Most B2B businesses have at least some sort of social media presence—even if it’s not actively maintained. This means that at one point, they found value in social media marketing. And they were right.

There is a ton of value to having a significant social media presence, but with that value comes great responsibility, and it involves a lot of social media planning. I suspect that’s where many B2B companies’ social media excitement diminishes. I’ll admit, it’s a lot of strategic and busy work, but it is well worth it. 

Why Social Media Planning Should Matter to B2B Businesses

  • It’s FREE to use. Creating accounts and leveraging social media platforms is completely free. Now, if you’re interested in advertising on these networks, that’s another story, but a great use of social media nonetheless.
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  • It keeps you relevant. Out of sight, out of mind. Stay in front of your prospects and customers by feeding them great content daily or weekly. This content should include relevant industry and company news, internally created content like blog posts, guides, videos, infographics, eBooks (and the list goes on!), and posts that paint a picture of your unique company culture.
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  • Your competitors are doing it. When prospective B2B buyers are doing their research, it’s just about guaranteed that they’ll check out your online presence, including your website and social channels. Of course, you want to make a good impression (you know who else has an online presence? Your competitors.) Curate or create valuable content, and you’ll not only look good to your current followers, but you’ll also look great to your target buyers! 
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How to Streamline Social Media Like a Marketing Agency 

We know effective social media planning takes up a good chunk of time, so we’ve highlighted a few ways you can cut down on those hours while maintaining the quality of the content. 

Your social media strategy is going to set the tone for all of your social channels. Make sure to focus only on the most popular channels for your specific audience. Moreover, you’ll want to set certain guidelines so that you provide a pleasant and consistent experience across the board for your followers.

Determine your voice, image style, and posting frequency - and stick to it! What type of language is going to resonate best with your customers and prospects? Keep in mind that these guidelines can be a little flexible depending on the channel. On Twitter, for example, it’s best to post multiple times per day. On Facebook and LinkedIn, once a day should suffice.

When it comes to what you're choosing to publish, keep your posts primarily educational, with a few promotional posts sprinkled in between. We recommend abiding by the 80/20 Rule. No one wants to constantly hear about how great your company is. Delight them with quality solutions-oriented or educational content (content that presents a fix for a typical industry-related issue, for example) about 80% of the time.

Status Updates for B2B Companies 

B2B and B2C companies alike have utilized Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to reach potential customers, run advertising campaigns, and promote their products and services to their followers. 

Take a look at these 15 status update ideas B2B companies can weave into your own social media plan.

1. Post a link to your most recent blog article. Remember to lead in with some enticing teaser copy so people will click on the link. Be sure that a ‘featured image’ is enabled for your blog post, so the post will automatically include an image, along with your title and meta description.

2. Share a piece of trivia about your product or service lines.
Acknowledge the anniversary or birthday of someone on your team.
If your company has video content (on your website or otherwise) share it with your followers.|

3.Mark important milestones (500th fan, 1000th fan, etc.)

4. Post a poll with a relevant question to your industry, company, product, or service.
Share ‘behind the scenes content from your company culture. Can you share a coffee date over Zoom or photos of the birthday cake in the breakroom?


5. Did your team volunteer for Habitat for Humanity or donate to a local food bank? Post about it! Promote how your business volunteers and impacts the community.


6. Promote a charitable cause in your community that aligns with your companies value. 

7. Congratulate the local sports team. From Little League to the Major Leagues, a shoutout to the hometown team is always appreciated by the community.

8. Ask people to sign up for your newsletter.


9. Run sweepstakes or giveaway (but again,follow the rules). 

10. Answer a frequently asked question.

11. Solicit feedback from followers on products or services you're considering.
Give shout-outs to vendors.

Furthermore, make sure to account for upcoming conferences you’ll be attending, any events your company will be hosting, and holidays, which always make great fodder for social media posts. Remember, not every post needs to be serious. For instance, your followers are sure to appreciate a clever holiday Facebook video featuring your team!

What's more, leave yourself a little wiggle room in your schedule for publishing real-time posts (timely pictures while you're attending an event, a comment on breaking industry news, etc.) Planning is critical, but that doesn't mean you can't post on the fly, too! And when you start seeing engagement from your fans, you'll need to allocate some time to respond and contribute to the conversation.

Need more help? Download 7 Social Media Questions You Must Answer, a step-by-step startup guide to conquering your B2B social media program without going crazy! Follow these social media planning steps and you’ll be on your way to creating a great social media presence that’s easy to consistently execute!