Everywhere you read marketing advice online, Instagram is hailed as one of the top marketing channels. But it's always portrayed as a platform for B2C businesses. Nobody ever talks about the vast potential it holds for B2B companies.
With over 2 billion active users, you can bet more than a few of those people are working for businesses that can use your services. Plus, the social nature of Instagram provides B2B companies with significant opportunities to increase brand awareness, nurture client relationships, and reach new audiences.
A recent study found that 33% of B2B companies are now on Instagram, and that number is rising. If you're wondering why that number keeps going up, you've come to the right place. This guide aims to show B2B companies how to use Instagram effectively to boost their marketing efforts.
What makes Instagram attractive for B2B marketers in 2024?
LinkedIn is usually the go-to social media platform for B2B companies. The reason is simple: it's full of professionals doing professional things.
But Instagram for B2B continues to be a strong option for marketers in 2024. First, it has a broad reach and ability to connect with professionals and decision-makers, making it an essential business tool.
The visual nature of Instagram also allows B2B companies to present their products and services in the best light. This approach helps build stronger connections with potential clients and boosts lead generation. It's more tangible as they see your product or service in action.
Of course, Instagram comes with all the fancy targeting and analytics tools you'd expect from a Meta-owned company. These tools help businesses understand and reach their target audience better. This makes Instagram a valuable part of any marketing strategy.
Instagram Shifting Perceptions of B2B
Instagram isn't just for B2C; it's a growing platform for B2B marketing. Platforms like LinkedIn remain corporate and a bit dull. Instagram's visual and emotional appeal can humanize brands and connect with niche communities in a way that other platforms can't.
Understanding Instagram's Role
Instagram for B2B companies is a unique chance to engage with their audience in a more personal and dynamic way. For example, you can post behind-the-scenes content, show off your team's achievements, or highlight what goes on in your office day-to-day.
This approach makes your company feel more approachable. It helps build trust and creates a stronger connection with your audience.
Building Community
To build a real community on Instagram, it's best to focus on creating content that goes beyond just sales. Have you heard of the 20/80 rule? This means that 20% of your content can be about your products or services, but 80% should be valuable content your audience will love.
Share insights, discuss industry trends, and post thought leadership pieces that resonate with your audience. Position your brand as a resource instead of just a salesman.
Changing the Game
Another benefit of using this strategy is that you are breaking the mold. If 32% of B2B brands use Instagram, there's still plenty of room for your brand to stand out and make a lasting impression.
You are flipping the script and showcasing the human side of your brand, creating real connections with potential customers.
Examples of B2B Success on Instagram
They say the proof is in the pudding. Companies like IBM, Mailchimp, and General Electric have done a great job using Instagram to build brand awareness and engage with their target audiences.
Mailchimp, in particular, nails it. They have such strong branding that one look at their profile page tells you where you are without even reading the description. They're super creative and add a touch of humor here and there to make their brand feel more human.
IBM uses its page to showcase innovations, while GE shares cool engineering achievements.
Creating an Effective Instagram Strategy for B2B
You too can break the mold and turn Instagram into a B2B powerhouse. However, you'll need to follow a few key strategies to ensure that your Instagram efforts are successful.
Setting Clear Objectives for Your Instagram Campaign
Every business initiative begins with goals. It's how you'll know what's working and what's not. When it comes to your Instagram strategy, it's important to define specific goals. Maybe you want to boost brand awareness, generate leads, or increase customer engagement.
Clear objectives will guide your content creation and help you measure your success. It will also ensure that your Instagram efforts align with your broader business goals.
Identifying and Understanding Your Target Audience
Next, you need to do some thorough research to identify the professionals, industries, and decision-makers you want to reach on Instagram.
This is the hard part because you don't have LinkedIn's advanced filters. Use hashtags and keyword searches, and explore industry-specific groups to find relevant audiences.
