The Instagram platform is an excellent tool for B2B marketers. The site provides a platform for making new connections in almost every industry and at almost any stage of one’s career. The site has more than 600 million users, making it a valuable resource for connecting with current and prospective customers.
Instagram is used by more than half of millennials. Maybe you’re wondering, “Why should I target millennials?” Did you know that 40 percent of the workforce in most average companies consists of millennials? The number of millennials in the workforce is expected to increase to more than 70 percent in 10 years. Consequently, you should consider marketing on Instagram as a great opportunity to build your brand and generate leads in order to reach this demographic.
The time has come for marketers to move away from stereotypes about millennials and accept that they have innovated across multiple industries and now play a significant role in the economy. One of the best ways to reach this group of business executives and entrepreneurs is through Instagram.
Instagram Shouldn’t Be Ignored by B2B Businesses
Instagram is an online platform for visual storytelling. The purpose of this website is to show rather than to tell. There is no better place for a business to showcase its story to a target audience in a compelling, memorable, and engaging manner. It is possible and highly recommended for businesses in the B2B sector to use Instagram – they just need to understand what kind of content to post and how best to communicate their message.
Every day, more than 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile. It is not uncommon for B2B brands to use Instagram as a window into their business. The account is managed by a member of the marketing department, and prospective clients appreciate the transparency provided by the account.
The number of businesses on Instagram exceeds 25 million. In recent years, B2B brands have begun to integrate Instagram into their marketing campaigns. This is the right place for you if you are ready to jump on the bandwagon.
Instagram Insights
If you are using Instagram to promote your B2B business, you need to check in regularly to ensure that you are progressing toward your S.M.A.R.T. objectives. Using Instagram Insights, you can obtain demographic information about your followers and information about the success of your posts. With the use of this tool, it is easier to determine what type of content is working and to measure the effectiveness of advertisements.
There are three places in the app where you can find this information. You can access Instagram Insights from your account page by tapping the bar graph icon at the top right of the page. The data for an individual post can be viewed by going to that post and tapping “View Insights” in the bottom left corner. In addition, if you wish to view data for a particular story, open the story and select the names at the bottom left of the screen.
A more detailed analysis of your last week’s content can be found on the Insights homepage. In order to access this data, click the three lines (aka the menu) and then “Insights.” Select the “Audience” tab to find out how many followers you currently have and how many you have gained.
Why Should B2B Brands Be on Instagram?
It is common for marketers to want to see data before making changes to their strategies. As a result, there is a large body of research supporting the effectiveness of B2B Instagram marketing. You should bring your brand to Instagram for the following three quantifiable reasons:
1. Your customers are there
Social media usage among consumers is at an all-time high. Over two-thirds of consumers across generations (71%) use social media more frequently than ever before.
It is not just for connecting with friends and influencers that we spend so much time on social media. As well as connecting with brands, people use social media to communicate with them. Instagram is the second most popular network for following businesses with more than 50% of consumers following them there.
Whether you are working with a single buyer or a team of ten, you are likely to speak with someone who is an active Instagram user. From the awareness stage to the contract signing stage, you can secure your position at the top of your mind with a strong network presence.
2. Ads on Instagram are a game changer when it comes to brand awareness
It is estimated that half of all B2B marketing content is designed to generate brand awareness. Instagram advertising allows marketers to reach new audiences by using eye-catching content.
It has been reported that Instagram ads generate recall that is twice as high as Nielsen standards for online advertising. You can ensure that prospects remember your brand when it matters most by utilizing a consistent Instagram advertising strategy.
3. Every stage of the buying process is supported by visual content
Video and images are ranked as the most valuable content formats by marketers. Your value propositions must be expressed in a concise, digestible manner in order to be effective.
This may appear to be skewed towards B2C brands. Since they have more flexibility in terms of product demonstrations and user-generated content, they have a competitive advantage. However, this could not be further from the truth.
According to a recent study, short-form video plays an important role in the B2B buying process. As a result, brands may be able to secure a spot on a coveted vendor shortlist. Instagram can be used to support every stage of a buyer’s journey, from video posts to reels to live-streaming.
Conclusion
The most successful B2B brands on Instagram recognize that the channels that are being ignored are the channels with the greatest potential. Although Instagram is growing rapidly, B2B brands often ignore this channel as a potential source of results.
Consider using some of these insights as inspiration to try Instagram for your brand, or perhaps try something entirely different. There is a key here in recognizing that the most innovative brands are not those that follow the mainstream but rather those that take a shovel and create their own waterway.
