16 B2B Social Media Advertising and marketing Methods for Any and Each Business [Social Media Trends Report Data]

B2B social media advertising and marketing usually will get a nasty rap.

It’s handled just like the strict college principal of enterprise. It’s seen as boring and “unfun.” It gained’t allow you to inform jokes, speak to your folks on social media, or break with custom. (And it actually wouldn’t allow you to chew gum in school if it may.)

Nevertheless, if my final decade of serving to entrepreneurs promote their companies has taught me something, it’s that these are all simply nasty rumors.

B2B (business-to-business) advertising and marketing, particularly social media advertising and marketing, will be simply as artistic, relatable, and thrilling as B2C (business-to-consumer), and albeit, it has to be to achieve success.

Fortunately, there are a selection of B2B social media advertising and marketing methods and ideas that make it potential, no matter your trade. Let’s speak via among the greatest and take a look at examples from manufacturers like Google, Slack, Shopify, and extra.

Desk of Contents

To grasp B2B social media advertising and marketing, you actually simply want to grasp the distinction between B2B and B2C.

Merely put, B2B means a enterprise’ providing is meant to be purchased and utilized by one other enterprise. It has knowledgeable function.

B2C, however, refers to items and providers meant to be purchased by particular person customers for private use.

Fairly simple, proper?

Figuring out that, B2B social media advertising and marketing is when your enterprise makes use of social media platforms to advertise its product, service, or model to different companies that will purchase them.

Suppose Shopify concentrating on eCommerce companies or Slack, companies that want real-time digital communication.

However let’s be actual — it’s not like Slack or Shopify themselves are scrolling via your Instagram feed or slapping subscribe on YouTube. It’s nonetheless a person.

So, I often suggest my fellow entrepreneurs to think about B2B social media advertising and marketing as when a enterprise makes use of social media to achieve people who make purchases on behalf of companies or can affect these purchases.

Like every advertising and marketing technique, a B2B social media technique have to be formed round objectives to succeed. Targets information you and make sure you’re working towards the suitable issues.

Whether or not your objectives are targeted on model consciousness or acquisition, one of the simplest ways to stipulate them to your staff is utilizing the SMART methodology — particular, measurable, attainable, related, and time-bound.

This helps your staff know precisely what it’s attempting to do and by when, the way it will observe its progress towards attaining it, and why it’s one thing they will truly do.

Let’s illustrate with an instance. Say your purpose is “To construct model consciousness on social media.”

Considering this via with the SMART methodology, this turns into:

• Particular: I need to enhance our firm’s model consciousness by posting commonly and continuously on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Fb. I’ll enhance our posts on X from as soon as to 4 instances a day, publish day by day on Instagram, and enhance weekly publishing frequency on LinkedIn and Fb from 4 to seven instances per week.
• Measurable: Our purpose is a 4% enhance in engagement price throughout the board.
• Attainable: Our engagement price elevated by a median of two% final month after we elevated our weekly publishing frequency and spent extra time on considerate, partaking copy.
• Related: By rising the engagement price, we’ll enhance model consciousness and generate extra leads, giving gross sales extra alternatives to shut.
• Time-Sure: Finish of this month.

Placing that every one collectively makes our SMART purpose:

“By the tip of this month, we are going to enhance our common engagement price throughout our social media channels by 4% by rising our publish frequency and concentrating on considerate, partaking copy.”

See the distinction?

Professional tip: When you need assistance pondering via the SMART methodology, we’ve a template to assist.

Obtainable as an Excel and Google Sheet, this template supplies step-by-step directions for setting a SMART purpose, calculates achievable numerical targets, and helps you consider the roadblocks to attaining your advertising and marketing objectives.

2. Take inspiration out of your opponents.

Social media can provide you a glimpse into your competitor’s advertising and marketing technique. Monitoring them ought to undoubtedly be a part of your routine.

You need to know what campaigns they run, how audiences reply, what new merchandise or options they might launch, and what questions or issues audiences could have.

All of this perception helps you higher perceive what you’re up in opposition to and the way chances are you’ll want to regulate your technique.

You additionally need to “Discover a white area,” as HubSpot Senior Social Media Supervisor Emily Kearns advises.

