SMM for B2B Food Services: Strategies and Platforms to Expand Your Market Share
Social media marketing is an influential tool for B2B food service companies looking to expand their market share and reach new customers. However, social media marketing for B2B food service can be challenging, as it requires a different approach than B2C marketing.
B2B food service companies need to focus on building long-term relationships with clients, and social media can help them achieve this goal.
To expand your market share in the B2B food service industry, it is crucial to have an effective social media marketing strategy. The right strategy can help you reach your target audience, build brand awareness, and generate leads.
However, with so many social media platforms available, it’s overwhelming to choose the right one for your business.
In this article, I will discuss the best social media platforms and strategies for B2B food service companies to help them achieve their marketing goals.
Whether a small business or a large corporation, social media marketing can help you grow your business. By using the right strategies and platforms, you can connect with your target audience, build brand loyalty, and ultimately increase your market share.
In the following sections, we will explore the various social media platforms and strategies that can help you achieve your marketing objectives in the B2B food service industry.
What is the B2B food service niche?
The B2B food service niche is a market segment that caters primarily to establishments like restaurants, cafes, hotels, hospitals, schools, and other food service providers who purchase goods and services from other businesses to run their operations.
As someone who worked in this industry many years ago, I can attest that it is highly competitive, with many players vying for a relatively small piece of the pie.
Unlike B2C marketing, which targets the end consumers, B2B food service marketing is all about building relationships and establishing trust with other businesses to provide them with better quality products and services.
We can tap into new dimensions of opportunity and reach greater heights through effective social media marketing.
As a B2B food service company, it is essential to take advantage of social media and use it as an effective tool for marketing.
The first step towards creating a successful social media strategy is to identify which platforms are the best fit for your business. There are many social media networks available, but some are better suited for B2B marketing than others.
So this leads us to the next topic.
Which Platforms Should B2B Food Service Companies Use?
For social media marketing, it is important to choose the right platform based on your business needs.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Different platforms have different features and strengths that B2B food service companies can utilize to reach the right audience and increase their market share.
However, with so many social media platforms available, it can be overwhelming to determine which ones to use. Here are some of the most popular social media platforms for B2B food service companies.
1. LinkedIn for B2B food service companies
LinkedIn is a social media platform specifically designed for professionals, making it a valuable tool for B2B food service companies.
With over 740 million active users worldwide, LinkedIn offers features that can help B2B food service companies build a strong company profile and connect with industry professionals.
Making the Most Out of Your B2B Food Service Social Media
One of the primary benefits of using LinkedIn is networking and lead generation. LinkedIn is the leading social media platform for B2B lead generation, with 80% of social media B2B leads coming from LinkedIn.
What I find fascinating is that LinkedIn has a larger number of active users (40% of their users log in daily) compared to other social media platforms, making it an exceptionally useful tool for gaining visibility in the B2B food service industry.
Now, since LinkedIn users spend an average of 17 minutes per month only. Be tactical with your use of it.
What to do? Here are my recommendations:
We reached out to Social Success Marketing to help evaluate our social media efforts. Ms. Ruby Rusine agreed to help us in the form of a thorough analysis with follow-up recommendations. After implementing many of the suggestions we were able to successfully build our followers with quality accounts and properly promote our Supply Chain Solutions. We appreciate the professionalism and thoughtful work ethic of Ms. Rusine and her team.
~ Kirsten Austin, Owner, DCSC Inc.
1. Optimize Profile
To make the most of LinkedIn’s networking potential, B2B food service companies should optimize their LinkedIn profile and company page.
At the very least, this requires completing all sections of their profile, including a company description, logo, and contact information. They should create a custom URL for their company page to make it easy to link to their page from other marketing channels.
2. Join Groups or Create One
One of the unique strategies applicable to B2B food service equipment companies on LinkedIn is creating and joining industry-specific groups.
LinkedIn groups enable B2B food service equipment companies to connect with others in their industry, share valuable insights, and participate in conversations that can position them as specialized experts in the field.
For instance, ‘Manufacturers of Food Service and Catering Equipment’ and ‘Restaurant Equipment Supply’ are some of the industry-specific groups related to food service equipment.