Optimizing Your Instagram Profile for Business Success
Your Instagram profile is like your business card on the platform - it's often visitors' first impression of your brand.
An optimized profile enhances brand trust and recognition. Use these tips:
- Create a professional and engaging Instagram bio.
- Select a consistent visual identity.
- Align your profile with your brand's values.
- Include a link to your website.
Developing a B2B Content Strategy
Now, let's focus on crafting an Instagram content strategy that educates, informs, and adds value to your followers.
Research and Analysis
To know what to talk about, you can use data analytics from search engines and social media to understand your B2B audience's behavior, preferences, and pain points.
Develop Buyer Personas
You can create detailed personas to represent different segments of your audience and tailor content to their needs. Your buyer persona represents your ideal customer, including their demographics, behaviors, goals, and challenges. Ask yourself: What do they want to know?
Engage in Community Conversations
This is a social platform, after all. The best way to get the ins and outs of the conversation is to participate! Explore relevant hashtags and keywords to understand the conversations within your industry.
Setting Strategic Goals
Establish Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals to guide your Instagram strategy. In other words, SMART goals.
Examples:
- Increase organic traffic by 20% in three months.
- Grow Instagram account visits by 30% in two months.
- Attract 1,000 new leads within a month.
- Launch two Instagram campaigns for a new product in Q3.
Showcase Corporate Culture
This will help show not only potential customers but also potential employees what you're all about. One way to do it is to share behind-the-scenes content to humanize your brand and build trust.
Position Thought Leadership
Thought leadership means showing that you're an expert in your field. You can do this by posting insights and expert opinions to start industry conversations. Doing so will establish your credibility.
Announce Updates and Product Launches
Remember, Instagram is a visual platform, so it's best to use engaging visuals to inform your audience about new developments.
Track Progress
Throughout everything you do, you want to use Instagram Insights. This tool will help you assess follower demographics and content performance.
Evaluate Metrics
With that, you want to regularly review your progress against your SMART goals and adjust your strategy based on performance data. This is all about making decisions based on data, not just gut feelings.
Best Practices for B2B Instagram Success
Here are a few general tips to keep in mind:
- Maintain Consistency: Post regularly and ensure your content aligns with your brand voice and aesthetic.
- Be Authentic: Build trust through transparency, integrity, and alignment with your brand values.
- Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with influencers who resonate with your target audience to enhance content relevance and reach.
- Engage Actively: Promptly respond to comments and messages to foster a loyal community.
- Build Relationships: Use Instagram to nurture connections, from initial awareness to developing brand advocates. Encourage user-generated content and leverage features like Live and Stories to deepen B2B audience engagement.
Utilizing Instagram's Features for Maximum Impact
Instagram comes with platform-specific features that can enhance your marketing efforts. You don't have to use all of them but try out different Instagram features for businesses and see what works. This section highlights how each can be used to boost B2B brand visibility and interaction.
Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are short, temporary posts that disappear after 24 hours. They show up at the top of the Instagram app, making them great for catching people's attention.
For example, you could share behind-the-scenes looks at your company's daily operations, like team meetings, office events, or how you make your products.
You could highlight a "Day in the Life" of different team members or share quick tips related to your industry. Use Stories' interactive features like polls, Q&As, and quizzes to engage your audience and gather insights.
This humanizes your brand, keeps you top-of-mind, and fosters connections.
IGTV
IGTV is Instagram's platform for longer videos. These can be up to an hour long, giving you plenty of time to explore a topic in depth. For instance, it can be used to create videos with industry insights, how-tos, or expert interviews.
One popular use case is producing educational videos on industry trends or hosting interviews with thought leaders discussing relevant business topics. These allow in-depth content to establish your brand as an industry authority and provide valuable information.
Instagram Reels
Reels are short, fun videos that can be up to 60 seconds long. They're great for quick, engaging content. You could produce short, catchy videos that highlight key products, services, or company milestones. Tutorials, showcase success stories, or trending challenges may also be relevant to your industry.
