Welcome to Advisory Board, a weekly department in which a panel of experts—made up of entrepreneurs and professionals—answer questions you have about how to run your business better.
This week, a reader asks:
“I keep reading about how important social media is in modern marketing. But I run a B2B services company. Does my business need to be using social media? If so, what platforms should I be using and what should I be posting about? If not, what’s the right marketing model for me?”
Here’s what the experts have to say.
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“Today, social media is simply media, and the impact of all of it has no bounds. Your business should absolutely be considering all available channels and determine what makes sense based on targets, budget, and resources. A consistent narrative through owned, earned and in some cases paid media, can really create wonderful conversations around your brand.”
—Christine Faulhaber, President and CEO, Faulhaber Communications, Toronto
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“It’s hard to resist the promise of social media. It looks inexpensive from the outside and seems relatively simple to get started. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, there are hugely popular platforms on which you can present and manage content. Social media also offers a permission-based channel to engage your brand community with a degree of measurability other mediums can’t match.
But that doesn’t mean every business should leap blindly into the void and whip up a Facebook profile, start Tweeting like bird or Link up to every Tom, Dick and Harry. Without a thoughtful content strategy, a relevant editorial calendar and a significant investment in supporting dollars to boost your content, you’re wasting your time and money.
As for the right marketing model, there is no model. Every marketing plan, and the tactics associated with it, must be tailored to your business—to reach your specific targeted audiences—using the resources you have available. Here’s my key suggestion when it comes to growing a successful B2B enterprise: Spend more face time with clients and you’ll never need Facebook.”
—Wayne S. Roberts, President and Chief Creative Officer, Blade Creative Branding, Toronto
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MORE INSIGHTS FROM OUR ADVISORY BOARD:
- How to Engage Your Millennial Employees »
- 4 Smart Strategies for Selling Into a New Market »
- The Deal You Can’t Afford to Do Yourself »
- How to Reward Employees When You Can’t Afford a Bonus »
- When to Fire the First Person You Hired »
Do you have a question you’d like answered? Email us and we’ll put it to the experts. Have any advice to add to this list? Share your thoughts using the comments section below.
