Influencer marketing tactics and more. A Shane Barker Interview.

Shane Barker shares with us the best Influencer marketing tactics, tricks for the experts in social selling and much more. Enjoy!

1. What are the best B2B social media channels for a business to grow?

You may think it’s easier for B2C companies to use social media compared to B2B companies. But given the effectiveness of social media, I feel there is a massive scope for B2B companies to utilize it too.

While some of these are no-brainers, they are my top picks for any B2B company to be on:

1. LinkedIn: It’s a brilliant platform to launch products, strengthen professional relationships, expand your horizons, and get in touch with decision makers easily.
2. Twitter: Twitter is the place to be to create a buzz about your business. It’s also a good platform to humanize your brand and increase engagement on your content.
3. Facebook: Facebook is a cost-effective platform for marketing. More so for startups and small businesses. You can also use it to increase your site traffic and provide customer service. It also serves as a less professional setting (compared to LinkedIn) to interact with existing and potential customers.
4. Instagram: You can leverage your user/influencer-generated content on Instagram. Like Twitter, here too, you can make use of hashtags to increase engagement. With Stories, you can even share behind-the-scenes moments.
5. Google+: With Hangouts, Communities, and Circles, you can share your relevant content with relevant people. It’s good for your engagement as well as SEO.
6. SlideShare: You can reach a very wide professional audience on SlideShare. It’s cost-effective, good for your SEO, and easy to track performances on.

Of course, just because a channel exists, that doesn’t mean you should be on it. The choice of channel, be it any kind of business, should depend on where your customers are.

2. What are the best influencer marketing tactics for a business to amplify the online presence?

We all know just how effective influencer marketing has proven itself as a brand amplification strategy. With more brands jumping on the bandwagon, it’s critical for your business that you use it to edge out the competition.

I’d recommend using these tactics to improve online brand exposure:

1. Product launches: No better way to launch and position your new offerings than using influencers in your launch. They have a way of generating incredible buzz around such events.
2. Work with influencers already using your product: If you want more heartfelt and genuine content, consider collaborating with influencers who are already using and loving your products.
3. Encourage content creativity: I cannot stress enough the importance of giving influencers creative freedom. Let them do what they do best and watch the magic unfold.
4. Long-term partnerships: Finding long-term brand ambassadors can prove to be a great marketing strategy. Making them the face of your brand can help sustain business growth.
5. Micro-influencers: Although micro-influencers have fewer followers, their engagement rates are through the roof when compared to bigger influencers and celebrities.
6. Build an entire strategy around them: Print media is rarely as effective as it used to be. Numerous brands like Gymshark and Daniel Wellington have relied solely on influencers for marketing, and it’s helped make them very successful.
7. Monitor continuously: It’s very important that you monitor your influencer campaigns closely. Knowing what’s working and what isn’t will make it easier to adjust your strategies accordingly.

3. Please share some tricks for the experts in social selling.

It’s a well-established fact that social media networks are a great place to engage customers and improve brand awareness. But in my opinion, you can just as easily leverage social media to find and convert leads for your business.

Here are some of the most effective tricks for social selling:

1. Look good: First impressions matter. Regardless of the channel, have a good and professional display picture accompanied by a proper bio.
2. Establish your credibility: Share relevant and valuable content regularly to establish yourself as a credible voice in the industry.
3. Track relevant conversations: Track any conversations you might have with potential clients. Listen to them, and understand what they need. Adjust your future conversations with them accordingly.
4. Participate in group discussions: Another good way to establish your credibility as well earn leads is to actively participate in discussions on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, and in other relevant forums and groups.
5. Prospect hunting: Social media is the best place for you to understand your target audience. Find out which platforms they prefer using, get on them, and be active. Posting relevant content and engaging consumers regularly.
6. Provide value consistently: Consistency is often the key to many things. Don’t just create a page on platforms and then do nothing. Provide value to your target audience on a regular basis.
7. Nurture your relationships: Having good online social etiquettes like listening and acknowledging your audience is a great way to foster relations with your clients and prospects.
8. Provide proactive customer service: Don’t wait for consumers to launch an assault on your page before you respond to their complaints. Be prompt and proactive in your responses. Show them and everyone watching that you care and resolve issues with the utmost urgency.

4. How do you see the future of Social Media Marketing?

There are a few things I see happening as far as the future of social media marketing is concerned. Existing trends like influencer marketing, video content, live videos, and emphasis on analytics will continue to dominate for some time.

But let’s set those apart and look at some rather innovative and interesting trends instead:

1. Chatbots: You’ve already seen numerous brands implementing chatbots to help with their customer service features. But the use of chatbots is still growing, and I get the feeling it’s going to mature and grow into its shoes in the time to come.
2. Augmented reality: Think Pokemon Go and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. Augmented Reality could very well be the next big thing when it comes to social media marketing. Consumers crave interactive content and AR is a big part of that. Having AR functionalities will make it easier for consumers to sample your products more freely. Thereby, considerably improving conversion times.
3. Focus on Generation Z: Most of our marketing efforts are targeted at baby boomers and millennials today. But, brands should gradually start shifting their focus to market to the Generation Z as a sizeable portion is starting to move to the workforce. This next generation doesn’t know life without the internet and social media.

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About Shane Barker

ShaneBarker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, product launches, sales funnels, targeted traffic, and website conversions. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.