Last updated on October 31st, 2022 at 01:30 pm
It’s Wednesday again, the time of the week when we bring you the latest edition of our Hashtag Team report, a recap of what’s hot in B2B on Twitter.
As always, we’ve sifted and sorted through countless tweets using the cutting edge social analysis platform Nexalogy to bring you the best of what’s buzzing about B2B.
This week, we’ve got eight tips on how to build your Twitter followers, six steps for setting your 2016 B2B marketing budget, an infographic on how B2B marketing has changed from an outbound to an inbound approach and much more.
TRENDING TOPICS
B2B Social Media
8 Easy Ways to Build More Twitter Followers http://t.co/YuwdBVqfim #b2b #socialmedia pic.twitter.com/18cI8wfWmH
— Ryan Hodgson (@Ryanintheus) August 11, 2015
Sarah Quinn of Business 2 Community explains eight ways you can capture some of the more than 300 million people using Twitter today. Specialization tops Quinn’s list. Twitter has a community for everything, and standing out as a leader in your particular field will yield more followers. A Twitter chat is a great way to build real Twitter followers and join a community of people who want to engage on your topic of expertise.
Other ways to increase Twitter followers include:
• Using Tweets with images
• Engaging with other users
• Writing guest posts
• Interviewing influencers
• Getting involved with trends
• Post remarkable content
B2B Marketing
6 Crucial Steps to Setting Your 2016 #B2B #Marketing Budget http://t.co/mdS6JHTqEo via @tomdiscipio @impactbnd
— Bob Ruffolo (@BobRuffolo) August 8, 2015
Impact’s Tom DiScipio details six key steps to setting your B2B marketing budget for 2016. Yes, it’s that time of year again, and the author offers his “better approach” to setting annual marketing budgets. “Analyzing and mining your data is absolutely critical when it comes to setting your marketing budget,” DiScipio asserts.
To that end:
1. Know your sales funnel.
2. Know your operational costs.
3. Set your marketing budget based on your business goals.
4. Position marketing as an investment, not a cost.
5. Consider your growth stage.
6. Understand current and future trends.
B2B Marketing/Social Media
Why Your #Business Needs #Social #Media #Marketing: Part 2 http://t.co/A8GgZo2yjR #B2C #ROI #SEO #SMM #B2B #Mktng #UX pic.twitter.com/TIgvPilM35
— Michael J. Schiemer (@MikeSchiemer) August 7, 2015
In the second of a two-part series, marketing consultant Michael J. Schiemer continues his examination of why businesses need social media marketing (SMM), which can significantly boost ROI when properly applied. The analytics bonanza of statistical reports and data that accompany SMM is another reason why it’s a must, as is its potential for seamless integration with overall marketing and business strategies.
B2B Infographic/Social Media
#SocialMedia is a leading factor in closed deals. http://t.co/pSdVMU3t7Z #SocialSelling #B2B #Sales pic.twitter.com/kjtDmUKeLn
— LinkedIn for Sales (@linkedinselling) August 6, 2015
LinkedIn explains why social media is a leading factor in closed deals for B2B sales professionals. Fully 79 percent of those who used social media to sell outperformed those who did not use social media. Additionally, 54 percent of those who used social media were able to track their usage back to at least one closed deal, and 40 percent said they’ve closed at least two and as many as five deals as a result of social media.
B2B Infographic
“How #B2B #Marketing Has Changed [#INFOGRAPHIC ]” Via @digitaliworld http://t.co/3bz5Jax5SX #socialselling #sales pic.twitter.com/3hDZXqNAk7
— Jack Kosakowski (@JackKosakowski1) August 10, 2015
This infographic shows how B2B marketing has changed, with digital marketers replacing traditional outbound strategies with an inbound marketing approach. Instead of “Salesman Sam” cold-calling prospects one at a time, spending too much valuable time trying to get past gatekeepers before reaching lukewarm prospect “Mike the Manager,” who ignores Sam’s calls and emails, “Mike the Manager” realizes he has a problem, starts an online search and finds Sam’s company’s website and blog, downloads a free guide, is convinced of the company’s merits and reaches out to Sam for a consultation.
The latter approach—the inbound one—works because it is inherently helpful and relevant, while the former technique is inherently intrusive and impersonal, is based on interrupting the prospect and stops working the moment the budget runs out.
If you missed last week’s Hashtag Team report filed by Sarah Dawley, you can read it here, and if you’ve got any relevant B2B content that you think we should know about, tweet us at @b2bnewsnetwork.
