All social networking sites hold potential for B2B marketers, Kevin Murphy argues in a recent post at the Intel blog. Still, many companies seem to stick to LinkedIn as their main online social forum.

The challenge, Murphy says, is to understand which features of other popular sites lend themselves to B2B networking—and to capitalize on them. The key is to define each major forum's "personality," he explains, and build a unique strategy to fit your audience and community activity.

Here are a few of Murphy's suggestions for going B2B social at three venues not named LinkedIn:

Facebook. Consider starting a Facebook page just for professionals in your industry—"a forum for potential clients to exchange ideas, with limited marketing from you," he says. You'll boost your brand awareness and gain "a real-time glimpse into the minds of your clients and industry."

Twitter. Use Twitter to keep up with news in your industry and get real-time feedback from your customers, especially during events like conferences. Or use a tool like Follower Wonk to search for users in your industry. Follow possible leads, tweet, and retweet!

→ end article preview
Read the Full Article