By taking an active role in these groups through sharing industry knowledge, commenting on discussions, and answering queries, B2B food service companies and pros can showcase their expertise and establish themselves as knowledgeable specialists in the niche.
3. Publish Engaging Industry-related Content
Generating high-quality content is a vital aspect of LinkedIn marketing for any B2B food service company. Delivering compelling and informative posts on your LinkedIn page can position your company as a leader in the industry.
Since LinkedIn serves as a hub for businesses to learn about other businesses, generating top-notch content is an essential component of an effective strategy on the platform.
Creating content that meets the needs of B2B food service entails sharing original blog posts concentrating on industry trends, tricks and tips for food service experts, and effective strategies for running a successful food service business.
For instance, a series of educational blog posts explaining the best ways to create a hygienic and eco-friendly food service workspace would be an excellent example of this context.
Besides producing unique content, LinkedIn provides other content-sharing options, including explainer videos, industry research reports, and product demo videos that, when shared, can enhance your B2B food service brand’s visibility.
4. Consistent Engagement with B2B Foodservice Pros
In addition to creating high-quality content, one of the most effective strategies for B2B food service companies is to engage with their followers and other industry experts.
A simple comment or like on a post can draw attention to your page and help build relationships in the industry. Also, commenting on posts in related LinkedIn groups is an effective way of targeting potential customers and showing that you have relevant expertise to offer.
Overall, LinkedIn provides an effective platform for B2B food service companies to increase their reach and build long-term relationships with clients.
By creating original content, taking part in industry conversations, and engaging with other professionals on the platform, B2B food service companies can benefit greatly from social media marketing.
Strategic hashtag usage is essential for optimizing social media visibility and avoiding alienating potential customers.
5. Targeted LinkedIn Ads
Projected growth in spending for LinkedIn ads among U.S. B2B businesses is significant, with an estimated $1.64 billion in 2021, $1.99 billion in 2022, and $2.33 billion in 2023. This growth indicates the platform’s effectiveness in targeting B2B audiences, including those in the food service industry.
The projected spending on LinkedIn ads for U.S. B2B businesses in the coming years is staggering, and as a B2B food service company, taking advantage of this trend is crucial.
LinkedIn Ads offers a unique opportunity to target decision-makers in the food service industry, including restaurant owners, chefs, and hospitality managers.
Your audience demographic is like the foundation of a building. Without a solid foundation, your ad campaign will crumble.
By utilizing specific targeting options such as job title, company size, and industry, B2B food service companies can ensure their ads are reaching the right individuals.
Besides targeting potential clients and customers, LinkedIn Ads can also increase brand visibility within the industry.
For example, a B2B food service company can use Sponsored Content to showcase its latest product offerings or service packages to an audience of professionals in the food service industry.
I think this information from LinkedIn is worth noting. In summary, the key trends driving B2B ad spending on LinkedIn are:
2. Twitter for B2B food service companies
B2B food service industry research shows that 46% of B2B buyers use Twitter to research potential vendors, services, and products.
This means that there is a huge opportunity for B2B food service vendors to connect with potential clients on Twitter.
Moreover, active Twitter users (those who post at least once a day) have an engagement rate of 72%, which is significantly higher than other social media platforms.
So how beneficial is Twitter for B2B food service companies? And how should they use it?
As a B2B food service company, Twitter can be a powerful tool for connecting with potential customers and increasing brand visibility. The first step is to create an engaging profile that outlines your company’s mission and values.
Check out this video on what that means for your company.
1. Real-time nature
One of the primary benefits of Twitter is its real-time nature.
Businesses can use this platform to stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and news, engage with users, and participate in relevant conversations.
By doing so, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry and build stronger relationships with potential clients.
2. Advertising Options
Twitter offers a variety of advertising options, including Promoted Tweets, Promoted Accounts, and Promoted Trends.
These advertising options allow businesses to target their ideal customers based on location, interest, job title, and more.
With Twitter Ads, businesses can reach a large audience of potential buyers who are actively engaging in content related to their industry.
3. Twitter Thrives on Content Value and Variety
For the type of content to share on Twitter, businesses should focus on providing value to their audience.
This can include industry news, helpful tips, and thought-provoking questions.
Video content is also becoming increasingly popular on Twitter, with shorter videos or GIFs often getting higher engagement rates.
