Many B2B social media tips are strictly time-based and have become obsolete quicker than some tech startups of recent times.

The world of social media is constantly changing and it is now commonplace for all types of businesses to be active in various social networks. Some of the older tips do still work, but there are many new ones now out there.

So, what are the best B2B social media tips for 2014?

You Need to Start Using Some Form of Social Media

Before now, B2B social media has always been an option. Some businesses have gotten away without hiring social media managers and some didn’t even have pages on Facebook or Twitter feeds. However, more and more people are now using social media platforms to find businesses to help them. This includes other businesses and self-employed individuals.

If you do nothing else this year, you need to get onto social media. There are different platforms to think about, but among the most popular and powerful are Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and LinkedIn. From there, it really depends on the type of products and services you have to offer.

Use Google Plus for Authorship

Google has brought in its authorship program. This is important B2B social media and for search engine results in 2014, and you need to start taking advantage of it.

Google Plus shares will show up high in search engine results and you get your face next to the results. That link is something that more people are likely to click because they see exactly who has authored it.

If the post has been authored by someone they trust and know to be reputable in the industry, they will click it to see what you have to say.

At the same time, this works for other sites that you share content on on behalf of your company. Like the Google Plus posts, the links to these articles will show up in search results with your face next to them. You’re also more likely to appear higher than others.

Setting up authorship can increase the visibility and online presence of your B2B social media efforts.

It’s Time to Use Google Hangouts

A lot of the changes have come from Google, and the use of Hangouts is no different. Hangouts are more than just a place to chat with others. You can add videos, and even live stream your business events. What does this mean? You get to host business meetings and product demonstrations with ease.

But isn’t Skype available for this?

Well, yes but it does not have the same benefits as Google Hangouts. For one, the Hangouts are visible to the search engines. They also remain on the Hangouts page for people to check back in and replay the video whenever they want. Further questions can be asked easily, and answers given for everyone to see.

The best part of this B2B social media practice is that Hangouts are available without downloading any new software. With Skype, you have to install it on the computer and that takes time for those who have not yet downloaded it. Hangouts are also available on iOS and Android devices, so people can check in, chat and watch videos on the go.

Make Use of Images

An image is worth a thousand words. It is a popular saying, but isn’t quite true in 2014’s world. An image is now worth a million words.

That image could be the one thing that makes your content go viral. In fact, just sharing an image on a social media account can be enough to make your business known.

Pinterest and Instagram have now become two hot social media platforms over the last year or so, and 2014 is the time to make use of them. You need images though for them to work.

On all your images, include the web address of your business website and your logo. People just have to glance at the image to know who is initially responsible for it and are more likely to check it out.

There are times that people will share it without actually taking it from your own page, and without your own logo and web address on there you get lost in the shuffle.

It’s also worth having a caption or title on the image. It could be funny, thought-provoking, controversial or just sweet. The caption is most likely going to be the thing that gets that post going viral.

B2B Social Media Keeps Moving…

Social media is arguably the most powerful tool for marketing in 2014. It will continue to progress with the times and consumer trends, so make sure you are also constantly adapting to the latest B2B social media developments.

To make the most of B2B social media, you need to keep track of all the up to date tips and tricks that will make your social media efforts most effective.

What do you think will be the biggest change in social media next year?