Why Use Social Media Marketing Campaigns in 2014?

And some B2B social marketing predictions for the year ahead…

Why use social media marketing at all? It's likely a question you'll hear in the upper echelons of your business; a fair suggestion for high-level company leaders to make. After all, their only real exposure to social media is the plethora of celebrity slip-ups and consumer nightmares they've read about in the press. Of course, you know the benefits of social media, and it frustrates you that your cries for a simple, uncomplicated approach to the medium fall on deaf ears...

The good news is that 2014 should be the year in which social media marketing campaigns become commonplace for B2B companies. Social media has grown up enough now to accommodate just about everyone. It isn't a young person's hushed rendezvous point, nor is it out of bounds to older generations. Its inclusiveness and the fact it is accepted as part of everyday life has reached business too, making 2014 the year companies using social media strategically will start to outnumber those that do not.

As social media's importance within B2B firms increases, so will the stock of their social media pioneers. 2014 will see social media departments become integral to the marketing mix. Promoted from the kitchen to the board room, the most successful, hard-working and forward-thinking social trendsetters will make big strides over the next 12 months…

...but only if they keep up with change. Social media will undoubtedly continue to evolve in 2014. With every Facebook and Twitter tweak comes a Snapchat or Vine to shake things up. Using social media for marketing in 2014 will involve both keeping on top of new platforms and, more importantly, deciding which ones will actually add value to your business.

Still, you'll get it wrong at some point during 2014. Social media is fast-paced and reactive, and it's almost impossible to run a campaign without a broken link, typo or ill-fated idea. Luckily, the nature of the beast means people are normally more receptive to error, or at least open to you making amends. Cut down crisis management time by having a Plan C for your Plan A and Bs.

Despite the naysayers, in-house critics and out-house complaints you'll get, your social media aspirations will survive 2014. However, their success will lie in three key areas:

• Having the right people on your side, which means reporting intelligently on key metrics. There's an idea out there that social media is fluff, and it's largely because it's been championed by a large number of people who have, frankly, got it wrong over the years. Don't be one of them - show your company exactly how it's working.
• 'Plan ahead, but expect the unexpected' sounds like a message on the mug of one of the people mentioned above, but it does make sense here. Schedule-in 'buffer time' just in case things really do hit the fan. If this ends up being spare time, use it to actively engage with your audience even more.
• Lastly, be prepared to fight your corner. In previous jobs, colleagues had a go at me for "just sending tweets" or "sitting on Facebook all day" (they had a point - I was a surgeon!) but part of your social media plans in 2014 should be converting the naysayers. Let them see what you're doing and include them in your strategy, and they'll soon be on-board. If they're not, take five minutes to let off some steam about them on your personal accounts!