4. Twitter Hashtags: Don’t abuse it though.
One useful feature businesses can use is the use of hashtags.
Using relevant hashtags in their tweets, B2B food service companies can improve their visibility on the platform and allow users to find and engage with their content easily.
For a B2B food service company, appropriate hashtags could include food industry-related topics, such as #foodservice #catering #restaurant, along with any relevant product or service keywords: #wholesale #foodsupplies #delivery.
By utilizing these targeted hashtags, your content will appear in search results for users who are interested in these specific topics.
This would help their content get in front of users who are interested in those topics and increase their chances of getting retweets and engagement.
This would help their content get in front of users who are interested in those topics and increase their chances of getting retweets and engagement.
However, it is important not to overuse hashtags in tweets. This can come across as spammy and turn off users from engaging with the content.
A good rule of thumb is to limit hashtags to three per tweet and make sure they are relevant to the content being shared.
Remember: Twitter is not Instagram. This is why you need experienced pros to help you work on your social media.
Examples of B2B food service companies on Twitter to get inspiration from
You may not be as big as these companies, but you can definitely get inspiration from them.
Twitter is a potent tool for B2B food service companies to build relationships, listen to customers, solve problems, make announcements, and improve SEO. By sharing informative content and ensuring regular engagement, B2B food service companies can successfully leverage Twitter to achieve their digital marketing goals.
3. Instagram for B2B food service companies
Instagram is a hugely popular social media platform that boasts nearly 1 billion active users. This makes it an incredibly powerful tool for businesses looking to reach potential customers and build a strong online presence.
So how beneficial is Instagram for B2B food service companies? And how should they use it?
Focusing on visual content, utilizing advertising options, and engaging with their followers allows businesses to create a strong online presence and drive success through their social media marketing efforts.
Instagram offers businesses the opportunity to increase visibility, engage with customers, and achieve success.
4. Facebook for B2B food service companies
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.96 billion active users as of 2023. With such a massive user base, Facebook provides a fantastic opportunity for businesses to reach their target audience and build their brand.
So how beneficial is Facebook for B2B food service companies? And how should they use it?
One of the key advantages of Facebook is its ability to target specific demographics.
Businesses can use Facebook’s ad targeting features to narrow down their audience based on several factors, including:
This highly targeted marketing approach ensures that businesses can reach the right people with their message and increase their chances of converting potential customers into loyal clients. But Facebook isn’t just for advertising.
Creating quality content, targeting the right audience, engaging with customers, and leveraging new features such as Facebook Live help businesses increase their brand awareness, build stronger relationships with their audience, and ultimately drive more sales and revenue.
5. YouTube for B2B food service companies.
YouTube is an increasingly popular platform for businesses in the food service industry looking to reach their target audience and build brand awareness. With over 2 billion logged-in monthly users, YouTube offers a wide range of marketing opportunities for B2B companies across the world.
So how beneficial is YouTube for B2B food service companies? And how should they use it?
YouTube is a dynamic platform for B2B food service companies looking to increase brand awareness and generate leads. With its wide range of features, businesses can create engaging videos that capture user attention and target the right audience.
Creating a Winning Social Media Strategy for a B2B Food Service Company
Creating a winning social media marketing strategy is crucial for any business, especially for those in the B2B food service industry. The strategy should not only focus on achieving business goals, but it should also connect with potential buyers and establish a strong social media presence.
Creating a winning strategy is a process that requires careful planning and execution. Identifying the target audience, choosing the right social media platforms, creating quality content, engaging with potential clients, and analyzing metrics help businesses in the B2B food service industry establish a strong social media presence and achieve business goals.
Need a Custom Social Media Management Plan for your B2B Food Service Company?
As a business in the B2B food service industry, it’s important to have an effective social media marketing strategy. A custom social media management plan can help you create content that resonates with your target audience, develop a consistent message across all platforms, and build long-term relationships with clients.
At Social Success Marketing, we understand the specific needs of businesses in the B2B food service industry and are dedicated to helping you create a successful social media marketing plan. Our team of experienced social media marketers will work with you to understand your company’s needs and goals and develop a plan that works to help you achieve your goal. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you leverage the power of social media for your business.
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