Is B2B Instagram Success Possible? 5 Brands Who Are Rocking It
Instagram is such a fun platform. Home of influencers lounging on tropical beaches and backstage pop stars telling you their secrets. It’s where all the cool kids hang out. In fact, Instagram has over 1 billion users worldwide which is huge. Instagram is known to be successful for B2C marketers. That’s Business to Consumer for example, brands selling makeup, fashion or music to end users. But what about B2B? If your brand is business to business selling products and services to other businesses, Instagram has a rep for being unfriendly and pointless. So, is B2BInstagram success possible? The Moondust team is looking at 5 brands who are rocking it and the lessons we can learn from them.
Let’s look at some #InstaStats:
· 80% of Instagram users are outside the U.S.
· 59% of U.S users are under 30
· 70% have a university/college education.
· 72% of teens use Instagram, every day
And here’s an interesting one about those adult Instagram users:
· 30% earn up to $30K/year
· 42% earn $30K – $50K
· 32% earn $50K – $75K
· 42% earn $75K+
Let’s dispel some myths right away.If you think that Insta users are all teens with no income you’re wrong. Similarly, if you think B2B brands aren’t reaping success on the platform, you’d be mistaken. B2B Instagram is absolutely a thing and B2B brands around the world are already embracing it. So, let’s look at 5 ways your brand can rock it.
#1 HP
The official HP account has over 1 million followers and it’s pretty stylish for a B2B tech brand. HP knows its sector and owns it with user stories and photos like the one shown below. By using mexifunk in their example, they are instantly giving their brand street cred. They are also tapping into an influencer’s 20k+ follower base and attracting other artists and illustrators to consider their products.
Steal Their Style
Forget unaffordable celebs sipping diet shakes on the beach for 1 million USD per post. Work with influencers in your sector who have credibility amongst your target audience.
Photographing and mentioning your product is enough, you don’t need a full sales patter.
Shake up your channel with brand takeovers like #ThePowerofOz. Introducing new faces broadens your audience base and keeps thing fresh.
With 256K followers, there’s plenty to see over on the IBM Insta channel which is rocking B2B. In fact, can we just take a minute to remember that this is a brand that was founded in 1911! So, before you start thinking that your brand is too old or too corporate, think again.
IBM has identified that technology by itself is great. But stories about how technology is integrated into the world today are just plain awesome. Take a look at one of the highlights from IBM Sports below. Each highlight is interactive giving fans the opportunity to learn how AI works with sports commentary, swiping up to learn more draws the reader further into the channel. IBM has found the right balance between fun, educational and engaging and they are rocking B2B Instagram. Not bad for a brand that’s over 100 years old!
Steal Their Style
Hashtags on Instagram are an absolute essential. It’s how you find your fans and how you keep your community together. IBM knows exactly which hashtags go with their brand and so should you. Make a list of hashtags that relate to your business and products and use them in your posts.
AMAs (Ask Me Anything) are a great way to open communication between fans and your B2B Instagram brand. See how IBM used AI tech to include AMA on their Insta channel.
Don’t forget who you are. IBM has not lost its mind with flash adverts or influencers. It stays true to its core values and incorporates relevant content into its channel.
#3 SlackHQ
Slack is a popular collaboration hub for work used by a variety of companies around the world. Slack is an interesting B2B Instagram example because of it’s need to show B2C and B2B on its channel. Whilst it may be corporations who purchase licencing for Slack, it’s their employees who use it. And this is where Slack’s Insta comes into its own by showcasing employee happiness. After all, if employees are happy and productive, companies will happily pay for licencing – right?
Slack knows its target audience very well. Modern, communicative offices, freelancers and community hubs which will certainly appreciate posts like the one below:
Steal Their Style
Keep it real with staff photos, news and celebrations like the one pictured below. This photo shows transparency, teamwork, growth and of course fun.
Have fun with on brand giveaways and contests. Insta fans love a good competition. Just be sure to clearly define the rules and outline the purpose of the contest before you start.
Cover live events with relevant hashtags like the one shown below. Slack is a modern forward-thinking company who can use tags like #diversity and #girlswhocode. Be true to what your brand is when you use hashtags on Insta. Also consider real-time content, such as live video/live streaming, which is unfiltered and 100% you. It adds a much-needed human element to B2B businesses and helps you form a genuine connection with your audience and potential customers.
No way a financial B2B brand can be cool on Instagram, it simply isn’t… oh wait. There’s another myth knocked out of the park because financial brands are doing great on Insta. Brands like Wells Fargo with 53K followers. Banking on the surface is boring but that doesn’t mean your social media has to be. In fact, by grabbing limelight on Insta, banks are building loyalty and brand recognition with the next generation of customers. @wellsfargo keeps content fresh by covering a wide variety of topics like current events, financial tips, quotes, team photos and fun facts.
Steal Their Style
Showcasing your CSR- Corporate Social Responsibility is extremely important right now, especially for wealthy organisations like banks. Get your team involved in a local community event and bonus points if it’s sincere and tied in with an online hashtag like #MLKDay as shown below.
Take a stand. Wells Fargo did with this beautiful video in support of LGBTQ kids at risk. The video pulls in real stories and helps fans to understand the brand’s core beliefs.
Feature your fans in your social media posts like this cutie! By using #Fanoftheday or “Fanoftheweek and creating your own hashtag like #WellsFargoChamp you are actively encouraging fan participation.
#5 FEDEX
With 107k+ followers, FedEx is owning the B2B Instagram space. And kudos to them for their creativity. Who would have thought that cargo shipment had the potential to rock Instagram? Fedex’s secret lies in their beautiful photos from around the world which just so happen to show off their airplanes and trucks. It could almost be a travel channel, it’s that beautiful. That said, their promotion never crosses the line, just a subtle logo in the background of stunning photos.
Steal Their Style
Who doesn’t love trivia? Make the most of the apps swipe capabilities to add quizzes, polls and fun facts to your channel like Fedex did below.
Utilise IGTV to show how your company delivers joy, exceeds expectations or motivates your team. The secret here is to use real staff members!Forget stock photography and staged promotional pictures too. On Instagram, your prospects want authentic content that offers a personal glimpse into your company's culture and product offerings.
Encourage users to tag you in pics. This is key to growing your channel and engaging your users. When a user tags you, be sure to respond promptly and share their post.
Care about charities and know that your fans do too. Check out this super cute charity post from Fedex below:
