Social media that supports business development, not just awareness

At Henderson Engineers, part of my role was developing social media strategies for business development, along with training employees to use social media well. That work taught me that social can be much more than an awareness channel. Done thoughtfully, it becomes a tool that helps a firm's people build the relationships that lead to work.

Most buyers aren't buying today

In B2B, only a small share of potential clients are actively looking for help at any given moment. The LinkedIn B2B Institute's "95-5 rule" frames it this way: most of your potential buyers aren't ready to buy today. They will be later — and when they are, they'll turn to the firms and people they already know and trust.

That makes social media's job clearer. It's not only about generating leads this quarter. It's about being known, credible and top of mind among the right people before the need arises.

The goal isn't to be noticed once. It's to be remembered when it counts.

Start with the pursuit, not the post

A business development social strategy begins with the same questions as any pursuit: Which clients and markets matter most? Who are the decision-makers and influencers? What do they care about? From there, social becomes a way to be present in their world — sharing relevant insights, recognizing their milestones and showing expertise on the issues they face.

Put the people who win work in front

Clients hire people, not logos. The engineers, project managers and leaders who build client relationships are often the most credible voices a firm has. Helping them build a thoughtful presence — and making it easy for them to share relevant work — extends the firm's reach in a way the company page can't. I've written more about that in your people are the channel.

Training matters here. Many technical professionals are unsure what to post or worried about saying the wrong thing. A short session with clear guidance, examples and a few easy first steps goes a long way.

Awards and announcements have their place, but they rarely help a client with their problem. Content that explains an issue, shares a lesson from a project or offers a point of view on a trend demonstrates the expertise a client is looking for. It also gives business development leaders something genuinely useful to share and talk about.

Social works best alongside everything else: the website where people learn more, the emails that follow up, the events where relationships deepen and the proposals that close. When those pieces are coordinated around the same priorities, each makes the others stronger — the idea at the center of making channels work harder together.

Measure what business development values

Follower counts and impressions are easy to report, but they don't tell a pursuit team much. More useful questions: are we reaching people at target organizations? Are our experts building visible followings in their specialties? Are conversations starting that business development can continue? Those measures connect social media to the work the firm actually wants to win.

Sources and further reading

LinkedIn B2B Institute, The 95-5 Rule
Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content