Historically, B2B businesses have struggled to find their place in the social media world. All the same questions persist – should we create a Facebook page; what’s the value of Twitter for our company; what other tools could we use?

First, don’t second guess yourself. If used correctly, social media can be a very valuable tool for B2B businesses.

Before you select which social media outlets to pursue, make sure you understand your objectives. As a B2B business using social media, the goal is to position your company as an industry leader. Do this by establishing credibility for key executives and suggesting new ideas and concepts relevant to your trade. A B2B social media strategy should incorporate industry conversation instead of sole self-promotion.

Second, get the right people involved. Develop a team that is cross-functional and integrated to collaborate on the initiative. If you do decide to go with Facebook and Twitter, your comments and posts will reflect on your company, not your marketing coordinator. Think about which employees are social media savvy; as long as they have a comprehensive understanding of your brand and objectives, they should be able to post content that will push your B2B business into the social media world.

Be aware going in that your content is not interesting to the average consumer, so it won’t be right for every reader using a social media platform. However, it does need to be pertinent to your industry peers and clients. Using photos and video can increase your online presence and interaction. In addition, by cross linking content from related industry publications on your own social site, your B2B business will gain credibility and become a trusted resource for members of your industry.

Another great way to gain followers and boost your online presence is to incorporate social media strategy into the tradeshows and conferences you’re already attending. Before you go, create a custom hashtag specific to your company’s participation in the event for use on Twitter. Make sure you interact with industry publications and key influencers ahead of time using your company’s hashtag and the event’s official hashtag to develop a good rapport. At the event, utilize your mobile technology to take pictures from the tradeshow floor, live tweet with the hashtag and make Facebook updates. Offer booth incentives to customers that check in, via Foursquare, Facebook Places or Gowalla, at your tradeshow booth or sponsored event. Increasing your social media presence through these industry events can help drive your company’s awareness throughout the platform and the industry.

Finally, social media strategy can directly impact the success of a B2B company’s search engine optimization (SEO) program. Proper use of links, retweets and blogging strategies can boost your website’s presence in search results for keywords related to your business or product.

As a B2B business, do not expect instant results. The B2B market is more targeted and much smaller than the average consumer audience on the Web. In order to effectively reach such a specific market online, you’ve got to find it. Use hashtags, keywords and follow industry peers. Remember, building online relationships takes time and dedication. Continued interaction and applicable content will encourage your company’s growth and success online.

Be sure and check out M/C/C‘s extensive portfolio of work both for B2B clients and in the social media sphere! What are you doing to put your business in the social spotlight?