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

B2B social media advertising 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, discuss to your mates on social media, or break with custom. (And it actually wouldn’t allow you to chew gum in school if it may.)

Nonetheless, 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, particularly social media advertising, could be simply as artistic, relatable, and thrilling as B2C (business-to-consumer), and admittedly, it has to be to achieve success.

Fortunately, there are a variety of B2B social media advertising methods and suggestions that make it potential, no matter your trade. Let’s discuss via a number of 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, you actually simply want to know 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 an expert goal.

B2C, then again, refers to items and providers supposed to be purchased by particular person customers for private use.

Fairly simple, proper?

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

Assume Shopify focusing 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 normally suggest my fellow entrepreneurs to think about B2B social media advertising 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 several advertising technique, a B2B social media technique should be formed round objectives to succeed. Targets information you and make sure you’re working towards the correct issues.

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

This helps your staff know precisely what it’s making an attempt to do and by when, the way it will monitor its progress towards reaching it, and why it’s one thing they will truly do.

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

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

• Particular: I need to increase our firm’s model consciousness by posting usually and continuously on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Fb. I’ll improve our posts on X from as soon as to 4 instances a day, put up every day on Instagram, and improve weekly publishing frequency on LinkedIn and Fb from 4 to seven instances per week.
• Measurable: Our aim is a 4% improve in engagement price throughout the board.
• Attainable: Our engagement price elevated by a mean 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 increase model consciousness and generate extra leads, giving gross sales extra alternatives to shut.
• Time-Sure: Finish of this month.

Placing that each one collectively makes our SMART aim:

“By the top of this month, we’ll improve our common engagement price throughout our social media channels by 4% by rising our put up 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.

Out there as an Excel and Google Sheet, this template gives step-by-step directions for setting a SMART aim, calculates achievable numerical targets, and helps you consider the roadblocks to reaching your advertising objectives.

2. Take inspiration out of your rivals.

Social media may give you a glimpse into your competitor’s advertising 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 might have.

All of this perception helps you higher perceive what you’re up towards and the way you could want to regulate your technique.

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

“The B2B panorama is comparatively simple, related, and uninteresting. Deep dive into your rivals, see how they’re executing on social, and attempt to decide a singular space the place you possibly can 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 identical type and enhance upon it?

Search for alternatives to emulate issues which are doing effectively 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 possibly can spot a Canva put up 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 appear?
• 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 type the inspiration of your voice. If you need extra suggestions 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 desire “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 pal to your viewers,” particulars HubSpot Senior Model Social Staff Lead Chi Thukral.

“What would they sound like, what would they be serious about speaking about, how would they be at work, what would their FYP appear 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, goal to be constant together with your posting schedule.

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

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

HubSpot has a social media calendar template that will help you get began.

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

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. Concentrate on authentic, thought management content material.

Trying on the success of all of the meme accounts on social media, you could 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 present, 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 authentic creator, not you.

So, reasonably than simply curating content material from others, goal to share high-quality, authentic content material regularly. Your viewers will probably be extra inclined to share authentic content material, in flip exposing your title and information to new audiences.

However what sort of authentic content material do you have to put up?

Think about 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 countless, however for those who’re having bother developing 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 as well head to The Final Information to Content material Creation for some inspiration.

6. Diversify your content material mediums.

There is a motive 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 pictures, you’d in all probability get bored fairly rapidly. Or for those who solely created the identical format everybody else was, you’d doubtless get misplaced within the crowd.

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

That is one thing it is best to emulate in your model’s particular web page.

Totally different individuals get pleasure from consuming info in numerous methods, so for those who solely create one sort, you could be ignored by many in your audience.

Plus, not each subject lends itself to each format. For instance, a software program tutorial is probably going greatest fitted to a video reasonably than a collection of pictures. So, let your subject material information you as effectively.

Workplace house 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 pictures, carousels, and even graphics to diversify its feed and spotlight presents in numerous methods:

And their LinkedIn follows go well with with movies, slideshows, and graphics:

Professional tip: Repurpose your current 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 may possibly rapidly spin up drafts for social media posts or captions. It may possibly even create video scripts or even photos 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 current content material into new codecs.

This may be supplies you will have hosted on HubSpot (i.e. photos, social posts, textual content messages, advertisements, and weblog posts) or new content material you add to the software.

7. Use AI — however sparingly.

Talking of AI, it may possibly dramatically aid you save time in B2B social media advertising in quite a lot of methods. It may possibly aid you:

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

As an example, in relation to writing, the comfort and pace additionally comes with issues of plagiarism, privateness, and even bias. In reality, 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 software offers you and form it into your closing product together with your model’s particular voice, persona, and authentic thought.

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

Messages like this could come off as chilly and inauthentic, particularly on social media platforms the place the aim is connection. So, maintain your exercise as natural and human-to-human as potential, each time potential.

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

8. Lean into the correct platforms.

There are dozens of social media platforms, however that doesn’t imply it’s important to be on all of them.

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

In response to 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 know the place they’re spending their time on-line, what their pursuits are, and what they’re searching for in social. This needs to be the inspiration 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 prospects.

Plus, in line with Gartner, 86% of companies take into account verified critiques important of their buy choices, 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 prospects love your model, they’ll usually be completely happy to share their experiences and ideas on social media.

Create a branded hashtag and encourage them to make use of it. Then you possibly can 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 vital for small and huge firms alike, as a result of whether or not you are promoting computer systems or supply business cleansing providers, prospects wish to know who their cash goes to and likewise who will probably be there in the event that they run into points.

Google and Pinterest each do a beautiful job of this:

Moreover, highlighting your workers permits for employer branding—or the fame your organization has as a spot to work. This might help entice expertise and make you extra likable to prospects total.

Showcasing your workers can also improve your attain and engagement. As an example, as a substitute of simply posting a photograph of your new product, you may also put up a photograph of the 20 individuals who designed it.

This is able to doubtless 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 could be performing 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. Accomplice with related manufacturers and influencers.

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

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

Figma usually 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.

14. Use related humor.

In response to a current research by HubSpot analysis, 97% of entrepreneurs plan to proceed or improve 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 an excellent job on its Instagram profile:

Professional tip: Hold the humor you incorporate on model and match on your viewers. As you possibly can 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 at all times 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 interact in dialog.

Social media was created to assist individuals make connections with different individuals. Despite the fact that manufacturers have entered and occupied the house 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. You might want to slot in naturally and supply actual worth.

The important thing to staying related on social is to begin and interact within the conversations your audience is serious about having.

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

This was a sensible 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 authentic knowledge within the course of

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

Picture Supply

Whereas this explicit subject isn’t essentially associated to HubSpot’s product or trade, it’s associated to enterprise and digital advertising and is a dialogue its potential prospects are serious about.

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

16. Experiment and refine.

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

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

There are countless experiments you possibly can 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.
• Check completely different hyperlink positions to find out if it makes customers extra more likely to click on.
• Add emojis to see if it will increase interactions.
• Run advertisements to a video and a nonetheless picture on the identical subject to see which performs higher.
• Section a unique a part of your viewers to check how they react to an advert.
• Check 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 at all times be extra customized than trade requirements.

Put the spark again in B2B social media.

With the information and methods we outlined, B2B social media advertising 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 take heed to their suggestions and take lead from their behaviors, the higher outfitted you may be to craft a social media technique that drives actual bottomline outcomes.