Virtually every company in my client base has social media at the top of its 2010 marketing priorities. In a number of cases, I am hearing people say “I just need to put up a fan page on Facebook” or “I’ll start Tweeting on my press releases.” However, 100 tweets and 100 fans don’t add up to a social media strategy. And, like other communications channels, good content is the key to success. In this series of postings, I have teamed up with Dave Ewart, my former colleague and Director of Marketing at Cleantech Group, to share some ideas and practical tips you can incorporate into B2B social media strategies today. As we discussed what has worked for us, we came upon four themes: creating conversations, identifying spokespeople, motivating participation, and understanding the communications flow.

Three tips for creating conversations:

1. Build for conversation, not a monologue.

Regardless of what social media tools you use or what channels you participate in, people will listen to you if they perceive your content to be valuable. Valuable content educates and encourages a response; it doesn’t pontificate. According to Dave, “Social media is a lot like being at a party. If you’re the guy standing in the corner going on and on about yourself, no one will want to talk to you.”  Share best practices in your social channels to pick up followers, and give them reasons to talk back.

Tip: The best way to encourage conversation in the social world is the same as the ‘real’ world.  Ask your audience a question and follow up with a response.

2. Center your topics on your end customer, not just on your product.

In his recent position at Tealeaf Technologies, Dave found that much of the most popular content that Tealeaf posts has an indirect relationship to the company’s products. It is content that relates to the problems that Tealeaf’s buyers face every day: site conversion, customer experience, shopping cart abandonment, etc. They are passionate about these topics and very motivated to follow any conversation that will keep them a step ahead of their competition.

Tip: Experiment with your content… you may find your most engaging content (resulting in clicks, follows and conversation) actually comes from outside resources.   Sharing is powerful.

3. Bring your extended value chain into the conversation.

Link back to customer, partner, and industry analyst postings as much as possible. These individuals are motivated to turn a one-way communication into a conversation.

Tip: Do you have a customer with a great success story but that you can’t pin down for a case study or press release? Ask for a social interview instead.