“The B2B panorama is comparatively simple, related, and uninteresting. Deep dive into your opponents, see how they’re executing on social, and attempt to decide a singular space the place you may add worth and stand out.”

In case your competitor is not responding to trending information, then perhaps your model can cleared the path. In the event that they discover success sharing movies with actionable recommendation, how will you incorporate an analogous model and enhance upon it?

Search for alternatives to emulate issues which can be doing properly and differentiate your self.

3. Set up a singular model and voice.

You additionally must develop a constant voice on social media. Not solely does this make your feed look extra organized, cohesive, {and professional}, however it additionally permits guests to acknowledge your content material even out of context.

For instance, you may spot a Canva publish from a mile away with its constant fonts and colours.

Ask your self:

• What makes your enterprise completely different?
• How will its content material feel and look?
• What would make somebody be capable of acknowledge it even when it wasn’t in your platform?
• What feelings and phrases do individuals affiliate with you?

The solutions to those questions will kind the muse of your voice. If you need extra ideas for constructing your model voice from the bottom up, here’s a useful slideshow to get you began.

Professional tip: LinkedIn discovered that 64% of executives favor “a extra human, much less formal tone of voice” over “an even-toned, mental voice.” So, maintain it pure and conversational.

“Consider your model as an individual, a good friend to your viewers,” particulars HubSpot Senior Model Social Workforce Lead Chi Thukral.

“What would they sound like, what would they be all in favour of speaking about, how would they be at work, what would their FYP seem like? This all will humanize your content material. B2B doesn’t must be severe and dry.”

When you need your social media voice to be constant together with your better model and firm tradition, you’re nonetheless speaking to fellow human beings. Put up accordingly.

4. Put up on a constant schedule.

Alongside together with your voice and visible model, intention to be constant together with your posting schedule.

Having a set time to publish content material offers you a deadline to comply with and provides your viewers a selected time to anticipate listening to from you.

Create a content material calendar for as far into the longer term as you may. I like to recommend mapping out at the least two weeks and having your content material prepared per week earlier than publishing, so that you aren’t left scrambling on the final minute.

HubSpot has a social media calendar template that can assist you get began.

Professional tip: One other solution to keep consistency is to schedule posts forward of time utilizing a social media device.

HubSpot’s social media administration software program means that you can run all of your social media from one central location, together with scheduling to Fb, Instagram, X (previously Twitter), and LinkedIn.

5. Give attention to unique, thought management content material.

Wanting on the success of all of the meme accounts on social media, chances are you’ll assume curating content material from different sources is a fast ticket to success — however this strategy is short-sighted.

Chances are you’ll get a like or share at the moment, however why ought to anybody comply with you over the unique supply long-term? Sharing third-party content material showcases the expertise, distinctive worth, or experience of its unique creator, not you.

So, somewhat than simply curating content material from others, intention to share high-quality, unique content material frequently. Your viewers shall be extra inclined to share unique content material, in flip exposing your identify and information to new audiences.

However what sort of unique content material do you have to publish?

Take into account your viewers’s pursuits, questions, and objectives, and create content material that addresses them with your distinctive perspective. Present solutions and factors of view solely your group can; insights out of your staff’s expertise.

The probabilities are infinite, however in case you’re having bother arising with concepts, you’re not alone. Creating partaking content material is the #1 problem entrepreneurs count on with social media within the subsequent 12 months, however it doesn’t must be.

We’ll get into specifics within the subsequent part, however you may also head to The Final Information to Content material Creation for some inspiration.

6. Diversify your content material mediums.

There is a purpose we social media entrepreneurs get excited when platforms launch new options. They’re new mediums to play, get artistic with, and perhaps ring a bell with our audiences.

Instagram Tales, Fb polls, TikTok Slideshows, and LinkedIn paperwork are all examples of multimedia codecs that added new methods to have interaction with audiences on their platforms and diversified content material mixes.

However why does this matter? Consider it this fashion — When you scrolled via Instagram and solely noticed images, you’d most likely get bored fairly rapidly. Or in case you solely created the identical format everybody else was, you’d probably get misplaced within the crowd.

A part of the rationale Instagram retains individuals hooked is due to its selection. In a 10-second scroll, you may come throughout a meme, a Reel, a Story, a picture with a ballot, a carousel, or a stay video. There’s a potpourri of choices to maintain individuals and interacting.

