Six Social Media Platforms for B2B Marketing in 2017

Business-to-business (B2B) marketing is traditionally seen are more difficult than business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing due to its relative complexity, price points, number of decision makers and sales cycles. I’ve found that B2B and B2C marketing are more alike than some would lead you to believe, as emotion still plays a part in B2B decision-making whether you like it or not. Regardless, there are nuances to B2B marketing that require attention, particularly online.

Social media plays an increasingly important role in B2B marketing these days. Social platforms provide enhanced engagement opportunities and excellent ad targeting capabilities that offline and other online channels lack. Not all social platforms or strategies are created equal, however, so I’ve outlined a few thoughts on six social platforms that work best for B2B marketers.

Let’s start with the facts. The top social media platforms by usage, according to a Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs 2016 study, are outlined below:

B2B brands are utilizing an average of six social media platforms, according to the study. Although specific platforms may vary by brand or industry, the study focused on eight. Other lesser-utilized platforms not specifically measured in the study include Vimeo, iTunes, Tumblr, Vine, Medium, Periscope and SnapChat. The lack of utilization of these platforms does not mean they are not worth any effort now or in the future. I recommend evaluating each of these platforms based on current user demographics, mapped against your target audience, objectives and timelines. Being a first-mover has its advantages. 

It’s important to understand the difference between usage and efficacy, however. The platforms listed above may be most popular, but they vary in effectiveness in terms of achieving common goals, which may include increasing awareness, engagement and lead generation. The chart below outlines the same platforms (listed above), prioritized by level of effectiveness:

As you can see, LinkedIn leads all social platforms based on usage and effectiveness, which is no surprise. B2B brands can easily connect with partners, prospects, clients and peers to build their network and pipeline. B2B brands can also target prospects based on employer, job title, location, tenure, and other criteria via LinkedIn Ads. With 414 million active users globally (107 million in the US), There is no better platform for creating and nurturing a B2B presence.

Twitter gets second place in the study, which is a bit of a surprise to me, based on the level of noise generated by the platform. The reality, however, is that Twitter has a huge active user base, combined with an ability to promote tweets and target specific user profiles via advertising. Around 79 percent of Twitter users recommend brands that they follow, which is a compelling reason to invest in content and advertising on the platform.

YouTube is fourth most utilized social platform, but third most effective (beating out Facebook). I’ve long preached the value of video marketing for brands, including B2B. Keep in mind, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, and is owned by Google, which means greater potential visibility in organic search results. These insights provide further proof of the power of video for B2B marketing. Considering the fact that video also has 5x greater recall than the written word, why tell your complicated B2B story in text when you can tell it with a concise, compelling video?

SlideShare is the least-talked-about social platform of the mix, yet offers greater efficacy than Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+. The impact of SlideShare for B2B marketing has only increased with the recent purchase by LinkedIn. As the sixth most-utilized, yet fourth most effective social platform, SlideShare should justify a great deal more attention from B2B marketers than it receives today. With 70 million users posting 18 million pieces of content, SlideShare carries considerable weight. A majority of B2B brands create a cornucopia of presentations and other content ripe for publication on SlideShare (and LinkedIn via syndication). SlideShare is an excellent research and marketing platform for B2B companies and there is much less competition for market share than other platforms like Twitter.

Let us not forget the eighth most effective social media platform for B2B: Google+. This red-headed stepchild of Google was originally developed to take on Facebook. Some believe the effort has failed gloriously, but that’s not the point. The reality is that B2B brands still need Google+ if they care about ranking in search engines. The search engine optimization (SEO) value of Google+ is well-documented, yet far too many B2B brands do not take it seriously. With 300 million active users (reaching 38 percent of the digital population), Google+ demands proper respect and attention from B2B marketers.

One ‘platform’ not included in the Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs 2016 study of social platforms: blogs. That’s because blogs do not fit into the same criteria as other social platforms, as they are powered by a host of technology providers, like WordPress. Perhaps this is part of the reason why blogs are so often discounted or overlooked by 21 percent of B2B brands. Older research by MarketingSherpa indicated blogs were THE most effective lead generation tactic. The newer study shows adoption is still quite high for blogs, however:

Now that blogging is as ubiquitous as email marketing, it may have lost some of its luster. Regardless, blogs excel as a nurturing and credibility-building platform for B2B brands. B2B marketers that use blogs receive 67% more leads than those that do not. Marketers who have prioritized blogging are 13x more likely to enjoy positive ROI. If you’re in the minority of B2B brands not actively blogging, it’s time to rethink your content strategy.

I’ve outlined six social media platforms (and tactics) that B2B marketers must evaluate if not embrace. Not all platforms are created equal, and every B2B brand has a discreet set of audiences, messages, objectives and resources, but these core platforms have proven over time their ability to deliver results. Build your 2017 social media strategy around these platforms and expect to see that Christmas bonus.

Additional resources:

Three Reasons Why You Should Publish on LinkedIn Pulse

20 social media rules you should never break

Create a Social Media Strategy on a Shoestring with These Six Tips