What Social Media Should B2Bs Invest In?

As a B2B marketer, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the available social media platforms out there. Of course, you want to make the most of what each offers, but how do you know which ones are the best fit for your industry and company? A great place to start is figuring out what platforms provide the greatest access to B2B decision makers. Then, weigh the other benefits of each platform beyond direct sales leads.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Here are the top social media platforms we think you should invest in and the ones you might want to think twice about.

Do Invest in LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the king of social media for B2Bs for three reasons.

First, LinkedIn is where you’ll find profiles for business leaders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and most importantly, B2B decision makers. By engaging with and posting original content on LinkedIn, you can build individual and brand credibility.

The second reason is recruiting. LinkedIn serves as a crucial resource for finding and recruiting new talent. There are many reasons, but the biggest one is that the overall focus of LinkedIn is connecting professionals.

The third reason we like LinkedIn for B2Bs is its highly targeted advertising platform. LinkedIn allows you to reach specific industries and roles with ads that speak directly to them. So, you can target your ads toward people with prominent roles at the companies you want to work with.

And, LinkedIn ads work.

Eighty-percent of social media B2B lead generation and 64% of corporate website traffic originating on social media platforms comes from LinkedIn. All that LinkedIn-generated traffic results in sales, too. A full 50% of LinkedIn users say they are more likely to buy from a company they’ve engaged with on the platform.

You can read more about LinkedIn ads in our blog post “Tips for Creating LinkedIn Ads for B2B Lead Generation.”

Do Invest in Facebook

Ahh, Facebook. The one that seemingly started it all. While Facebook also has a robust advertising platform that allows businesses to strategically target potential customers, it isn’t designed for B2B advertising. So with Facebook, you can’t target potential customers based on job titles or industries, which is what makes LinkedIn so effective. However, Facebook does have another major advantage. It’s where B2Bs can build brand awareness and company culture. This is the platform to show off your company’s personality and give kudos to your team. Photos of company team members working hard and posts that recognize successes excel on Facebook. While they may not directly impact immediate sales, these posts can position your company in a favorable light and help keep employees happy.

Maybe Invest in Twitter

Twitter allows businesses to talk with audiences in a way other platforms simply can’t. It moves quickly, providing information almost instantly. That’s what makes it ideal for companies communicating directly with consumers, including customer service interactions. For example, if users are looking for answers, you can instantly provide answers, helping position your company as an expert. Twitter also provides valuable insight into your customers by allowing you to see what’s important to them based on their tweets.

Twitter is a great platform for quickly and easily sending and receiving information, which makes it’s a good fit for any company that uses PR and media relations, including B2Bs. When it comes to building credibility, especially with the press, Twitter makes sense. Even something as simple as engaging with a reporter’s posts will make your company familiar to them, making it more likely that they’ll feature your news or use you as a source in future articles. However, if your company isn’t public-facing or involved with PR, Twitter probably isn’t for you.

Maybe Invest in YouTube

At its most basic level, YouTube is a search engine like Google, mixed with a basic social media platform like Twitter or MySpace. What separates YouTube from other social media platforms is that people use it every day as a tool for finding information.

If created strategically, your B2B could serve as a resource on YouTube, answering questions potential customers are asking on Google. You just have to consider what questions your audience may have, and then answer them effectively in an informative and entertaining video format. That doesn’t mean you have to create a costly video that you hope goes viral – which is nearly impossible when you look at the numbers. Instead, focus on what your potential customers may need.

For instance, a B2B restaurant supplier may make a video on the “5 Essentials to Start a Restaurant Kitchen” in hopes of helping new restaurant owners who aren’t sure what equipment matters most. In the video, the B2B supplier would show their products and at the end of the video, they’d provide a call to action and provide a method for potential customers to contact them.

Of course, a video about essential restaurant equipment isn’t going to go viral. But, it doesn’t need to. Gaining one client generated from a video can more than pay for not just that video, but an entire YouTube marketing program.

Probably Don’t Invest in Instagram

Filled with beautiful, interesting images, Instagram is still cool. But unless your B2B makes something visually interesting that people want to look at, Instagram probably isn’t an ideal platform for you.

For some B2Bs, Instagram can make sense. Companies that work in amazing scenic locations, or produce equipment that’s visually stunning may find some success on Instagram, especially in helping to recruit new talent. But, that success usually stops short of B2B sales.

Other Platforms to Consider

So what about other social media platforms such as Pinterest, Reddit and the red-hot TikTok? While these platforms are centered on consumers or designed for entertainment, that doesn’t mean you should completely rule them out. Social media is more fluid than what is considered traditional marketing (https://nicholsb2b.com/b2b/3-types-of-b2b-marketing-and-how-to-determine-which-is-best-for-your-company/ ) So you should always at least be aware of what’s available. The best plan may be to work with a marketing company that knows the ins-and-outs of all the platforms and how to add creativity to your social media mix.

B2Bs Should Invest in Social Media

Social media is a great way to attract new customers, engage in public relations, build positive company culture, and so much more. Depending upon goals and budget, a social media investment might certainly make sense as part of a comprehensive marketing effort. Don’t hesitate to launch B2B profiles on the social media platforms that make the most sense for your company. If you need help or want to chat with experts, send me an email anytime at barmbruster@WeTellYourStory.com