Exploring the Power of Social Media in B2B Marketing

Social media marketing for B2B is a powerful way you can reach your target audience, generate interest and engagement, and obtain excellent ROI on your marketing campaigns.

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As the Content Marketing Institute says, it’s “overwhelmingly the most common channel B2B marketers use for both organic (96%) and paid (85%) content distribution.”

Over recent years, we’ve seen numerous updates to the most popular social media platforms and the rise of new platforms that elevates their potential for B2B digital marketing success.

In this article, we’ll be explaining what these B2B social media marketing trends are, why they can be highly effective for B2B businesses and share some tips on how you can use them for optimal digital marketing success.

Why is social media marketing essential for B2B businesses?

Social media marketing is a powerful tactic that B2B businesses can use to promote their products or services, attract new customers and boost conversions.

With billions of active users every day across various platforms, advanced targeting capabilities and various analytical tools, it can help you laser-focus on your ideal target market for better digital marketing ROI.

More than this, social media allows businesses to engage authentically with their target audience, nurture vital industry connections and build brand awareness, laying the foundations for a successful long-term digital marketing strategy.

By sharing insightful content, industry trends and expert opinions, businesses can use social media to build credibility and position themselves as trusted thought leaders in their specific industry or sector.

At the same time, by using social media to promote your B2B products or services, share content and engage with your audience, you’ll also support your overall SEO efforts as it helps boost your online visibility and drive more traffic to your website.

When you can leverage social proof such as reviews, testimonials, and positive feedback from your social media sites, you can elevate the market presence of your business and reach your marketing and revenue goals faster.

How has the role of social media evolved in the B2B digital marketing landscape in recent years?

Social media has changed enormously since it first arrived in the online space and its widespread adoption has changed how we communicate, access information and how businesses promote products and services.

When platforms like MySpace were launched, they were primarily focused on connecting individuals so they should share photos and useful content. When Facebook launched its Facebook Ads platform in 2007, a revolution began. B2C businesses started to become aware of the value of using social media to connect with their target audience and promote their products and services.

Over the years, it continued to be improved and adapted to include better targeting options and new features to welcome B2B businesses into the space and help them meet their marketing goals more effectively.

Since then, new social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat and new features on existing platforms such as LinkedIn have opened up the space, normalising the use of social media for all and encouraging B2B businesses to harness their power.

How are B2B companies leveraging new features on platforms such as LinkedIn?

Social media platforms and their new features have allowed B2B companies to elevate their digital marketing strategies, better connect with their target market and position themselves as future-minded leaders in their industries.

Here at Marcom, we believe that platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat and Messenger Bots can be the most effective tools for continued B2B digital marketing success.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn was originally created for professionals who wanted to post their work profiles, network with others in the industry and investigate career opportunities.

However, over recent years, the platform has become more diverse and is shifting towards a community-focused content platform where people can learn about a new topic and connect with other like-minded individuals.

With the introduction of more advanced targeting tools that include roles, departments, level of seniority, company size and sector, enhanced algorithms, and features like LinkedIn Live, audio events and newsletters, the platform has become one of the most effective for B2B digital marketing purposes.

82% of digital marketers say they achieve their greatest B2B marketing success using LinkedIn and 89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation. For that reason, LinkedIn has become the go-to choice for B2B digital marketers across the world.

New features include:

1. LinkedIn Page Updates with better analytics, CTA buttons and easier ways to showcase products and services.
2. Audience Engagement Metrics so that digital marketers can better measure metrics like engagement and views.
3. LinkedIn Live. B2B businesses can now broadcast in real-time and host webinars, conferences, Q&A sessions, and product launches whilst boosting engagement.
4. Sponsored Content and Sponsored InMail allow you to send personalised messages to your target audience and promote your products or services.
5. LinkedIn events to offer virtual or in-person events on LinkedIn.
6. LinkedIn Sales Navigator can create personalised lead recommendations and advanced search for more targeted B2B digital marketing.

‍Snapchat for B2B marketing

Although Snapchat might not seem like the most obvious social media platform for B2B marketing due to its young user base, it is fast becoming a powerful and popular choice for digital marketers.

With 200 million daily users of which 71% are under the age of 25, it offers immediate high engagement, authenticity, and the opportunity to give a behind-the-scenes look to customers. That’s why B2C companies like Amazon, Coca-Cola and IBM started to use Snapchat early as part of their digital marketing strategy.

Now increasing numbers of B2B companies are leveraging the platform for sales because many of the users within this age bracket are now making those key purchasing decisions for businesses. By targeting these digital natives, B2B businesses can enhance the success of their social media marketing tactics while also laying the foundations for long-term brand loyalty.

B2B businesses that use Snapchat do the following:

1. Thoroughly test all features to see which resonates best with their target audience.
2. Cross-promote across other social media platforms.
3. Partner with industry leaders and ‘influencers’ who can help showcase the product better.
4. Use the platform to showcase trade shows and events and provide sneak peeks into new exciting product launches.

TikTok

TikTok is another social media platform that is proving itself in the B2B digital marketing space. Over recent years, we have seen it become more diverse, offer more professional content, and improve its predictive analysis algorithms significantly.

B2B businesses are increasingly using it to share insight-based content, tutorial series and fun content that showcases your brand personality and helps engage and convert potential B2B customers.

An excellent way to diversify your traffic, it now boasts features like SnapAds, sponsored lenses and sponsored geofilters that can be used to promote your products or services to a highly targeted audience.

B2B businesses are using these new features alongside in-feed ads, branded hashtag challenges and branded effects for increased digital marketing success.

Messenger Bots

Although not a social media platform in itself, messenger bots are also a key trend in B2B social media marketing in 2023.

Their flexibility, ease of use and outstanding ROI means they are being used to automate direct messages and create automation workflows to boost engagement, create autoresponders, promote blog content, and obtain feedback and client insights.

How can B2B companies measure the effectiveness of their social media marketing efforts?

If you’re interested in using these new social media platforms and features for B2B digital marketing, do the following to measure how effective they are for your B2B business.

1. Be consistent. Develop a B2B social media marketing plan and stick to it.
2. Engage with your audience- respond to their comments, reviews, and messages
3. Leverage user-generated content, testimonials, and reviews to elevate your social proof
4. Collaborate with industry leaders
5. Use paid social media advertising
6. Track your success with analytics tools, measuring KPIs like engagement, reach, conversions, and web traffic
7. Optimise your B2B social media marketing tactics using the insight gained from your analytics tools.

Summary: B2B social media marketing tactics for the future

B2B social media marketing is now essential if you want your business to thrive in both the short and long term. You can use it to build brand awareness, generate leads, engage with your audience, promote your products or services and drive sales.

Leverage these new platforms and new features and you can stay ahead of the game, stand out from your competition, and lay the foundations for a solid long-term B2B digital marketing strategy.

Elevate your B2B digital marketing strategy with social media

Here at Marcom, we’re always up-to-date with the latest marketing trends and know exactly how you can use them to elevate your digital marketing success. Contact us to find out how we can help.