That is one thing you must emulate in your model’s particular web page.

Completely different individuals get pleasure from consuming info in several methods, so in case you solely create one sort, chances are you’ll be ignored by many in your target market.

Plus, not each matter lends itself to each format. For instance, a software program tutorial is probably going greatest suited to a video somewhat than a collection of images. So, let your subject material information you as properly.

Workplace area supplier Regus makes use of a wholesome combine of various mediums throughout its social media profiles. On Instagram, you’ll discover short-form movies, Tales, single images, carousels, and even graphics to diversify its feed and spotlight presents in several methods:

And their LinkedIn follows swimsuit with movies, slideshows, and graphics:

Professional tip: Repurpose your present content material for various mediums with synthetic intelligence (AI). Repurposing is certainly one of smartest methods to get probably the most out of the work you’ve already finished and it doesn’t must be time consuming, due to AI.

Share a weblog article with ChatGPT and it might rapidly spin up drafts for social media posts or captions. It will probably even create video scripts or even photographs and graphics.

There are additionally an rising variety of AI instruments being explicitly constructed with content material repurposing in thoughts like HubSpot’s Content material Remix.

With Content material Remix, Skilled and Enterprise-level customers of Content material Hub can repurpose present content material into new codecs.

This may be supplies you’ve got hosted on HubSpot (i.e. photographs, social posts, textual content messages, advertisements, and weblog posts) or new content material you add to the device.

7. Use AI — however sparingly.

Talking of AI, it might dramatically show you how to save time in B2B social media advertising and marketing in a variety of methods. It will probably show you how to:

As tempting as it may be, nonetheless, use AI strategically in your B2B social media exercise because it does have its shortcomings.

As an illustration, in terms of writing, the comfort and pace additionally comes with considerations of plagiarism, privateness, and even bias. In actual fact, our analysis discovered that 96% of the time, the content material AI creates isn’t prepared to make use of as-is. So, by all means, use it to get you began, however be ready to edit.

Take what the device offers you and form it into your last product together with your model’s particular voice, character, and unique thought.

As for social media engagement, trendy audiences can often spot automation, like this message from Lyft, from a mile away.

Messages like this may come off as chilly and inauthentic, particularly on social media platforms the place the purpose is connection. So, maintain your exercise as natural and human-to-human as potential, at any time when potential.

Be taught extra about how AI to in your B2B advertising and marketing.

8. Lean into the suitable platforms.

There are dozens of social media platforms, however that doesn’t imply you must be on all of them.

Kearns defined, “You don’t must do every part on all social channels. Begin small and targeted and put sources behind one platform to grasp how your viewers engages with that content material.”

In accordance with our analysis, the highest 5 channels for B2B entrepreneurs are Fb, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X.

She continued, “Get to know your viewers: It’s important to analysis to grasp the place they’re spending their time on-line, what their pursuits are, and what they’re on the lookout for in social. This must be the muse of your content material technique and channel technique.”

These options act as social proof of your claims and assist audiences higher envision themselves as potential clients.

Plus, based on Gartner, 86% of companies contemplate verified opinions important of their buy selections, so having a real-life buyer communicate to your worth can do wonders for gross sales.

Professional tip: Don’t be afraid to lean into user-generated content material. When your followers or clients love your model, they’ll usually be blissful to share their experiences and ideas on social media.

Create a branded hashtag and encourage them to make use of it. Then you may then reshare this content material to your individual social media

12. Spotlight your workers.

You may also introduce your social media followers to your workers. Spotlighting your staff lets audiences to place faces to the corporate and humanize the model.

That is necessary for small and enormous firms alike, as a result of whether or not you are promoting computer systems or supply industrial cleansing providers, clients wish to know who their cash goes to and in addition who shall be there in the event that they run into points.

Google and Pinterest each do an exquisite job of this:

Moreover, highlighting your workers permits for employer branding—or the popularity your organization has as a spot to work. This may also help appeal to expertise and make you extra likable to clients total.

Showcasing your employees can also enhance your attain and engagement. As an illustration, as an alternative of simply posting a photograph of your new product, you may also publish a photograph of the 20 individuals who designed it.

