B2B Social Media is Changing: Is Your Strategy Still Working?

Show of hands: who’s been guilty of a one-size-fits-all social strategy? I know I have. Alas, gone are the days when B2B marketers could operate under the assumption that certain platforms were for B2B and others for B2C, with little comingling between, and that their followers on each platform would respond the same way to the very same messages. The audiences frequenting each social media platform are changing, and so, too, must our strategies to reach them.

To illustrate this point, have a look at a few surprising (at least to me) facts about today’s social media audiences:

• Facebook is getting older - fast: While Facebook’s largest age demographic remains 25-34 (26.3% of users), use among Baby Boomers and the “Silent” generation (those born before 1945) is the fastest-growing, while use among younger generations has stagnated (Source: Sprout Social). The platform is expected to gain 19.4 million users aged 25 and older before 2025, but lose 4.1 million under age 24 during the same period.

• Instagram is viable for B2B: Despite being the second largest social network (1 billion+ users), IG has remained well outside the typical B2B marketer’s social playbook. While it’s true that more than half of Instagram users are 34 or younger (Source: Statista) with an emphasis on lifestyle photos, B2B companies have historically realized their highest engagement rates on the platform.

• Twitter’s users skew older and more educated: For most B2B marketers, the 30-49-years-old, degree-bearing demographic is right on target, and that’s just who Twitter delivers. 44% of Twitter users fall into that age bracket, which is also heavily male (68%), and 42% hold college degrees, compared to 31% of the general population (Source: Sprout Social).

• LinkedIn is younger and more global than you think: As the B2B social media platform, it’s easy to assume LinkedIn caters exclusively to older professionals. While the largest age group is 46-55 years old (split 51%/49% male/female), millennials actually make up 25% of LinkedIn users! What’s more, European users claim nearly the same share as those based in the United States, and 70% live outside the US (Source: Sprout Social).

• TikTok is the dark horse you didn’t see coming: With 100+ million monthly active users spending over 20 hours per month on the platform, TikTok can no longer be ignored by B2B marketers. And lest you think these dedicated users are too young to be in your brand’s target group, consider that nearly half (47.2%) of TikTok’s user base is 35 and older.

As marketers, it’s important to stay informed as social media audiences evolve, to ensure we’re using the right content for the right platforms to reach our intended audience. Of course, our audiences don’t make it easy on us by using only a single platform, do they? Instead, the average person has between 8-9 social media accounts, due in large part to the increasing specialization of individual platforms (YouTube for videos, Instagram for photos, LinkedIn for professional connections, etc.) In order for B2B social media to be effective, we must meet our audience where they are - and with all the platforms we use, that means a multi-faceted strategy.

A single social media strategy won’t cut it anymore

Our target audience is all over the place, using different social platforms to meet different needs - and our strategy has to be equally dispersed while remaining focused on the end goal(s). As with any good strategy, we start by clarifying what we want to achieve. Companies use social media to help achieve a variety of goals, including:

• Increasing brand awareness

• Strengthening brand positioning

• Increasing awareness of a product or service

• Engaging with customers and prospects

• Generating leads

• Recruiting and retaining employees

• Connecting with local communities and other stakeholders

Once you’ve clarified which goal(s) you want to achieve, you’ll need to clarify which audiences you’ll target in order to achieve those goals, and which social media platforms they're likely to use (hint: detailed buyer personas are critical here). Once you know which platforms your audiences use, you can begin to develop your plans by platform.

Developing platform-specific plans

Let’s take a look at a few of the most common platforms used by B2B marketers, and how each can be used to achieve different goals.

Facebook offers B2B marketers a variety of options for communicating with their audiences, from Live (or pre-recorded) video streaming to direct communication via Messenger. Regardless of which option(s) you utilize, be sure to keep your content authentic. As the most popular social media site in the world, Facebook is often overwhelming for users due to the proliferation of paid and organic content - so avoid stock photos and post less-than-perfect, “real” images to grab users’ attention. Due to its popularity and the simplicity of the Messenger feature, Facebook is a great recruitment and customer service tool, allowing users another way to communicate with you besides simply commenting.

Instagram is a great platform for B2B companies seeking to engage with various stakeholders. According to TrackMaven, engagement rates on Instagram are the highest among the major social sites (i.e. posts on IG get the highest number of interactions per number of followers). This is because Instagram hosts text, photos, and videos directly on the platform, so followers don’t have to click to see your content - a huge advantage. However, because Instagram users expect highly-engaging visuals, companies must be sure to post eye-catching, preferably emotionally appealing content. Video, community and investor engagement, and employee recruiting and retention are all goals highly-compatible with Instagram.

LinkedIn may be the go-to B2B social media platform, but that doesn’t mean you can simply post and forget it. First, be sure to keep your Company Page updated and all new employees’ profiles linked to the page. Nothing scares off a would-be customer like an inaccurate company description or looking as if you only have 2 employees (unless of course, you do). Promoting content such as blog posts, white papers, and videos are a great use of LinkedIn, and be sure your executives and sales team (typically those with the largest networks) are commenting, liking, and sharing this content. Like Facebook, LinkedIn also now offers a Live feature, which can be a great way for executives to connect with your audience. Social media scheduling tool Hootsuite shows that ideal times to post on LinkedIn are 7:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., and 5:45 p.m. EST, Tuesday thru Thursday. Of course, this will vary by industry, so you should monitor the engagement rates of your posts, or use a scheduling tool that analyzes and recommends posting times automatically.

Twitter is unique as it offers less opportunity for long-form content with its character count max of 280. To effectively use Twitter, content must be punchy and relevant to grab the user’s attention immediately. Each post must have a clear intent and call to action and include hashtags to increase engagement (tweets with hashtags receive twice the engagement as those without). While not as image-heavy as Instagram, Twitter posts still benefit from images, resulting in 89% more “favorites” on average. Unlike other platforms, Twitter is most effective on weekends, reaching higher engagement rates than during the week. Event-focused content can be particularly effective on Twitter, such as posting excerpts from an executive's speech or presentation at a conference or commenting during a company event. Media engagement and brand awareness (by commenting on an industry-relevant event or presentation) are both great uses of the Twitter platform.

Navigating the changing B2B social media landscape can be daunting. If you need help preparing or adjusting your plans, reach out! We’re here to help.