How to start a Social Media Strategy in B2B companies?
Social Media in B2B companies is very useful. Research shows that buyers in the B2B sector are one of the largest groups participating in Social Media. Each day, millions of professionals look for information on the Internet, and they have to find you ! Corporate transparency is very important : people want to know who you are. They must trust you before doing business.
If you want some proof, take a look at your website analytics tools : for most of business sites, the “About Us” page is the 2nd most viewed page. So, how to begin ? 
1. Complete your website
First of all, people wants to know exactly who you are. Add names, positions, photos and a link to each employee’s LinkedIn profile (yes, they need to have it!)
2. Open a blog about your industry
To write about your industry in a blog is the best way to increase your expert reputation. And it can help you to get to the top in search rankings : blogs are very good for SEO. I use Wordpress because it is simply the best solution (Open Source, and with a huge community).
3. Define your strategy on communities
Don’t try to be a part of every social networking site! Take the time to study what’s happenning in your industry on the internet, and think about what your prospects, partners and customers need. It is not a good idea to be in Social Media just because it is popular ! You have to think what you want to accomplish: increase sales, improve customer service, increase customer loyalty, improve knowledge, lower costs…?
Look for communities, websites, forums, and blogs, which are focused on your industry, and try to see where discussions are. If you find your competitors, partners or prospects on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc… check if they have a lot of contacts, discussions or activity. It is the best way to decide if these networks have good potential. If you don’t find any activity, don’t waste your time! Facebook, Twitter, and famous networks are maybe not the best place to be for your industry. It will be better to look for a smaller community, but very focused on your activity
What to do after? Generate good helpful content, be the best you could be, and don’t hesitate to recommend business partners, or to speak about what your competitors are doing if it is interesting. Social Media is about sharing, don’t forget it!
Sources : SocialMediaB2b.com & Mashable