Today is World Social Media Day. 🎉🥳
World Social Media Day was launched by digital media powerhouse Mashable in 2010 as a way to recognize and celebrate the massive impact of social media on global communication and culture.
Social Media Day is special to Leadtail and our community for obvious reasons. (We hope!)
We believe in the power of social media to help brands share their story, connect with customers, and build a community. And this is just as true for B2B companies as it is for consumer brands.
Companies that embrace social media are able to humanize their marketing efforts and create authentic connections with customers and prospects that blossom into lasting relationships.
As a bonus, social media is just plain fun!
To celebrate World Social Media Day, we invited members of the Leadtail Community to share their perspectives on the impact of social media on B2B marketing.
Keep It Human
Our approach to social media emphasizes the human aspect. Social media is about humans talking to humans. And our community has some powerful insights about how brands can deploy social media to connect with their audience at that basic, human level.
“Community, relationships, growth – it’s all connected. Social media helps me meet new people, but it helps me solidify relationships within my community that I wouldn’t otherwise have,” says Shape and Scale co-founder Suzanne Block.
KlientBoost’s Braeden Matson-Jones agrees. “People don’t engage that much with companies, but rather with people and messages that are anchored to the company,” he says. “Speak the language of your prospects from the mouth of a person wearing your company’s shirt, not from your company directly.”
Suzanne goes on to say, “Gone are the days where social media promotion is a one-way street. If your account looks like you with a megaphone shouting messages into the abyss, you’re probably doing it wrong. You have to be contributing to the community, not just promoting your product or company.”
Rachel B. Lee, co-owner and CMO at StandOut Authority, adds her insight. “B2B marketing lets you engage directly with clients, build credibility, and establish thought leadership in your niche,” she says. “It’s not just about pushing your product anymore. It’s about conversations, relationships, and trust.”
Real People, Real Voices
The human aspect of social media means that efforts like employee advocacy and executive social are crucial to a successful B2B social media marketing strategy.
Suzanne Block and her Shape and Scale co-founder, Pasha Irshad, have focused solely on developing their personal brands through executive social media. “Social media these days should be coming from a human voice rather than a company handle,” she says. “We decided to focus more on our personal brand accounts rather than our company’s handles. It’s done wonders for the brand of the company without the actual company’s messages at the forefront.”
Put Strategy First
Brand awareness is one aspect of marketing where social media shines. Asen Marketing’s Amanda Meyers sums it up when she says, “On the most basic level, social media can serve as proof of existence/credibility for a B2B company. On a deeper level, it can be great for creating and honing a thought-leader image by showcasing the business’s expertise.”
And when you combine solid messaging with a focused strategy, the results follow quickly. Asen’s Sam White explains how she and her team prioritize strategy:
“Know your business objectives first, and figure out how social media can help you achieve them next,” she says. “We put it into practice by spending a ton of time on planning and strategy before turning to social media.”
Sagefrog Marketing Group Digital Marketing Director Matt Engelson emphasizes good targeting as part of a successful social media strategy. “Take advantage of the targeting first and foremost. If you are just doing organic, you are selling your brand short,” he says. “We have learned if you have content that educates or solves a problem, your audience will eat it up on social media, and the top of your sales funnel will be filled,” he says.
Matt goes on to highlight the importance of clean data and good data management habits. “We have also learned that clients want to do ABM on social, but their CRM is such a disaster they can’t. So get your ducks in a row there too!”
Not Just a “Nice-to-Have”
The Leadtail community is unanimous on one point. For B2B companies, social media is no longer optional; it’s a strategic necessity. Rachel Lee believes that many B2B marketers haven’t fully appreciated the power of social media.
“There’s a massive misconception that B2B social media is dry, uninteresting, or even unnecessary. And it’s time to bust that myth,” she says. “B2B social media gives organizations the chance to connect with decision-makers authentically and directly. It’s a platform for thought leadership, brand storytelling, and relationship building.”
The truth is how a company uses social media directly impacts many marketing goals. The value of storytelling, brand building, thought leadership, and community development on social media are incalculable for B2B brands.
Rachel goes on to say, “B2B social media lets us humanize our brand, spark conversations, and deliver value every day. So next time you hear someone underestimate B2B social media, just give them a wink and say, ‘Underrated.’ Because those in the know understand its power!”
We couldn’t have said it better. Happy World Social Media Day! 🙌
Want to discover the power of social media for your B2B brand? Let’s chat!