The benefit of Reels is that they can reach broader audiences through Instagram's algorithm. They also tend to capture attention better. In fact, videos generate 38% more engagement than photos.
Instagram Live
Instagram Live lets you broadcast videos to your followers in real-time. It's a great way to connect with your audience directly. You could host live webinars, Q&A sessions, or real-time product demonstrations.
Live video fosters real-time interaction, allowing for dynamic engagement and communication.
Growing and Engaging Your B2B Audience on Instagram
Now that we've covered the basics, let's talk about how to grow and engage your audience on Instagram.
Instagram is well known for its hashtag game. Hashtags play a big role in increasing content visibility. You should develop a strategy that combines branded hashtags with industry-specific ones to reach a targeted audience and boost B2B audience engagement.
Maximize Your Reach with Effective Hashtags
Ready to boost your Instagram presence with a smart hashtag approach? A well-rounded hashtag strategy can really increase your post visibility and engagement, potentially driving up to 450,000 impressions. They're key for reaching a wider audience and appearing on the Instagram Explore page.
Key Questions to Consider
Before you start using hashtags, think about these questions:
- Who is your audience? Understand their interests, age, location, and what they search for on Instagram.
- What are your goals? Define whether you aim to build a large following, drive conversions, or increase engagement.
- What is your niche? Identify what makes your account unique to attract the right followers.
Basic Hashtag Strategy for B2B
To get you started, you'll need to understand the different hashtag types. Use a mix of hashtags to categorize your content and reach different audiences. Then, organize your content accordingly. Categorize your posts into themes (e.g., fitness tutorials and healthy recipes) and create related hashtag groups.
Developing Your Hashtag Strategy for B2B
Now, let's dive a bit deeper:
- Create Hashtag Collections: Use specific and relevant hashtags to build collections based on your content themes.
- Optimize Hashtags: Choose hashtags with varying levels of competition. Aim for a balance between easy-to-rank and high-reach hashtags.
- Test and Adjust: Keep an eye on how your hashtags are performing and refine your strategy based on engagement and B2B brand visibility metrics.
Implementation Steps
Here's how to put this into action:
- Research: Define your audience and niche. Create detailed personas and tailor hashtags to these profiles.
- Build Collections: Develop hashtag groups for different content types and levels of competition.
- Analyze Results: Use Instagram insights to track how well your hashtags perform and adjust as needed.
Engagement Tactics to Build a Loyal Following
At the end of the day, it's not worth attracting a large following if they are not engaged and loyal.
Here are some tactics for engaging with your audience:
- Respond to comments promptly.
- Use interactive Instagram features for businesses, like polls and quizzes.
- Host giveaways or contests.
- Share user-generated content.
- Ask questions in your captions to encourage discussion.
Influencer Marketing With a B2B Twist
Instagram is largely credited with the rise of Influencer marketing in recent years. It's here that it was really popularized about a decade ago.
Once again, it was traditionally associated with B2C marketing, but influencer marketing is gaining traction in B2B as companies realize its potential to broaden their reach, foster connections, and drive B2B lead generation on Instagram.
Quick reminder: B2B influencer marketing involves Instagram collaborations and partnerships with industry experts or organizations that have a strong following and are respected within the sector. These influencers can raise brand awareness, spark interest in your offerings, and direct traffic to your website.
Fun fact: The Influencer Marketing Industry is set to grow to approximately $24 Billion by the end of 2024.
Example Influencer Marketing Success:
Agencies like Ubiquitous Media and Open Influence have made a name for themselves by leveraging the power of influencer marketing. They help brands connect with Instagram influencers who have large followings and can drive real engagement. These agencies manage campaigns from start to finish, making sure that the influencer partnerships align with the brand's goals and reach a broad audience.
When picking influencers, it's important to think about how well they connect with your target audience, how many people they can reach, and how engaged their followers are. It's also crucial that their values and personality match your brand.