This could probably get shared by these 20 individuals and seen by their networks if tagged.

At HubSpot, we’re no strangers to highlighting our workers on social media. On this instance, we highlighted HubSpot workers who can be appearing as “correspondents” for INBOUND this 12 months.

By doing this, we get to acknowledge and present appreciation for a few of our staff members whereas additionally giving our viewers real-life people to attach with on the occasion.

13. Companion with related manufacturers and influencers.

In accordance with Matter Communication, 69% of customers belief messages from influencers, associates, and household over manufacturers themselves. In different phrases, you want others to vouch for you.

Discover which influencers, creators, or different companies your patrons have interaction with. Collaborating with them can enhance your attain and the belief others have in you.

Figma commonly collaborates with influencers and real-life customers of its software program for partaking social media content material:

Be taught extra about your choices for influencer advertising and marketing.

14. Use related humor.

In accordance with a current research by HubSpot analysis, 97% of entrepreneurs plan to proceed or enhance their funding in humorous content material on social media within the subsequent 12 months. And why not?

Additionally they reported that humorous content material delivers extra ROI than every other sort.

Humor grabs consideration, is memorable, encourages sharing, and makes you likable total. So, search for methods to include it naturally into your social media content material like Sprout Social.

Shopify additionally does a terrific job on its Instagram profile:

Professional tip: Hold the humor you incorporate on model and match to your viewers. As you may see within the Shopify instance, they use some profanity, albeit censored. For his or her model and viewers, this is smart, however it doesn’t work for everybody.

Humor is subjective. There’s all the time an opportunity your joke gained’t land everybody, however the very last thing you need to do is offend a possible buyer. So, know your viewers.

15. Begin and have interaction in dialog.

Social media was created to assist individuals make connections with different individuals. Regardless that manufacturers have entered and occupied the area for some time now, that sentiment hasn’t modified.

Your model gained‘t be capable of join together with your viewers if all you’re doing is pushing your product at them. It is advisable to slot in naturally and supply actual worth.

The important thing to staying related on social is to begin and have interaction within the conversations your target market is all in favour of having.

One of many best methods to do that is by asking questions. As an illustration, on LinkedIn, Shopify began with a ballot.

This was a wise strategy for a number of causes:

• It took benefit of a enjoyable, interactive medium to face out in feeds
• It encourages dialog within the feedback
• It additionally gathered unique knowledge within the course of

You may also immediate questions or discussions in your photograph or video captions or in texted-based posts like this tweet from HubSpot.

Picture Supply

Whereas this explicit matter isn’t essentially associated to HubSpot’s product or trade, it’s associated to enterprise and digital advertising and marketing and is a dialogue its potential clients are all in favour of.

This reveals we perceive our viewers and what’s on their minds and are additionally updated on what’s occurring on this planet.

16. Experiment and refine.

Clearly, there isn’t a scarcity of greatest practices for social media, however the fact is that each viewers is completely different, so you may need to run experiments to determine what works greatest to your model.

HubSpot’s Kearns shared, “Social is the one channel the place you’ve got a chance to experiment and get viewers suggestions each day. Strive new issues, iterate, and optimize! Take learnings out of your viewers and apply them to future content material.”

There are infinite experiments you may conduct in your channels. Listed here are some concepts to encourage you:

• Use questions and statistics in your copy to see which pulls your viewers in additional.
• Take a look at completely different hyperlink positions to find out if it makes customers extra prone to click on.
• Add emojis to see if it will increase interactions.
• Run advertisements to a video and a nonetheless picture on the identical matter to see which performs higher.
• Phase a distinct a part of your viewers to check how they react to an advert.
• Take a look at completely different hashtags to see if it impacts impressions.
• Spend extra time replying to posts to find out if it will increase your follower rely.

Experimenting together with your content material is how you determine your individual greatest practices, which can all the time be extra customized than trade requirements.

Put the spark again in B2B social media.

With the ideas and methods we outlined, B2B social media advertising and marketing doesn’t must be boring, stoic, or forgettable. The secret is merely to know your viewers and their objectives and let their preferences information you.

The extra you hearken to their suggestions and take lead from their behaviors, the higher geared up you’ll be to craft a social media technique that drives actual bottomline outcomes.