For many oil and gas companies, social media marketing feels like an afterthought.

Are Tik Tok reels and Instagram photos really how B2B companies attract their prospects and customers? While it may seem like social media marketing and the oil and gas industry aren’t a good match, the opposite is in fact true. If used effectively, oil and gas companies can use social media marketing to drive more traffic to their website and build credibility with prospective customers. In this blog, we’ll cover why social media marketing is important for oil and gas companies and share 7 tips that can kickstart your social media efforts off right.

Social media marketing for oil and gas: Why is it important?

The oil and gas industry has, for decades, been all about word-of-mouth marketing. Business is done with two people in the same room, being able to look each other in the eye and shake hands to seal the deal. Only in the last few years has digital transformation taken place in the oil and gas industry, and organizations are realizing how important it is to have a presence online.

While an oil and gas website is a critical component of marketing, social media shouldn’t be forgotten. When used correctly, social media marketing enables organizations to:

• Drive traffic to the website: On average, about 10% or more of website traffic comes from organic social media marketing in the oil and gas industry. 
• Build credibility with prospects: Organizations can post case studies and success stories to show how well their solutions work. 
• Stay top of mind: Have you heard of the marketing rule of 7? A prospect needs to hear your message at least 7 times before they take action, and social media can fast track that.
• Form connections: It can be hard for B2B organizations to build connections online. However, social media marketing makes companies seem more “human” to their customers.

7 tips for social media marketing for oil and gas 

Want to get started with social media marketing in the oil and gas industry? Pay attention to these 7 tips.

Use the right platforms

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make when starting their social media marketing efforts is to try to establish a presence on all the major social media platforms. While in some industries this may be a strategic approach, it does not work in the oil and gas industry. For most organizations in this industry, the main social media platform to focus on is Linkedin, followed by Facebook. Some organizations may also have an audience on Twitter or Instagram as well.

Tailor content to the audience

It may seem intuitive to post the same content on all social media channels and kill multiple birds with one stone. However, it’s vital to customize the content for each channel based on who your audience is. For example, many oil and gas companies will find that their main audiences on Linkedin are customers and prospects while their main audience on Facebook is employees. These groups shouldn’t see the same content because they don’t have the same needs.

Follow a posting schedule

Often, organizations start strong out of the gate, posting several times a day, and then slowly begin to fade out and stop posting altogether. Social media is only relevant if you post regularly. We recommend creating a posting schedule with a regular cadence of posts and sticking to it. On Linkedin, it’s best to post between 1 and 5 times a day based on your business and your audience. When it comes to Facebook, you can post between 1 and 2 times a day. Avoid posting too frequently as this may annoy your followers and they may end up ignoring your posts or unfollowing your account. 

Use mixed media

Social media content needs to be engaging. When a prospect is scrolling through their feed, how can you capture their attention most effectively? It’s not just what you post about, it’s also the medium you use. We recommend a mix of text, images, videos, and graphics to capture your audience’s attention. Don’t fall into the trap of only using one kind of medium.

Link back to your website

One of the key goals organizations can accomplish with social media marketing for oil and gas is to increase their website traffic organically. Ensure relevant posts, such as those about blogs, services, testimonials, case studies, or job postings, all link back to the corresponding page on your website (not just to your home page).

Use conversion content

The first sentence of each social media post needs to be punchy and attention grabbing. You can do this with a conversion content mindset by understanding the needs and challenges of your target audience. The first sentence should be short and tickle the reader’s curiosity enough that they want to keep reading more. 

Analyze your performance

Another major error many companies make when embarking on social media marketing is forgetting to look at their performance metrics. These insights can help you see what’s working, what’s not working, and why — so you can change your strategy accordingly to get better results. All social channels provide basic insights on your posts so you can easily see how your social media marketing efforts are going.

Feeling overwhelming with all the social media talk?

If your organization hasn’t delved into social media marketing before or you don’t have the bandwidth to continue with it, it’s likely you’re feeling stressed and frustrated. Remember, you don’t have to do it alone and you don’t have to do it all at once. Take it step by step, start with one channel at a time, and get guidance from those you trust.

At Definity Web, we have social media marketing experts on our team who can help fill in the gaps, or completely take it off your plate, so you can focus on the rest of your to-do list. From writing social media copy to creating eye-catching graphics to posting on your social channels to analyzing your results, we can do it all for you.

Check out our social media marketing services for oil and gas companies.