B2B companies who think their product is too boring for social media are missing something. It’s not the product that’s boring. It could be the social media.

Let’s face it: not every brand using social media is as exciting and sought after as Apple, Playstation or Nike.

B2B social media marketers sometimes think that their product or service is not sexy or interesting. In most cases however, it’s not the product or service that’s boring. It’s the social messaging and branding that isn’t grabbing attention.

Sure, it can be a challenge, but that doesn’t mean that technical or highly-specialized B2B brands should avoid social media altogether. When properly executed, social media marketing can increase awareness, build relationships, and generate leads.

So, to spice up your B2B social media marketing, use these eight ingredients:

1. Benefits > features – This lesson goes back to Sales 101, but it’s important to remember for social media marketing. Exciting social content focuses on solutions to problems, and technical terminology really doesn’t translate to the average social media user.  Instead, focus on communicating the ways your product or service can grow business or make life easier.
2. Post compelling images – Posts with images attract more engagement than posts with text and links only. If your brand isn’t gaining social traction with just words, bring your message to life with a cool photo or, better yet, an infographic.
3. Take it a step further with video – If words or images can’t get the job done, try using video to showcase the benefits of your brand. Remember, don’t get too technical and stay on one topic at a time.  Create video content that can be easily understood, and try to get the point across in 2-3 minutes.
4. Drop the one-size-fits-all approach – What works on Facebook won’t work on Twitter, and what works on Twitter doesn’t work on LinkedIn. Nothing will bore your social following quite like repetition on multiple channels. Keep your messaging consistent, but make sure you tailor your content to each social media platform.
5. Appeal to your industry-specific nerds – Everybody is a nerd for something. Find content that the passionate geeks in your industry appreciate, and share it on Facebook and Twitter. Mind-blowing stats or pictures can grab the attention of dorks and dweebs alike.  For a great example of how a highly-technical brand used this tactic check out General Electric on Facebook.
6. Let your brand personality shine – Don’t let your social media messaging sound like it was taken directly out of a sales brochure. When you’re writing posts, drop the “serious business” attitude in favor of conversational language and humor where appropriate.
7. Be part of the conversation – Social media is an ongoing conversation between you and your followers. Boring brands either don’t interact on social media or don’t contribute much to the conversation. Set up some social alerts and respond to people mentioning your company or product.
8. Don’t stop with social – Once you’ve livened up your brand personality on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and beyond, translate your new-found social personality to your blog and website. You don’t want to send your engaged followers to a boring website.

Remember, what works for you may not work for everyone. After putting these tips into practice, use social analytics to see what type of content drives engagement for your audience.

This guest post is by David Caffey, marketing manager for Totus CCM, a marketing automation and customer communications management tool used by Fortune 500 companies. He’s passionate about B2B marketing, social media, email marketing, lead generation, the Memphis Grizzlies, and meeting interesting people.

photo credit: Misserion via photopin cc