Here's an interesting stat: 80.8% of marketers plan to use influencer marketing in 2024.
Here are some influencer marketing strategies to consider:
- Sponsored Content: Influencers create posts highlighting your products/services and share them with their followers.
- Product Reviews: Influencers feature your offerings in their stories/feeds, providing their audience with insights and honest feedback.
- Webinars and Events: Influencers host live Instagram events like Q&As where your brand is featured, allowing real-time interaction with potential clients.
- Instagram Takeovers: Influencers temporarily take over your Instagram account, sharing content that engages your audience from their unique perspective.
Measuring Success and Optimizing Your Instagram Strategy
The last thing we want to talk about today is measuring your success. It's not the least important, though! In fact, it's something that many marketers forget or simply don't bother doing, but that's not a good idea.
Why Instagram Business Metrics Matter for B2B
Did you know that 49% of B2B marketing teams say that Instagram is one of their most trusted social media platforms?
Instagram metrics give you key insights into how well your content is doing and how engaged your audience is. For B2B, these metrics help track lead generation, audience interaction, and content effectiveness.
Here are the key metrics to keep an eye on:
- Engagement Rate: Measures likes, comments, and shares - gauges content resonance.
- Follower Growth: Tracks changes in followers, reflecting outreach/content strategy effectiveness.
- Reach: Unique accounts viewing content - reflects potential audience size.
- Impressions: How often content is seen, including multiple views - assesses visibility.
- Profile Activity: Visits and clicks to your website - tracks how Instagram drives traffic.
- Content Performance: Identifies best-performing posts, stories, and reels - guides content strategy.
- Audience Demographics: Data on follower age, gender, and location helps tailor content.
Tracking Methods
There are several ways to track these metrics, and you can use whichever you're most comfortable with. However, for most businesses, these two will get you started and help you in the beginning:
- Instagram Analytics for B2B: Use Meta's tool to track detailed insights on content, activity, and audience interactions.
- Google Analytics with UTM Parameters: Measure website traffic coming from Instagram to understand its impact on lead generation.
Why Track These Metrics?
The reason you're tracking these metrics is to improve over time across several areas of your marketing strategy. More specifically:
- Instagram Content Strategy: Reveals the most engaging content types to guide adjustments.
- Lead Generation: Assesses Instagram's impact on traffic and conversions.
- Performance Optimization: Identifies strengths/weaknesses for data-driven decisions and improved outcomes.
By focusing on these KPIs, B2B brands can refine their Instagram strategy, boost engagement, and drive better results.
Continuous Improvement Through Data-Driven Adjustments
Tracking data is not a one-and-done thing. It's important to regularly review performance data and conduct A/B testing to enhance your Instagram strategy.
Regular Reviews
Let's talk about Performance Analysis. You should track metrics like engagement and lead conversions. For example, if case studies drive high engagement, you might want to focus more on these.
Then there's Content Assessment. Identify which content types—like industry reports or client testimonials—resonate most. If industry trends get more shares, you might want to prioritize these posts.
A/B Testing
A/B testing is when you compare two versions of something to see which one performs better. You can use it for:
- Content Formats: Infographics vs videos - favor what performs better.
- Posting Times: Experiment with different times - adjust the schedule accordingly.
- CTAs: Compare "Learn More" with "Request Demo" - use what drives more conversions.
Key Takeaway
Instagram is shaping up to be a fantastic platform for B2B marketing in 2024. It's helping businesses reach a wide audience and generate leads like never before. With targeting tools, companies can connect with professionals and showcase offerings visually. Features like influencer marketing and performance tracking also boost marketing efforts.
Use Instagram to humanize your brand and nurture real connections. And if you need any help getting started with your B2B Instagram marketing strategy, contact Eternal Works today.
Next up, read our Guide To Using Inbound Marketing to take your B2B marketing strategy to the next level.
