Data-driven tips for B2B marketers on Twitter

By Marissa Window
Trends and insights

From time to time, we partner with industry influencers on our blog. We worked with our friends from @eMarketer and they provided research for this post.

Gone are the days of relying on a desktop computer and dial-up internet to make business decisions. Recent studies show that B2B buyers are becoming less desktop-centric, which means mobile devices are no longer a secondary consideration and have become an essential tool for the majority of working professionals.

Millennials lead the way with this behavior, with 84% stating mobile was vital for their job. Older generations, however, were not far behind: 76% of Gen X and 60% of baby boomers also said mobile was necessary to their work. 

This shift in behavior has changed the way B2B buyers research and make their business decisions. How can you create a message that resonates with this audience at the right time? Follow our data-driven tips to leverage Twitter and connect with the growing B2B mobile audience.

Highlight your expertise to educate potential customers

Business professionals rely on their mobile device to educate themselves with business-related content. In fact, 68% of respondents used their mobile device to read news related to their business or industry

As tempting as it may be to share product specifics, focus on sharing industry insights that will resonate with potential buyers. In a recent survey on how US B2B buyers thought content aimed at them could be improved, 96% of respondents said they wanted more insight from industry thought leaders and 92% said they wanted "less focus on product specifics and more focus on value".

Veer away from Tweeting sales pitches, and focus on sharing content that adds value to your audience. Try Tweeting insights from senior executives and customer stories. 

Make your data easy to digest on mobile

According to new research, creating original research is the best move B2B marketers could make. Nearly three-quarters of respondents in recent survey said they created research, infographics or original data as part of their content marketing efforts. Respondents also said these exact content categories were the most effective.

Focus on breaking down research and reports into visually compelling pieces of content, rather than Tweeting lengthy reports and expecting your audience to sort through a fifty page white paper on their mobile device. By pulling out insights that are unexpected and relate to your customers’ problems, you'll be able to add value to your audience, increase engagement, and establish your brand as a thought leader.

Take an always-on approach

Decision-making processes in B2B are longer, so it’s important that your target audience is exposed to your messages multiple times. Twitter internal data shows B2B audiences are much more likely to engage on Twitter after repeat exposure to messaging. Someone who has seen a business’s message four times is 335% more likely to click on a link in a Tweet by that business than someone who has only been exposed to the message once.*

It’s fine to repeat Tweets more than once over a day or a few days if the message is relevant and timely. 

Ready to get started? Try out these tips by creating Twitter Ads of your own. Create a campaign today.

* Twitter Internal, 2015 YTD B2B Campaigns from 10 accounts, N=751, Click-through rate = # of URL clicks/audience reached, All increases statistically significant at 95% confidence interval

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