Ways Brands and Agencies Use Instagram for B2B Marketing

I recently completed an alternative MBA through Learning Brew (If you’re interested in any of their coursework, save $100 and use my name as your Referral!), designed to level up professionals in the core competencies required for a modern business leader.

Part of our coursework had us evaluate some iconic B2C brands' marketing efforts and provide strategic recommendations to solve business problems. But more often than not, an entire segment of businesses are left out of most post-grad curriculum, B2B businesses. 

As marketers, B2B marketing has similarities to B2C, but there are still vital differences like buyer personas and customer journeys. For today's blog post, I will discuss ways digital marketers can utilize social media for their B2B brands or clients. 

Should I Really Use Instagram For My B2B Brand?

While platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube are great platforms for B2B brands, I want to focus on a platform most B2B brands are not active on, Instagram. 

In my first job out of college, I joined an early-stage startup leading all things digital marketing for a B2B FinTech company that sold proprietary software to banks. The co-founders leaned on me to decide what social media platforms we'd be active on, and I can tell you Instagram was not one of them. 

Fast-forward nearly a decade; my stance has evolved; Instagram has a place for B2B brands. Like B2C brands, Instagram is a visual-first platform that enables B2B brands to showcase their brand identity and build brand affinity with their target audience. Here's why. 

Meet Your Target Audience Where They Are

We've discussed the importance of showing up in-feed where your target audience is in the past. And it's no different for B2B brands. Gone are the days when social media was only meant for connecting with your family and friends. 

Culturally, more consumers than ever are on social media and are looking to connect with their favorite brands. Given Instagram's popularity, it makes sense for B2B brands to play there. Sprout Social data backs this up, stating more than half of the consumers on Instagram, follow brands. What does that mean? That means that Instagram should be your B2B brand's next social media platform outside LinkedIn or Twitter. 

Types of Content To Run (Organic + Paid)

Here are some thought starters when thinking about the type of social media content to run organically and through paid. 

As a content marketer, not only can social media be used to drive your awareness, but you can help drive consideration at the middle of the funnel. Ideate content that will answer the typical questions your target audience, often the decision-maker at your target company, has when evaluating a new tool or service.

Just like B2C brands, B2B brands can use organic social to:

• build relationships by creating content that is entertaining, educational, and/or inspiring

• establish their personality, tone, and voice

• give consumers an opportunity for dialogue, not only with the brand itself but also with other consumers

• provide information about a brand through product news or company updates

• support their customers with customer service efforts

B2B marketers can use eye-catching content to tap into new audiences through affinity-based targeting on the paid front. And by utilizing specific content formats, such as short-form videos, B2B marketers can help move their target audience through the marketing funnel.

Forrester data confirms this, with nearly 90% of respondents highlighting the importance for B2B brands to provide relevant content throughout the buying process. 

Applying Social Strategy To B2B Brands

A tactical way to foster a relationship between a consumer and B2B, is to give a peek behind the curtain. And that can be done by featuring behind-the-scenes content or employee spotlights. 

On the B2C front, we created employee-focused content consistently for one of my cannabis dispensary brands, as we saw consistent levels of engagement. For B2B brands, putting a human face to one's technology or service can be an intelligent way to humanize a brand. At the end of the day, people are at the core of any business, even if they're B2B. 

Like creating a robust brand advocacy program, featuring employees can have additional benefits, specifically by improving the relationship between employer and employee. People want to be proud of their workplaces, so when a company dedicates time and resources to recognize their employees, that speaks volumes. 

Tactically, this has a compounding effect. For example, if you were to recognize your brand's Customer Service team on a social post, those employees would likely reshare the post on their personal channels. Thus, your B2B brand is introduced to 5 unique audiences at the cost of putting together a single organic social post. 

Thank you for reading my blog post on how agencies and brands can effectively use Instagram for B2B brands.

Do you have any tips you would share with B2B marketers? Leave them below in the comments!