B2B Social Media: Does It Matter for Equipment Dealers?

Having professional social media accounts is important for all types of businesses, including B2B (business to business) companies. Although you’re not selling directly to consumers, you are still selling to people, and B2B social media is a key way to connect with those people, whether they are current customers or new prospects.

Why is B2B social media important?

Social media is used by billions of people every single day. More than just logging on to see what their friends are up to, they go to social media to find products, research companies, and learn tips and useful information. These people are consumers, but they are also employees, leaders, and decision makers at the companies and municipalities that use heavy equipment.

By consistently posting on your professional social media accounts, you have the opportunity to get your brand, products, and services in front of those people. A few posts might not immediately result in a sale, but by placing high value, interesting, and useful content in front of them on a regular basis, when they do need equipment or parts or service, they’re more likely to think of you.

Social media lead generation

For your dealership to be successful, you need to connect with as many customers as possible. Researching and calling companies who may need your products, making sales visits, and attending tradeshows are all methods of finding and communicating with prospects. They are all similar in that you have to locate potential customers and contact them.

Social media is unique, because the platforms themselves handle the heavy lifting of locating the relevant people. You post things about your company, products, and industry, and the platform’s algorithm will try to place it in front of an audience who is likely to be interested in it or respond to it. For social media lead generation, you just have to share valuable, interesting content, and the channel will hopefully show that content to the right people.

Help prospects vet your company

More than just connecting you with potential new business, B2B social media also makes it easier for prospects to understand what you’re all about. If they see an ad of yours, talk to you at a tradeshow, or receive a cold call from you, they are most likely going to try and find out more about you. Make it easy for them to do that! By regularly posting on social media, they’ll be able to search for your dealership, find it, and immediately see what kind of company you are—what your products and services are, whether you take part in the community, if you seem knowledgeable, and more.

The question is, what types of things should you be posting on a professional social media account?

How to use B2B social media channels

The key with your professional social media accounts is to always offer something valuable with every post. Show your audience something they are interested in, provide a solution to a common issue, tell a story that highlights your brand, and try to pique their curiosity. Offering value will build trust and make a prospect think of you when it’s time to purchase.

Here are some general categories of posts that will help with social media lead generation:

• Prove your expertise – Share helpful tips and best practices that will directly help solve challenges that people in your industry face.
• Tell how you can help – Post videos and photos of machines you sold or rented and how they are being used in the field. It’s also a good idea to share stories of your technicians who went the extra mile and show pictures and videos of them on the job.
• Highlight your success – Always share positive testimonials from your customers. Videos are the best format for these types of posts, but you can also share text testimonials with photos.
• Show off your company culture – Post about company events and milestones, employee wins and successes, and about any changes or improvements you are making.
• Be a member of your local community – If you are sponsoring any events, volunteering, or in any way helping the towns and communities you serve, then share that story on your B2B social media channels.

Professional social media posting is a direct link to customers and prospects. It allows you to take control of your image and what is being said about your company and brand. And if you do it right, the social platforms themselves will do the heavy lifting of connecting you with the right people.

If you’re an equipment dealer and want help with social media lead generation, or have questions about B2B social media in general, contact our team.