conversation might not be too valuable if it stops at Twitter. Within conversations, subtly pointing users to pages on your website can be a smart way of driving traffic through the marketing funnel. Including URLs and demonstrating to users the work you do, perhaps evidencing a specific product or service in question, may encourage users to visit the website and explore further.
Conclusion
Twitter is a major platform for social media marketing- it offers countless opportunities for networking and features which make reaching your target audience simple. Twitter for B2B marketing gives you the opportunity to establish, express the value you offer, and respond directly to potential customers. It solidified its positioning among the top social media platforms and digital marketing channels, showing no signs of stepping down or losing popularity.
About Inflowing
Inflowing is a B2B marketing agency. We help B2B organisations do meaningful things with marketing. Whether that’s getting more leads, more visibility, or supporting their sales teams.
We’re an experienced team of marketers with an incredibly strong background in B2B. To learn more about B2B and improving your marketing, check out our other blogs or get in touch.
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