How do you plan and execute a successful B2B social media campaign for a specific event or launch?

Before you start sharing anything on social media, figure out what you want to achieve. Are you trying to get people to sign up, download something, or buy? Do you want to be seen as a leader in your field, make more people know about your brand, or keep your customers happy? The next step is to understand who you're talking to – whether they're existing customers, potential customers, experts, or partners. Look into what your audience likes and dislikes, so you can create messages that actually connect with them. Remember to be specific and selective - the success of your event depends on it.

The key I've found here is to niche down as much as possible. Be extremely tight in your description of your audience and goals. Trying to target too many personas or achieve too many goals will only dilute your messaging. It takes longer, it cost more, and it usually works less. Solve ONE problem for ONE person and direct them to take ONE action. Believe it or not, this is scalable. There are many people with that problem and if you are laser-focused on solving it, they'll find you.

A good B2B social media plan should answer two fundamental questions: What are the company’s business objectives, and how will B2B social media marketing help achieve them? While B2C and B2B social media marketers use social platforms for different purposes, the similarities mostly end here. B2C social media campaigns drive sales, while B2B social media is more “top of funnel.” Therefore, social media goals for B2B marketers should likely focus on longer-term business objectives. In fact the top three goals should be: - Create brand awareness - Build trust and credibility - Educate audiences

Use each platform to it's advantage: LinkedIn: 1) Post updates about upcoming event. Make a video if possible. Video anyway is more impactful. 2) Post slideshow with pics from the event. Try to take pics with prospects and post them talking about some relevant insights from discussions with them. U can use these pictures later in nurturing emails. Twitter 1) Run a live update feed. 2) Make tweets with interesting insights from visitors to the events. 3) Post pics 4) Post interesting quotes from visitors. Instagram: 1) Post BTS videos pics on what goes into putting together the event.

Select platforms aligned with target audience behavior and business objectives. Leverage LinkedIn for professional networking, Twitter for real-time updates, and Facebook/Instagram for visual content. Utilize a mix of videos, infographics, and blog posts to cater to diverse preferences. Customize content for each platform to maximize engagement. Employ paid advertising strategically to boost reach and visibility.

??? Selecting the right social media platforms and formats is crucial for B2B marketing success. LinkedIn is ideal for targeting professionals and decision-makers, while Twitter facilitates real-time engagement and trend participation. Incorporating video, live streaming, podcasts, webinars, or infographics adds variety and engagement to campaigns. Experimentation with platforms and formats allows for optimization based on performance data. Additionally, consider platform demographics, industry relevance, and content consumption habits when making choices. This tailored approach maximizes reach and impact, effectively engaging target audiences and driving desired outcomes in B2B social media marketing.

A successful B2B social media campaign for an event requires a detailed plan covering pre-event, during, and post-event phases. Start by building anticipation with sneak peeks and engaging content to draw attention. During the event, update your audience in real-time using live feeds, stories, and highlights to foster interaction. After the event, maintain interest with recaps and key insights, encouraging further engagement. This comprehensive approach ensures continuous engagement and leverages each phase to maximize the event's impact. Effective planning and execution across all stages are key to a memorable campaign.

Because the event would surely not be the only one ongoing marketing campaign or to-dos. A content strategy and calendar can help everyone keep a bird's eye view of the expectations and manage the usual marketing admin's chaos. It would design and the copywriting team would be able to plan for it workload, and the team would be able to schedule the campaign's content into its preplanned goals for the week, month or quarter.

One of the biggest mistakes B2B marketers make when it comes to social is by sticking religiously to their corporate content calendars and thinking of social as an always-on broadcast tool. Instead, B2B brands need to embrace social medias inherent qualities. The most effective B2B brands on social use it to listen to the needs of their audience, to engage in two-way conversations and to create & share content on the back of these insights and trends. In B2B, we also need to think beyond just corporate page updates and focus on activating through the brand's constituent parts too. Huge engagement is available through a brand's exec leaders, sales teams, employee advocates, partners, alliances and more.

Your community *should* be at the center of everything you do. Go beyond simply answering comments on social and actively ask for feedback from your community. Engage them in meaningful conversations, seek their input on product development, and ensure their voices are heard. Foster a sense of belonging by encouraging discussions, addressing their pain points, and incorporating their suggestions. A thriving community is not just about broadcasting; it's about cultivating a two-way dialogue, building trust, and fostering a collaborative environment where your audience feels valued and invested in your brand's success.

Use analytics tools to measure campaign performance measures like as clicks, conversions, and engagement on a regular basis. Utilize this information to optimize your plan in real-time for improved outcomes and a higher return on investment.

Ongoing campaign monitoring is critical especially when using LinkedIn Ads, in fact 60 percent of the results of the LinkedIn ads campaigns I follow are determined by salespeople directly contacting the companies we have reached with the campaigns by cross-referencing the data with job titles to find the right people.

Thank you is the most important word in follow-up posts, don't forget the organizers. It is hard work to pull together these events and get the right individuals, presenting, attending and promoting.

Far too often over-looked! It's easy to focus solely on those that express interest during the event. Remember that ALL participants and attendees should be nurtured following your event. Whilst they may not have been ready to purchase in the moment, you have warm leads to nurture for when they are ready to buy.

Don't leave the promotion of your session to the Event Organizers. Send out your social posts, invites and teasers. You often compete with other streams, coffee breaks, the expo and meetings. If you have a compelling takeaway from the session, whitepaper, freebie or customer on stage, make sure you present this in the campaign. Remind them the week before, the day before and in the app on the day. Behave like a festival promoter!

Make social media the platform for your event as well! Hosting a webinar or in-person event? Broadcast it directly to your social channels. Many tools out there which allow you to simultaneously broadcast your stream to multiple channels.