Love it or hate it, Facebook often ends up as the first port of call for B2B social media marketing efforts. But while Facebook holds its ground in importance (and audience size), it’s not the only player in the game.
If your B2B brand isn’t branching out to utilize other social media avenues beyond Facebook, you’re potentially overlooking golden opportunities to connect with your audiences. It’s worth exploring these alternatives while they’re still hot, because some of these audiences can be pretty fickle.
Why Facebook Is So Popular for B2B Companies
Despite not being the pioneer in the social media landscape (tip of the hat to the relics of Friendster and MySpace), Facebook still reigns supreme in size and popularity overall. It has become to social media what Kleenex is to tissues and Google to search engines—a household name.
With a staggering user base of 3 billion people globally, spanning across various demographic segments, Facebook is perceived by B2B marketers as the ultimate venue for reaching a diverse audience.
Why else do businesses flock to Facebook? Because Facebook makes its advertising platform seem accessible, even to non-social media experts. In fact, once you’ve created a Facebook business page, you’re inundated with prompts to get your paid ads going in a few “easy” steps.
A quick aside: we put “easy” in quotation marks because strategizing for Facebook advertisements isn’t actually all that easy — if you want to do it effectively, that is. But that’s another topic altogether.
Anyway, back to why everyone seems to stick to Facebook. It takes time and resources to learn how to use new social media platforms. Your boss already knows how to use Facebook, which usually translates to a self-involved view of “This is the only platform that matters.” Of course, that’s far from the truth.
Why Your B2B Brand Should Expand its Social Media Presence
Don’t get us wrong, Facebook is a great option. You should have a business page for your B2B company, and you should absolutely advertise there.
But again, Facebook should not be your B2B brand’s only social media presence.
On average, people actively use four to six different social media platforms every single day. If your prospective customers are using more than just Facebook, you should be using more than just Facebook, too.
Think of it this way: Each social media channel you participate in is another opportunity to get eyeballs on your B2B company’s branding and advertising materials. Those eyeballs eventually turn into conversions.
Additionally, while it’s true Facebook has the largest audience, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the right audience for your B2B brand. A lot of younger people, for instance, have boycotted Facebook in favor of TikTok and Snapchat (more on this below).
In short, this means you might reach fewer people on a different platform, but they might be better prospects who are more apt to choose your B2B brand.
Consider Adding These 7 Social Media Platforms to Your B2B Brand’s Rotation
Ready to explore your B2B company’s social media options beyond Facebook? Budget and audience permitting, add some or all of these seven to your marketing menu:
- Instagram. Facebook owns Instagram, so it’s an obvious next step, especially to target the millennial crowd. In fact, you can manage your Facebook ad campaigns on Instagram and vice versa. This lowers the barrier to entry because you won’t need as much help if you’re accustomed to Facebook advertising.
- YouTube. A lot of people don’t consider YouTube a social media channel, but it totally is. And it’s awesome! First off, video ads see a ton more engagement than their text-only counterparts. You can even run live video streams, which is a cool way to stand out from your Facebook-only competitors.
- TikTok. Although TikTok is relatively new on the social media scene, it’s blowing up, especially among younger generations. If your B2B brand is trying to reach Gen Z, there’s no better place than TikTok. You might even go viral!
- LinkedIn. As a platform designed for professional networking, LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for B2B brands. It allows you to connect directly with industry leaders, potential clients, and professionals, making it ideal for building relationships, generating leads, and establishing your brand’s authority in your industry.
- Threads. As the newest entrant into the social media landscape, Threads, developed by Meta, positions itself as a direct competitor to X, offering a platform focused on real-time conversations and updates. For B2B brands, Threads presents a new opportunity to engage in industry-specific discussions, share insights, and connect with both peers and potential clients in a more conversational and timely manner. Its integration with the broader Meta ecosystem allows for seamless connectivity with existing Facebook and Instagram accounts, providing a unified approach to social media marketing.
- X. For the most part, X isn’t the first choice for B2B brands. That said, it can serve as a good customer service option.
- Snapchat. This one could be worth it for the filters and geotags alone! Give it a try, especially if you target younger consumers.
Set Your B2B Brand Apart by Branching Out Beyond Facebook
One last thing about many social media sites we didn’t mention: They’re visual-first platforms perfect for showcasing your brand’s product.
No matter where you decide to post your pictures (and other updates), know that you’ll stand out from your Facebook-focused B2B competitors when you go beyond what’s expected.
