How to Build a B2B Social Engine That Hums

By Stephen Hunton, Head of Content Strategy, Social and Marketing Operations, Doremus+Co

For B2B marketers, this seems like a golden time: There have never been more ways to build brands and connect with key audiences. With the rapid growth of LinkedIn and other social media outlets that allow companies to drive conversations about industry, it’s easier than ever for companies to stay on top of business trends, connect with potential partners, and share their expertise.

Many B2B marketers find it difficult to harness multiple channels and build relationships across them. That may be because they do little more than post a few pieces of organic content a month here or there. To cut through the onslaught of brand posts, thought leadership articles, and new job announcements, companies need to play a long game on social media. And that requires building content engines that will reach and nurture audiences across channels, build trust and credibility, and nudge prospective customers toward a purchase over a sustained period of time.

It all starts with a well-honed content strategy that reflects a unique understanding of what B2B decision makers need and how they use social platforms, plus the ability to create and distribute content—from case studies to thought leadership posts—in an agile, flexible way across multiple channels.

When it comes to creating a successful B2B content engine for social media, there are three must-dos:

Craft a Simple, Customer-Centric Brief

B2B marketing differs significantly from B2C in almost every way: in terms of target audiences, decision-making processes, sales cycles, messaging, channels, content, and budgets. In social specifically, B2B brands must distill a lot of information, from technical product information to vertical solutions, in creative ways and formats that are easily digested on mobile phones and while scrolling across social media outlets between back-to-back meetings. Pages of insights aren’t what’s needed to come up with a message that needs to be shared in a series of 280-character X posts. Briefs should be laser-focused on the customer, relevant to their content needs, and tailored to their social media consumption habits.

Determine the Right Mix of Platforms and Formats

Consider how audiences consume content on a particular platform. The best brands tailor content to the platform—the way we consume, share, and engage on LinkedIn, for example, is different from our experience on Instagram, X or TikTok. And in our “always on” world, prospects are plugged in, but their attention can be hard to engage. Though audiences on social are looking to be fed content, many brands are reluctant to commit to a particular style of consumable content. Should they serve audiences a meal—or draw them in with snackable content like explainer videos or executive thought leadership?

Also, be aware that though people in the B2B space scroll through social channels throughout their business day like everyone else, it’s a mistake to assume they’re always in buying mode: A recent 2024 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report by Edelman and LinkedIn noted that 95% of business clients are not actively seeking goods or services at any given point in time. To engage them, assemble an assortment of elements that fit together in a cohesive way, pass some of these tasty morsels in front of the customer—and keep passing them around. Think of it like putting together a charcuterie board that has the best of everything.

Enable Sharing Across the Organization

Within B2B organizations it’s critical to design a delivery model that taps an organization’s entire team. Amplifying messaging through organization-wide advocacy helps deliver and reinforce corporate content on social. Marketing teams tend to focus on paid social placements and organic brand content, but there is a good chance that B2B buyers are connected to or following key figures inside your organization. So empowering leaders and employees to distribute content is essential. Not only does this make key messaging more visible, it also shows off a unified organization to potential buyers.

And what better way to humanize a brand? When individuals share thought leadership and corporate content that is informative and engaging—and personal—they make brands seem more personal, too. At the same time they’re also building credibility and trust in products and services. One example: IBM’s Joshua Lewis, Technology Partner Recruitment Leader has built a strong network by lip syncing songs and sharing memes on TikTok and LinkedIn while promoting IBM IT Infrastructure offerings.

Social offers massive opportunity to B2B marketers, but cutting through the mass of content has never been harder. Capturing attention requires cross-organization collaboration and teams that think bigger, make better content, and ensure it’s delivered through the right channels to engage audiences.  After all, engaging audiences is the ultimate goal—and what matters to a company’s bottom line.

About the Author

Stephen Hunton is an advisor to Omnicom’s B2B specialty agency, Doremus+Co. With a background in agency and corporate marketing roles, including five years leading social strategy at IBM, Stephen partners with clients and agencies alike to design, implement, and execute impactful content programs.