Unless you’re living a life without computers, internet, or phones, you know how fully steeped into social media the world has become. And if you are living that secluded life, how are you reading this anyway? Kids, adults, celebrities, brands, presidents and cities are all tweeting and Instagramming away. In the business world however, there is still doubt among some companies about whether we really need to be on social media.
Consumer brands discovered long ago the benefit of interacting with their customers directly on social media, but what about B2B companies? A B2B company, or “Business to Business,” doesn’t work directly with consumers, but rather sells products or services to other businesses. Contract manufacturers like PacMoore fit in this category with our extrusion, blending, spray drying, packaging and other services. I’m here to tell you that even for companies like PacMoore, social media is not just necessary, it’s essential!
Here’s a nifty site to show you just how much is happening online right now.
Why PacMoore Uses Social Media
- SEO: Search Engine Optimization (i.e. showing up on Google and Bing)
Every company should evaluate their own brand and determine what social platforms make sense for them. The platforms we use daily include Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. We use Instagram, Google Plus and Pinterest less frequently. Each platform on its own can help with SEO, but using all of them makes the biggest impact.
It’s important to note that SEO does not mean the same thing it once did. While including the right keywords on your website is still essential, your website itself is just one piece of the puzzle. If someone searches for your company, your website and social media profiles will be at the top of the list. When we need to find basic information about a company quickly (e.g. address or phone number) many of us now turn to Facebook first instead of a corporate website. If your social profiles are not up to date, we might assume you closed your doors. For this reason it’s important to only establish the social media profiles that you’re willing to update regularly! Each platform is its own mini search engine, and people expect to find you there.
Shown below: Facebook and YouTube showed up as the 4th and 5th links in a Google search.
- Maintain Relationships
One of the best advantages of social media is that it allows all kinds of people to participate in all kinds of communities. Social media has given PacMoore a great ability to interact with our communities. We connect with our employees, their families, our customers, our cities and our friends across the globe. Being able to learn about each other and help one another quickly when we need to is an amazing benefit of the active social media world. People applying for jobs at PacMoore find our Facebook page especially helpful. They often ask questions about how to apply through Facebook Messenger. They can also learn about the personality and character of the company before they apply, simply by reading the posts, watching the videos, and seeing the photos. Social media today is where people are most comfortable. They can be themselves and get involved in what they care about from anywhere at any time.
- Maintain Brand Identity
More than ever before, it’s important for brands to stand for something (besides profits). Social media is the best place to promote the causes important to your company, share your mission, and connect with other companies that have similar values. People expect to see your values through what you say, how you say it, and what types of things you post on social media. If we don’t demonstrate the characteristics of our brand, how will anyone know who we are?
When we share articles about our industry with our communities, those who are curious and looking to learn more can engage and absorb the information. Plus, it goes both ways! We learn about our communities and our industry by paying attention to what people are saying and posting online.
Shown below: an example of how we assert our brand identity on social media.
The Results of Social Media
While many individuals and companies establish an online presence with the goal of gaining a massive following in terms of numbers, this is not the end goal for us. Why should we expect people to join our community if they haven’t interacted with us in some way? We’re content with allowing our community to grow organically, and that’s exactly what’s happening. Each month we see a trickle of new friends interacting with us online as our circle of influence widens. It will be interesting to see how our social media platforms transform over the next few years, and how our community grows. I’ll see you there!
Do you disagree, have something to add, or have a question? Leave a comment and start the conversation!
