Social media has changed the way we live, interact with each other, and, yes, even market our businesses. More than 3.6 billion people use social media worldwide, making it one of the most popular online activities.
Designing an effective B2B social media marketing strategy, however, is no easy feat. To be effective, brands must develop a data-backed strategy, create an appropriate budget, and measure their success.
As you plan your B2B social media strategy, it’s important to consider the impact of social media on the industry as a whole and where other brands are succeeding —- and failing.
This post outlines key statistics to help you focus on what matters in B2B social media marketing.
Strategic Execution for B2B Social Media
Building a B2B social media strategy is the first step to creating a successful social media marketing plan. Rather than just posting whatever (and whenever) seems to be effective, B2B brands must consider the most effective platforms, content types, and when to schedule.
These stats highlight opportunities B2B brands should pay attention to.
Platform Types
Not sure which platforms to leverage? Finding the right platform for your business is crucial to an effective social strategy. Here are a few stats to help you decide which platforms to focus on.
It’s no secret that LinkedIn is one of the most socially powerful platforms for B2B marketers. That’s because most of their user base is highly educated and holds positions of power in the business world.
Oberlo reports that half of all US adults with a degree use LinkedIn, and 25% of all LinkedIn users are senior-level influencers.
LinkedIn helps B2B brands generate leads, improve account-based marketing, and can be used for social selling. Even better, it’s incredibly effective.
B2B marketers report 80% of their social media leads come from LinkedIn, and 40% say LinkedIn is the most effective channel for driving leads.
But, it’s not the only useful platform for B2B.
At first glance, TikTok might not seem an effective platform for B2B social marketing programs.
While TikTok has a reputation as being a more effective platform for B2C companies, there are opportunities for B2B marketers, as well.
According to Backlinko, TikTok has more than 1 billion monthly active users. Many of them come to the platform to learn, which is a key step in the B2B buying cycle.
Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms on the market. It has a wide audience base of all ages who come to the platform to connect with friends and family.
However, B2B businesses shouldn’t discount the OG of social media.
Forty-six percent of B2B marketers use Facebook as part of their social media marketing strategy.
Even better? Facebook ads convert really well, due in part to the ability to target very specific audiences.
The average conversion rate of Facebook Ads is between 9 and 10%; which is higher than most other paid platforms.
Don’t forget smaller platforms, like Pinterest.
With more than 454 million active users, Pinterest can extend your reach drastically. While it might not be right for every business, it can help B2B businesses drive traffic, educate their audience, and generate leads.
Statistica found that 25% of social media marketers at B2B companies use Pinterest to market their businesses.
There’s a lot of social platforms out there. The good news? You don’t have to select just one platform.
Leveraging multiple platforms can be more effective and help your business reach a wider audience. It can also increase your ROI.
Hubspot reported each additional social channel you add to your social media marketing plan can increase ROI and effectiveness by 35%.
For B2B brands, LinkedIn remains the most effective platform. However, there is value in exploring other options, like TikTok and Pinterest.
Content Formats and Types
Not sure what type of content to publish on your B2B social channels? The type of content can impact your reach and engagement. Worst of all, most brands are getting it wrong.
According to Forrester, 68% of people don’t think brands share interesting content.
It’s impossible to build an effective social media strategy if your social media posts bore your audience. Look for topics your audience asks about on your website, in industry forums, even sites like Quora or Reddit. Then post content that addresses those pain points.
Behind the scenes content can also be effective. Sharing videos about your team or how your process works can be interesting and build brand trust.
Don’t just stick to text posts, either. Video, images, and going live drives engagement and builds connections.
According to SproutSocial, 54% of marketers say video is the most effective format for reaching social goals. 53% say images are best, 30% say text-based posts, 26% choose video, and 25% say live video drives the highest ROI.
Test out different content formats to see what works for your brand.
Another powerful content format is customer reviews. Online shoppers are more likely to trust other users when they want unbiased opinions.
Sprout Social reports 88% of consumers are likely to buy from a brand after reading reviews on social media.
Don’t think this only applies to B2C consumers — B2B shoppers want reviews, too. Sites like Capterra and G2 are popular for a reason.
G2 reported that 92.4% of B2B buyers are more likely to buy after reading a trusted review.
Posting different formats and types of content is crucial to B2B social success. That applies for ads, as well. Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn offer several ad formats — and some of them are more effective at driving conversions.
Facebook says their Carousel ads, which allow brands to share several images in one ad, see 30-50% lower cost-per-conversion and 20-30% lower cost-per-click than single-image link ads.
LinkedIn has several ad formats as well, including sponsored content, videos, text ads, and sponsored messaging. Run tests to see which format your audience responds to.
When to Post on Social Media
Social media feeds move fast. This means if you don’t post your content at the right time, it could get lost in the ether.
To find the right time, it helps to look at the most popular times to post on social media as a whole.
According to Hubspot, the average best times to post on social media are:
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 11 AM -12 PM CDT
- Tuesday: 11 AM – 2 PM CDT
- Thursday: 11 AM CDT
If you are just getting started, these times are a great time to start posting. However, the platform and your industry can also impact the best times to post.
The best time to post for tech businesses (which includes many B2B companies) is Thursdays from 3 to 5 PM on Facebook, Monday from 10 to 11 AM on Instagram, and Monday at 11 AM on Twitter.
If you’re in a different industry, you can read a full report that outlines the best time to post for every industry.
Wondering how often you should post on social media?
- Instagram: 3-7 times per week.
- Facebook: 1 and 2 times a day.
- Twitter: 1 and 5 Tweets a day.
- LinkedIn: 1 and 5 times a day.
The best way to find the right time to post on social media is to look at your own data. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok provide data about when your users are most active. Then, spend a few weeks testing to see when users are most likely to engage with your content.