B2B sales reps are skilled networkers. They know the importance of getting in front of the right people, and they know how to use language to communicate with customers to capture their attention and forward the opportunity. Yet, learning how to be a great B2B social networker means mastering a set of completely different skills. The following best practice tips will help you become a better social networker so that you can be prepared for key interactions with digital customers.

Tip #1. Become an expert in a specific area.

Establishing credibility and worthiness to follow means that as a sales rep you should focus on one particular area of expertise. Identifying the area of expertise means becoming a thought leader in that niche. By sharing observations and recommendations, sales reps can capture a subset of customers that are interested in what you have to say. The world is a big place. There are many people that will share your interests on a specific topic or industry.

Tip #2. Learn proper etiquette with each platform.

Each platform has its own culture. Social media influencers within each platform follow a code of conduct when it comes to their respective networks. To find helpful techniques search and follow leaders in your industry that excel in a particular social media channel. For example, as a sales rep that wants to become an influencer on LinkedIn, post articles on a regular basis or start discussions in relevant groups.

Tip #3. Don’t broadcast, engage one-on-one.

Just like watered-down messages sent to a large group of customers, broadcast style of communication means missing out on a lot of valuable customers. Don’t send out tweets en masse. Establish one-to-one relationships. @reply to people individually or send out personal emails on LinkedIn.

Tip #4. Pick important KPIs to measure your success by.

Top performing marketers quantify their social media results – yes, it is possible no matter what you’ve heard. The problem is that marketers often don’t pick the right metrics early on which makes it hard to measure success of the social networking efforts. Choose the right KPIs to measure your success by. Focus on things like number of retweets, likes on Facebook, or number of Face-to-Face interactions you get as a result of LinkedIn.

Tip #5. Look for ways to help people.

Helping customers identify their problem and then finding the right solution for it is the end goal. Social media consumers are searching online for information on a specific product or brand. They are there because they need more information. By identifying the problems of specific social media consumers, you can figure out which offer suits them best.

Mastering social media networking is no small feat, but setting real, tangible goals can get you there. The best thing to do when diving in with social media is to follow the influencers. Figure out – What are they doing? How are they maintaining their networks? What can I do to achieve the same success? Social media is a must-have for today’s digital marketers and sales reps alike. It uncovers opportunities that are worth searching for.

How effective are your social media efforts? Are you polishing your social media skills?