When it comes to the effectiveness of using social media in the B2B space, I’ve heard conflicting reports from both label converters as well as suppliers regarding the benefits of having a social media presence. Some report direct leads and sales, and an uptick in business through posts and replies on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. For others, it’s a load of nonsense and a waste of time.

I lean heavily toward the notion that having a social media presence is only a good thing. Posting and responding to posts doesn’t take up much time, and it can pay dividends. Think of it as free advertising. It doesn’t cost a cent to make an account on the aforementioned platforms, though if you wanted to spend money that is an option. Advertising on social media can help get your company’s name in front of potential new customers, however, the free tools and activities available can be just as effective.

An important element of social media posting is the hashtag. For those unfamiliar – and there are a few of you out there – a hashtag is created when the author of a post places the pound symbol, #, in front of a word in order to “create an instant channel that anybody can join and participate in,” said the inventor of the hashtag. For example, if a social media user wants to explore conversations about labels, they’d type #labels within their post. More on #labels in a minute.

Technologist Chris Messina is credited with inventing the hashtag, first bringing it to Twitter in August 2007. Before this, the hash (or pound) symbol had been used in various ways online, but it was Messina who detailed his suggestions for using hashtags on Twitter. He said at the time, “I would love to be able to send certain messages only to certain groups of people going through some sort of functionality. Like when I go to a conference, I want to be able to send certain messages only to other twitter friends who are also at that conference.”

Hastags are absolutely powerful tools. Their cultural and societal importance cannot be understated. For evidence, look no further than the events of 2020. Last year sure did have it all. And while a lot of the news was negative, conversations around #COVID-19, #StayHome and #BlackLivesMatter – the three most used hashtags in 2020 – educated and informed millions upon millions of social media users throughout the world.

Twitter by the numbers
While hashtags are in use among all of the major social media platforms, they got their start on Twitter, linking the two inextricably. So let’s take a look at Twitter, with an eye on how using the site might help your label business.

For starters, according to Hootsuite, the number of Twitter users worldwide is 340 million, as of October 2020. Hootsuite also reports:

• 22% of US adults use Twitter.
• There are 262 million International Twitter users (users outside the US).
• Roughly 42% of Twitter users are on the platform daily.
• 32% of US Twitter users have higher college degrees.
• 38% of US Twitter users are between the ages of 18 and 29; 26% of users are 30-49 years old.
• 77% of Americans who earn $75,000 or more use Twitter.
• 80% of Twitter users are affluent millennials.
• 93% of Twitter community members are open to brands getting involved, if done so in the right way.
• 80% of Twitter users access the platform on a mobile device, and 93% of video views are on mobile.
• Twitter is currently valued at $36.48 billion.
• Twitter users are 38% more likely to post opinions about brands and products than other social media users.
• 71% of Twitter users say they use the network to get their news.
• 85% of small and medium businesses use Twitter to provide customer service.  (Source: OmnicoreAgency.com)

Twitter Tools
If you’re not putting Twitter to work for you, it’s not too late. It’s free and easy to get started.

We’ve covered hashtags, which is one of the site’s most effective tools. Label converters have the opportunity to be creative and can use hashtags to help prospects find you. Whether its drawing attention to a recent, innovative print run, an event you’re hosting or attending, a special you’re running, or even spotlighting employees and community involvement, there are myriad topics to tweet about.

Many Twitter proponents know that the site can be a strong marketing asset. Aside from hashtags, the site offers a number of other functions that can help your business:

Direct Messages can be useful for answering questions privately from current and potential customers. Twitter allows users to use photos, GIFs and polls in tweets as means of driving engagement. Interaction with customers and even members of the media can go a long way toward driving online traffic and eventually – and hopefully – sales.

Additional ways to leverage twitter include “Live Tweeting,” when brands and businesses host or attend events and use a shared hashtag for all participants.  Twitter Chats is another potentially useful tool that can answer customer questions in real time.

Granted, tweeting about the label industry is not quite on par with tweeting about the #Oscars, the #SuperBowl or the #election, but it has merit, and it can and does pay off if the effort is put in.

Twitter also offers advertising, which may be something of interest. Ad revenue from Twitter in the US alone, according to Statista, was $1.62 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $1.78 billion in 2021.

It’s big business, and there are a number of advertising options, including Promoted Tweets, Promoted Accounts and Promoted Trends. There are also ways to promote videos.
In today’s day and age, where there’s been a dearth of actual events to attend and exhibit at, social media platforms like Twitter can be a highly effective way of showing off your printing and converting capabilities, and how you can help a brand owner grow their business through #labels.

#Labels
While the numbers, facts and figures are impressive, you might be asking, “But how can MY label company benefit?”

Visit the site and search #labels and find out. Though keep in mind that labels is a tricky word to search and hashtag, as it can have multiple meanings. For example, labels can and do refer to record and music labels, and it’s also defined as “a classifying phrase or name applied to a person or thing, especially one that is inaccurate or restrictive.” So you’ll have to sift through some unrelated content to find what matters to the pressure sensitive label industry.

There is certainly a strong presence for our labels on Twitter.  You may want to tweak your search word – maybe #labeling and #label will turn up different results. Twitter searches return results based on both popularity and chronologically, so your mileage may vary. If you want to go deeper, narrower or broaden your search, go ahead and search hashtags #printing, #digitalprinting #branding, or #packaging – all will return relevant tweets that can inform you and even get the ball rolling on your own Twitter marketing journey.
Social media really can help extend the reach of your business.

An area where Twitter and its hashtags shine is in event coverage. For example, since Twitter’s rise in popularity, each September, hundreds of tweets emanating from Chicago or Brussels are hashtagged with #Labelexpo, providing a means for exhibitors, attendees and the trade media to share, learn and report on the latest news and happenings – in real time. 
During my travels, I’ve come across several converters who have won new business off of their social media feeds alone. It’s a worthwhile endeavor. Social media channels all have a search function. A prospective buyer may search #labels, and they may find a post of yours that piques their interest.


Steve Katz is the former editor of L&NW and is now a regular contributor. He is focused on helping companies in the label industry share their news and tell their stories. Follow him on twitter @LabelSteve.