How should business-to-business (B2B) marketers best

How should business-to-business (B2B) marketers best use question-based social forums?
For business-to-business companies in particular, LinkedIn Groups, Quora and HighTable are just three examples of forums where marketers can demonstrate their knowledge.
In this article I’ll cover how B2B marketers can best approach these sites and provide eight recommendations for generating qualified leads and driving sales.
Note: The examples used all come from actual Q&A site conversations, with names removed for privacy purposes.

Overview of Question and Answer–Based Sites

When Q&A social media sites first came out, they were intended for people to exchange ideas and gather information. Unfortunately spammers and non-experts took away from their usefulness for a while.
But a few recent factors have brought Q&A social media sites back into the fold:

• There’s a proliferation of social media profiles where contributors have an actual identity to maintain. Posting unhelpful answers can hurt a person’s social media reputation significantly now.
• It’s harder to find answers to specific questions because there are over 500 million URLs today. Internet searches can be overwhelming.
• The salesy quality of Internet search ads can turn off a B2B audience. B2B searchers seek guidance, not a sales pitch.
• Social media sites have become more specialized (and well-funded). Sites like LinkedIn, HighTable and Quora provide direct access to a specific type of audience.

As a result, B2B marketers have an opportunity to consider: a captive and specific audience looking for guidance on issues that often relate directly to the problem or issues B2B marketers are trying to solve.
Here are eight tips that, when taken together, will result in more leads and increased sales.

#1: Comment from the Perspective of a Thought Leader

Above all, marketers have to position and think about themselves on Q&A sites as the thought leader for their particular business. Approaching a Q&A forum like a used car salesman approaching a browser will alienate the target audience.
Prospects on Q&A social media sites are usually in a higher position on the sales funnel. Aggressive tactics do not resonate here. Instead, take on the voice of a thought leader, which requires the following:

• Answer questions up front: People who go to Q&A sites are looking for answers to questions, not wishy-washy stances. Answer the initial question directly and then provide supporting evidence to back up the claim.
• Provide both qualitative and quantitative supporting evidence: Obviously having data and insight about certain topics is not possible in 100% of cases. That said, opinions backed by data or hard numbers carry more weight. But providing just numbers will not impress either. There has to be an interpretation of the numbers to demonstrate a position of expertise.
• Acknowledge alternative solutions: Remember, people are not perusing Q&A sites for a sales pitch. They are seeking a well-thought-out opinion. Failure to acknowledge alternatives or other options makes for a weak point of view.
• Write clearly and concisely: Perhaps this goes without saying, but typos or run-on sentences will not wow prospects.

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