How to Conquer the B2B Twittersphere

Are you new to the social world? Well, have no fear you are not alone. I recently started managing social initiatives for a technology company and it was certainly a learning curve at first. I mainly live in Twitter, so this post will focus on how to manage writing B2B posts in the Twittersphere.

Crafting posts for a B2B audience is a unique space to play in to begin with, but add the element of technology and it is safe to say I was out of my comfort zone. When I think social, I think quirky one-liners that intrigue me enough to click through to whatever is linked. Take J. Crew for example, they do a great job of using a playful combination of words that leave something to be desired until you click through to the image and connect all the dots.

It should come as no surprise that things in the B2B space change. Whether it be engagement metrics or tone, it is important to be aware of how the audiences differ. In terms of B2C and B2B posts, the average engagement rate for both paid and organic tweets is between 1-3%. Typically, B2C has higher engagement (closer to 3%), due to the more fun and engaging nature, whereas B2B engagement average is around 1%. In terms of Cost Per Engagement (CPE), the CPE ranges from $0.25 – $0.75 with B2C being closer to $0.25 due to higher engagement rates.

To combat the somewhat difficult transition from the B2C and B2B audience, I came up with a list of 5 things to keep in mind when crafting the perfect B2B post.

Keep things short and sweet. Twitter is a vehicle to get up-to-date info quickly and people respond well to simplicity.

2) Pictures are worth a thousand words…or more. When you are limited by 140 characters, pictures are the best way to complete the story and boost engagement.

3) It is important to use the company voice in your tweets. Before crafting any tweets, look through the website and other social media platforms to fully understand the tone you should use. When writing, don’t emphasize the brand name, rather use words like ‘we’ or ‘our’ to make the tone more conversational.

If you are struggling to come up with fresh content to tweet, expand outside your company website and look at data trends or major news surrounding your industry. It is imperative to always tweet fresh and up-to-date content, but scouring one website can limit your ability to come up with new content that is engaging. By expanding your circle and linking to interesting news articles, you can boost engagement and introduce new advances in the industry all at once.

Don’t be afraid to switch things up. In the middle of the week schedule an uplifting or funny quote that makes your followers smile. A great way to boost engagement is to jump on the latest trends, whether it is #NationalDogDay or recognizing employees in a fun way—take the opportunity to break away from your typical content.