The New York tech start-up scene made a big splash in 2015. Starting with the emergence of WeWork as one of the first New York “Unicorns” (the name given to start-ups with a least a $1 billion valuation), the Big Apple is proving it’s a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the tech scene.
As part of this awakening, B2B tech companies are more active on social media than ever before. The reason is simple. In order to get the word out on their brand, generate more leads and show velocity as a growing company, social media is an imperative for high-growth start-ups.
We picked a few brands who have taken the lead for extraordinary execution on social media. Here are the top companies getting it right on social:
MongoDB
This database management company is the antithesis of all companies who believe their subject matter isn’t appropriate for social. MongoDB touches on topics such as Big Data, database operations and cloud management with compelling blog posts along with a mix of white papers, datasheets and other educational content that is promoted on each of its social channels.
Its social channels are entirely self-promotional. However, you never get that impression as its social posts have the same helpful and educational tone as the website. Even something seemingly tangential and off-topic gets tied into MongoDB’s capabilities and it pays off. Here’s an example:
Even without knowing what a schema variation is, the blog post itself is engaging and ends with a call to action that generates leads – the holy grail in B2B tech.
All information is presented visually, either with a creative infographic, a video or some other image that helps get the point across. As a result, it makes an otherwise boring topic seem more interesting and engaging.
Percolate
They say a picture speaks a thousand words, and Percolate truly takes this to heart.
Almost every post on social is an image or graph that links its followers back to the website. Similar to Mongo, it also blogs on a wide variety of topics, which highlight the value proposition that Percolate provides.
But the downloads are what ultimately help Percolate stand out from other B2B tech start-ups as a leader in social media. Its resources hit on hot-button topics that marketers care passionately about, and best of all, they do the research for you with their own data studies.
Here’s an example of a piece of valuable content that is well-researched and helpful. How are they getting potential prospects to the site? With compelling tweets such as these:
Percolate understands that social is the top of the sales funnel when it comes to lead generation activities. With that realization, it treats its Twitter account the way it should be treated: like a first impression for potential prospects.
Sprinklr
It seems a bit unfair to the rest of the New York start-up industry to acknowledge an enterprise social media software company for being a leader in what it sells. However, its approach to being a thought leader in social media is second to none.
It not only touts its own experts on social media, but also shows off its clients’ expertise through webinars and white papers that talk about upcoming trends in social. By allowing clients to share the spotlight, they become a natural brand advocate for Sprinklr and ultimately give the social media vendor more credibility with potential prospects.
Like the other start-ups who are best in-class when it comes to social media, Sprinklr loves to tell a story with numbers. It will often show data visually with a quick take-away that’s easy to follow. Naturally, potential prospects will look at a graphic such as this one and call Sprinklr for further expertise. This creates the ideal sales situation.
Key Takeaways
These examples shatter the myth that social media isn’t for B2B tech start-ups. If anything, they highlight how social media is a priority for the industry moving forward.
Here are a few tips brands should keep in mind as takeaways:
- It’s okay to be fun and entertaining: If the goal is to engage your prospect – especially for longer sales cycles – don’t let your subject area constrain you. Identify tangential topics that you can tie back to your brand in other to create an effective social media strategy.
- Educate, don’t sell: Guide the customer to understanding why your solution is the answer to their business problem.
- It’s not about you: Social media isn’t about promotion. It’s about creating a dialogue with your audience and becoming the go-to subject matter expert in your industry.
B2B tech companies are growing at a higher rate than ever before, meaning the market is higher stakes than ever before. As B2B audiences start to become more identical to B2C audiences, businesses need to connect with customers in a powerful and impactful way on social media.
Rather than being an after-thought, brands need someone familiar with their messaging that can engage on social strategically in order to ensure they stand out.
Which New York tech company do you think is best on social media? Tweet us at @LRGMarketing to let us know.
