Social Media Marketing Strategy: Build Audience & Drive Engagement

Social media drives business results when approached strategically. B2B companies using social media generate 2x more leads and see 24% higher win rates. Here’s how to build an effective social media presence.

Platform Selection

B2B Platform Priorities

LinkedIn (Primary for B2B):

• Thought leadership
• Professional networking
• Lead generation
• Company updates
• Content distribution

Twitter/X (Industry conversation):

• Real-time engagement
• News and trends
• Customer service
• Event promotion
• Influencer outreach

YouTube (Long-form content):

• Product demos
• Educational content
• Customer testimonials
• Webinar recordings
• Thought leadership

Content Strategy by Platform

LinkedIn Post Types:

• Industry insights (2-3x per week)
• Company news (1x per week)
• Employee spotlights (2x per month)
• Case studies (1x per week)
• Polls and questions (1x per week)

Optimal Posting Frequency:

• LinkedIn: 1-2x daily
• Twitter: 3-5x daily
• YouTube: 1-2x weekly
• Facebook: 3-5x weekly

Content Creation Framework

The 70-20-10 Rule

70% Educational:

• Industry trends
• How-to guides
• Best practices
• Research insights
• Thought leadership

20% Engagement:

• Questions and polls
• User-generated content
• Behind-the-scenes
• Community highlights
• Interactive content

10% Promotional:

• Product launches
• Special offers
• Event announcements
• Company milestones
• Sales content

Content Formats

High-Performing Formats:

• Short-form video (30-60 sec)
• Carousel posts (5-10 slides)
• Infographics
• User testimonials
• Live streams/webinars

Engagement Drivers:

• Ask questions
• Share controversial opinions
• Use storytelling
• Include data/statistics
• Add visual elements

Community Management

Response Best Practices

Response Times:

• Comments: Within 2 hours
• DMs: Within 4 hours
• Mentions: Within 24 hours
• Reviews: Within 48 hours

Engagement Guidelines:

• Respond to all comments
• Ask follow-up questions
• Show personality
• Thank supporters
• Address concerns promptly

Crisis Management

Response Protocol:

1. Acknowledge quickly
2. Take conversation offline if needed
3. Provide solution/timeline
4. Follow up publicly
5. Document and learn

Social Selling Strategy

LinkedIn Social Selling

Build Profile Authority:

• Complete profile (100%)
• Professional headshot
• Compelling headline
• Rich experience section
• Recommendations (10+)

Content Engagement:

• Comment on prospect posts
• Share relevant insights
• Congratulate milestones
• Join industry groups
• Participate in discussions

Connection Strategy:

• Personalized connection requests
• Engage before pitching
• Provide value first
• Warm introduction preferred
• Follow up strategically

Sales Navigator Tactics

Lead Lists:

• Saved searches for target personas
• Account lists for ABM
• Track job changes
• Monitor company news
• Intent signals

InMail Best Practices:

• Personalized subject line
• Reference mutual connection/content
• Clear value proposition
• Specific call-to-action
• Follow up if no response

Paid Social Strategy

LinkedIn Ads

Campaign Types:

• Sponsored Content (native feed ads)
• Sponsored InMail (direct messaging)
• Text Ads (sidebar)
• Dynamic Ads (personalized)
• Video Ads (engagement)

Targeting Options:

• Job title/function
• Company size/industry
• Seniority level
• Skills
• Groups and interests

Budget Guidelines:

• Minimum: $10/day per campaign
• CPC: $5-$10 (LinkedIn)
• CPM: $20-$30
• Test budget: $1,000-$2,000/month

Retargeting Strategy

Audience Segments:

• Website visitors (last 30/60/90 days)
• Content downloaders
• Video viewers (50%+ completion)
• Event attendees
• Email list (lookalike)

Sequential Messaging:

1. Brand awareness
2. Product education
3. Social proof
4. Special offer
5. Urgency/scarcity

Analytics & Optimization

Key Metrics

Awareness:

• Reach
• Impressions
• Follower growth
• Share of voice

Engagement:

• Likes, comments, shares
• Engagement rate
• Click-through rate
• Video views/completion

Conversion:

• Lead generation
• Website traffic
• Demo requests
• Revenue attributed

Performance Benchmarks

LinkedIn (B2B):

• Engagement rate: 2-5%
• CTR: 0.4-0.8%
• Follower growth: 3-5% monthly

Twitter (B2B):

• Engagement rate: 0.5-1%
• CTR: 1-3%
• Retweet rate: 0.5-1%

Tools & Technology

Social Media Management:

• Hootsuite
• Sprout Social
• Buffer
• Later
• Sendible

Content Creation:

• Canva (design)
• Loom (video)
• Kapwing (video editing)
• Grammarly (writing)
• Hemingway (readability)

Analytics:

• Native platform insights
• Google Analytics
• Sprinklr
• Brandwatch
• Mention

Getting Started

Month 1: Foundation

• Audit current presence
• Define goals and KPIs
• Research audience
• Develop content pillars
• Create editorial calendar

Month 2: Execution

• Publish consistently
• Engage with audience
• Test content formats
• Build relationships
• Monitor performance

Month 3: Optimization

• Analyze top content
• Double down on winners
• A/B test approaches
• Expand reach
• Scale what works

Conclusion

Social media marketing requires consistent effort, authentic engagement, and data-driven optimization. Focus on providing value, building relationships, and measuring business impact.

Success comes from understanding your audience, creating quality content, and maintaining consistent presence. Start with one platform, master it, then expand strategically.