Why B2B companies shouldn’t ignore Instagram

How professional services, real estate and finance sectors are missing the boat

Throughout my career, I sat in many meetings discussing social media strategies for organizations. It could be a marketer or a stakeholder across the table from me, it didn’t matter. B2B businesses and their employees scoff when Instagram is put on the table. TikTok too, but that is a post for another time.

The company might have an Instagram, but it was the neglected stepchild overshadowed by the favorites. In B2B marketers’ eyes, LinkedIn is the professional sales lead generator, Facebook is the feel-good, people-centric platform and Twitter is the news and PR hub.

Watering down these platforms to basic descriptors with high-level metrics is short-sighted, prompting a one-dimensional strategy without an eye on the future. Here’s why B2B companies better embrace Instagram:

Play the long game

Of the 37 percent of U.S. adults on Instagram, two thirds are between 18 to 29 years old. It might feel like a wasted effort to target this group. “They’re too young!” “They’re not the ones using my [insert service here]!” That may be true now, but what about in five years? In 10? 

Content marketing is a slow burn. A brand that engages now will reach inferno levels by the time most Instagram users are in leadership positions. 

We watched this play out on Facebook. When it exploded in popularity, Facebook was the stomping ground for teenage Millennials and young adults. Now those Millennials have kids, homes and careers, yet still make up the highest percentage of users. 

Unless the business plans to go under in the coming months (hopefully not!), this demographic will become the investors, business owners, tenants or buyers a B2B business targets. As we speak, associate-level professionals actively use Instagram to connect with friends, brands and high-profile users. If they’re engaging now, how will it be a few years down the road when they’re the managing directors? 

Multidimensional reach

Instagram is a visual sell, from posts of photos, videos, infographics and Instagram Stories. By using all methods available, more eyes see what the company is creating. More eyes equals more lead generation opportunities.

One third of the most viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses. On top of that, a quarter of Millennials and Gen Zers look for stories of the products or services they want to buy. I’ve already explained why these age groups are important to business success, but these stats show just how effective Instagram is at persuading them. Businesses aren’t being ignored on Instagram — in fact, many users treat Instagram like a shopping site before they go for the purchase.

What it can look like

One of my previous clients had an established LinkedIn presence with thousands of followers and brand ambassadors. Their poor Instagram was severely lacking with just a couple hundred people tuning in and infrequent, afterthought posts.

After running a few quick searches, I realized most of their competitors, clients and prospects had either personal or business accounts. We pivoted the Instagram strategy, analyzed what types of content did best, decided what content provided followers the most value, posted at the right times and used Stories nearly as often as posts. 

Within a few months, engagement surged and the number of followers rose dramatically. Prospective clients and colleagues commented at industry events about the great content we were posting. Stakeholders said they got business from the Stories that promoted services.

Why not?

While I understand how Instagram is considered the e-commerce retail stronghold (especially after rolling out the Shopping feature), the platform offers so many opportunities that simply don’t exist on LinkedIn. People want to be informed on LinkedIn, but on Instagram they want to be entertained and inspired. 

B2B companies can occupy both buckets as long as they understand their audience, what their audience expects on a platform and how to tell their story without losing sight of the brand. 

With 87 percent of surveyed users saying they took action after seeing product information on Instagram — action meaning visiting a website or following the company — why wouldn’t any company try to tap into that market? 

Have questions about Instagram? Email me at julianne@contentbyjulianne.com.