Instagram for B2B: Yes Really
Businesses should be using Instagram for B2B. Why? Because it is one of the most popular social media platforms in existence. In fact, Instagram Press cites that there are over ‘600 million instagrammers’ online today. Pretty impressive, right? Now, consider this: over ‘30% of internet users are now on Instagram’ (Brand Watch). That is a third of the people who are online. Why would businesses want to miss out on that?
Certainly, the majority of the Instagram accounts are for personal use. This explains why there are also many B2C companies who use the platform; it facilitates their objective to reach their target audience directly. Why then, should you use Instagram for B2B? Firstly, B2B companies can appeal to some of the B2C companies that already have accounts. Secondly, Instagram is a platform like no other; it’s all about the visuals. It's the place where businesses/people go to showcase and admire beautiful images. This means that it's an ideal place for companies to promote their brand and create an online presence.
Remember the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words? Social media's made this phrase obsolete; visual information is everything now. It's well known that people retain information better when it's accompanied by an image:
When people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information 3 days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with the same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later ( Hubspot).
Visuals are evidence. Before a business is happy to work with you, they'll research your company to ensure that you're trustworthy. Utilising Instagram for B2B is a great way to reassure potential clients that you're the real deal; the platform allows you to lay out your portfolio before your prospective customers. Services you have provided, events you have held/attended and images of your employees are great posts to share, as they add an authenticity to your online presence and reinforce the ‘flavour’ of your brand. Sharing these kinds of images will legitimise your company and encourage businesses to work with you.
The B2B environment can be so detached and mundane that we forget people are the decision makers behind the business. Using Instagram for B2B will humanise your company and make it stand out within the professional environment by appealing to the individual. You may aim to attract professionals with certain criteria in mind, but they remain living, breathing, human beings. The network lets you project your business personality and add a splash of colour to the grey B2B sector. Having ‘behind the scenes’ photos of your staff will not only substantiate your claim that you are not a scam or a faceless, spam account, but will assert your humanity and make you personable. Before you assume that personality is not an essential characteristic for B2B interactions, remember that the act of humanisation invokes trust by building a connection. Instagram adds another dimension to your brand, particularly if used to showcase your team and employees. A financial services company does not exactly scream visual beauty does it? And yet, companies such as Citi, Chase Bank (Clickz) and UBS are absolutely storming Instagram (Bookly) The social media platform provides potential clients with insight into your company. In displaying this ‘inside look’ to the world, you are emphasising that your business is confident in its aesthetic, which in turn suggests that it is well-established. Ultimately, Instagram helps you to make yourselves memorable.
Instagram is surprisingly versatile. It's suitable for all kinds of B2B companies, not just the ones that operate within characteristically visual industries. The platform can be used effectively for businesses which deal in: marketing, advertising, software, web design, construction, banking, accounting, technology, email, apps, sales and so on. There are many, somewhat unexpected, B2B businesses with highly successful and engaging accounts: companies such as Wells Fargo, Intel and MailChimp are all extremely active (Bookly).
Use the platform to develop your brand, your way. If none of your potential clients use this network, then having an account won't benefit you in the same way it would another business. Nonetheless, do not ignore the likelihood that upon conducting research about a company, people will click an Instagram link if it appears on your site. Say, for example, you're an accountancy agency and a potential client has heard about you through word of mouth only. When researching you, they'll likely visit your Instagram page, if only out of curiosity.
You should consider using Instagram for B2B as it often diversifies your business portfolio. You can also build up a huge following on this platform, developing your overall reputation. This will help you to increase brand awareness and build a network of professional contacts. It's also worth noting the platform is a great place to keep an eye on your competitors and current industry news. The idea of employing Instagram for B2B should never be dismissed; it has the highest engagement rate of any social media platform because it is incredibly convenient and attractive (Fan Bridge).
Instagram is often viewed as trivial by those in the B2B community. Many think it's just another fad for vain millenials to self-promote and indulge their egos. This is extremely short-sighted, and if anything, a childish approach. Social media is fundamental to marketing now and Instagram is another platform which offers opportunity. No matter which social media platforms you use - LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. - a marketer will likely stress the importance of sharing visuals on your accounts. You should certainly follow this advice, but perhaps you may wish to take this a step further and utterly embrace the visual philosophy by creating an Instagram account yourself.
Companies should no longer dismiss the idea of using Instagram for B2B. It really is an ideal place for businesses to develop their brand identities and situate themselves within their industries. So whack out that camera, grin and bear it!