The content you produce and push to followers needs to be intriguing or it will become lost in the social media sea. highlighted a survey of more than 400 busi-ness-to-business (B2B) marketers about the state of the market. Findings showed that almost twice as many B2B marketing gurus have embraced content marketing as their go-to strategy over traditional forms of marketing. In fact, 82 percent of marketers indicated that they are using some form of content marketing in their overall strategy. What Is Content Marketing? Defined, content marketing is the act of creating and sharing content to engage current and potential customers. Instead of directly pitching your products or services, empower your customers with the information they need to better perform their jobs and make the right purchasing decisions. For example, if you specialize in floor care products, develop an article discuss-ing floor care tips. Try to make it timely by tying it into a season or event. The main rule to follow is to ensure that the content is educational, not promotional. Instead of starting from scratch, review all of the collateral that your business has used in the past to see if it can be turned into an educational piece. Often times, companies have a lot of information that can be revived into quality literature. Great subjects to write about include your customers’ pain points and solutions, timely industry news, a series of “how-to” articles, case studies, etc. One challenge that many companies face is finding the time to create the material. Some don’t have the staff or the writing expertise on hand. In this case, many often partner with a public relations firm that specializes in edi-torial services. By establishing a partnership with an agency, you can develop cost-effective, valuable pieces that can be used across different mediums. Spread The Word As you develop content, start signing your business up for social sites including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Start tracking and “friending” customers, prospects, employees, partners and com-petitors to establish a following. Because these venues are “social,” it’s important to start conversations and com-ment on others’ discussions as well. Also, use humor occasionally to let your personality shine through. Social media is meant to be fun, and it’s Don’t Reinvent The Wheel Developing content is the biggest hurdle when it comes to either starting or ramping up your social media efforts. Content marketing comes in many forms, including press releases, white papers, digital content, webinars, podcasts, web-sites, events and more. a great way to share valuable information relating to your business. ■ Twitter Twitter is used for more frequent engage-ment, so aim to post on Twitter at least once a day, if not more. Tweets can include tips provided in press releases, articles or podcasts, links to rel-evant industry news items and retweets from other industry representatives like as @ISSAWorldwide or @CMeNewsDaily. While tweeting out news and information is key to using Twitter, it is equally impor-tant to engage followers to ensure they know you are also listening to them. ■ Facebook Facebook users are quick to “defriend” you or “unlike” your business if you post too often, so save important company news or content for your Facebook page. Make Facebook followers feel privileged by offering them exclusive access to information from your company, such as before-and-after pictures of a project, a new customer win or a “behind the scenes” look at a job. Pictures go a long way in the cleaning industry, so take your camera with you in the morning — if you don’t have a camera on your phone — so you can capture a shot when the opportunity presents itself. ■ LinkedIn LinkedIn is a great place to showcase your expertise. Join industry groups and engage in dis-cussions. Oftentimes, end users have questions about everyday cleaning challenges or staffing issues. By helping them with their problems, they see that you have the knowledge to do the job, and it might be the first step to a sale. LinkedIn also provides a great vehicle for posting links to industry articles you have written, further showcasing your knowl-edge and expertise. Delivering quality content through social media sites will engage customers and pros-pects and help raise your business profile. Beyond using the material for social media purposes, post it on your website and encourage your sales team to utilize it in new business meetings. Doing so will educate your prospects and position you as a thought leader in your industry. CM www.cmmonline.com 23
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