Social media has leveled the playing field and bridged the gap between large B2B consulting firms and small ones. These platforms provide an excellent way to reach out to your target audience, engage with them, and show them what makes you different from the competition.
Many B2B consulting firms ignore what other brands are saying and doing on social media platforms. This does not help your brand.
If you continue to ignore your competition, you will miss out on a lot of valuable information that you can use to your advantage.
How B2B Consulting Firms Can Tame the Competition
Before you start checking what your competition is doing on social media, you need to develop your own unique strategies for your brand.
1. Delivering Your Messages in a Unique Way
You can use either of the following ways or a combination of them.
I. Use PowerPoint presentations.
Tired of old-school paragraph posts? Many of our B2B consulting clients have found success creating powerful presentations instead, and adding some exciting designs and animations.
II. Use images.
You can also make a graphic art of what you want to say. Research shows that people are drawn to images more than text.
III. Use video clips.
This can be made like a PowerPoint presentation or using live-action video. Video is one of the most important types of content for social media. Choosing to ignore video in your social strategy will make you irrelevant.
IV. Use voice clips.
Try something new once in a while and convey your message through a recorded voice. This is actually an effective marketing strategy because a voice can be more encouraging than written words.
V. Combine all of the above.
All the tactics above can be used at the same time. This will make for a unique and effective way of communicating with your subscribers.
VI. Use lists and bullet points.
A long paragraph is tiring to read. Make it easier for your subscribers to read by making a list instead.
VII. Use highlighting if your social media blog allows this feature.
Adding a colored highlight to a word will probably make it stand out even more. Unfortunately, not all social media sites offer the option.
VIII. Know the proper use of the opening word “ATTENTION!”
Sometimes, you can simply start a paragraph with “ATTENTION!” Use this sparingly. And make sure that the message is really worth the opening.
2. Check the social media sites of your competitor
When developing a social media strategy for your B2B consulting firm, always check the social media profiles of your competition. For example, do they use Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter? Does their staff associate with the brand?
Observe your competition. Who knows? Your competitor might have come up with a cool new way to present ideas. Looking at the pages of your competitor will give you inspiration and an understanding of trends when you’re stumped for ideas. Check out 11 best Twitter tips for professional service firms, put together by our B2B consulting practice, for more tactics.
3. Mimic what works
Once you’ve identified the specific tactics your competitors are using that are earning them long-term benefits, implement them in your own social media campaign. However, do not copy everything. Otherwise, you’ll end up as white noise. Your followers look to you for insightful and valuable content – the value is lost if you’re just repeating what someone else said.
Instead, observe on a conceptual level how and why their strategies work, then apply those concepts or something similar to your own brand. For example, do they seem to experience higher engagement when linking to videos? Did they gain new followers by posting an editorial piece? Perhaps you could do the same for your own brand.
4. Check the number of hits your competitors have
This will let you know how well your competitor is doing compared to your firm. This will tell you if you need to improve your performance.
5. Avoid throwing out negativity
Do not throw shade at your competitor. If you do this, it can backfire and you might never recover. Brands have faced negative criticisms due to a single Tweet.
On the other hand, if your competitor chooses to make negative remarks or comments about your services or brand, do not engage on this level. Rather, posts facts and social proof (such as testimonials) that prove otherwise.
With any luck, your satisfied clients and supporters will step in on your behalf.
Instead of arguing, perhaps try turning a negative Tweet or post about your brand or services into a joke. If you found this blog post helpful, feel free to share on social media.
