Discover the top B2B social media trends in 2024 to learn how people-first content is winning, why commenting on LinkedIn posts is a great new strategy, and what the hell Linkfluencers are.
Social media is one of the most powerful channels for B2B businesses, but that’s old news.
What’s more interesting is that this is an area of marketing that just keeps evolving.
In 2024:
1. People-first content is winning
2. Employee advocacy is on the rise
3. Partnering with Linkfluencers (LinkedIn influencers) is becoming increasingly common
4. It no longer matters as much which time you post on LinkedIn
5. Comments are proving to be a powerful tool for boosting engagement
Read on to discover more about these five B2B marketing trends from our team of expert B2B marketers on LinkedIn. We’ll explore the evolution of social media marketing, stats, and some frankly badass case studies.
Social media is one of the most powerful channels for B2B businesses, but that’s old news.
What’s more interesting is that this is an area of marketing that just keeps evolving.
In 2024:
1. People-first content is winning
2. Employee advocacy is on the rise
3. Partnering with Linkfluencers (LinkedIn influencers) is becoming increasingly common
4. It no longer matters as much which time you post on LinkedIn
5. Comments are proving to be a powerful tool for boosting engagement
Read on to discover more about these five B2B marketing trends from our team of expert B2B marketers on LinkedIn. We’ll explore the evolution of social media marketing, stats, and some frankly badass case studies.
B2B Marketing trends for 2024: Social media lowdown
The last few years have posed a question: What does marketing for a cookie-less future look like?
With increasing data privacy concerns and regulatory changes, paid advertising is called into question. And what stands in as the replacement?
Content marketing, email marketing, and social media: the glue that holds everything together. On LinkedIn alone, you can cement your brand identity and propel leads through your funnel.
With this in mind, it makes sense that 96% of business leaders in Sprout Social’s 2023 State of Social Media report agreed that companies must invest in social media marketing to be successful in the coming years.
But what does this look like? And how can businesses utilize social media trends to accelerate their results?
That’s what we explore throughout this guide, using five key trends as lenses through which we consider how companies can see success on social media.
With increasing data privacy concerns and regulatory changes, paid advertising is called into question. And what stands in as the replacement?
Content marketing, email marketing, and social media: the glue that holds everything together. On LinkedIn alone, you can cement your brand identity and propel leads through your funnel.
With this in mind, it makes sense that 96% of business leaders in Sprout Social’s 2023 State of Social Media report agreed that companies must invest in social media marketing to be successful in the coming years.
But what does this look like? And how can businesses utilize social media trends to accelerate their results?
That’s what we explore throughout this guide, using five key trends as lenses through which we consider how companies can see success on social media.
1. People-first content is winning
As the old adage says, “People buy from people...”
The B2B audience has always been more likely to buy from a person (or a friendly voice on the phone) than a faceless organisation. But this sentiment has become especially true in a world full of automated responses and often questionable, AI-generated content.
The Sprout Social Index™ showed that consumers consistently report that they don’t see enough authentic content from brands on social media. And the word “authentic” was searched so often that it was Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2023.
People are tired of reading suspiciously similar posts on LinkedIn company pages and Instagram profiles. They’re bored of reading facts and stats which make it blindingly obvious they’re just being sold to. They’re done with forcing a connection where there’s no one to connect with.
Research shows that LinkedIn still stands out to B2B marketers as the most effective channel for generating high-quality leads. But that doesn’t mean that the stuffy, formal posts of yesteryear work anymore.
Emotional storytelling in B2B is in. People want to be able to understand your journey and see how it relates to them. And a splash of personality (with often a dollop of fun) is helping revitalize the social media pages of both large and small brands.
Just take a look at the example below… It’s got a ton of engagement, yes, but more than that, it’s creating a real connection with the audience. The personal vlog-style video, the slang, the excitement — it all mimics how the most successful B2B marketers talk on their own LinkedIn. And this is because it works.
The B2B audience has always been more likely to buy from a person (or a friendly voice on the phone) than a faceless organisation. But this sentiment has become especially true in a world full of automated responses and often questionable, AI-generated content.
The Sprout Social Index™ showed that consumers consistently report that they don’t see enough authentic content from brands on social media. And the word “authentic” was searched so often that it was Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2023.
People are tired of reading suspiciously similar posts on LinkedIn company pages and Instagram profiles. They’re bored of reading facts and stats which make it blindingly obvious they’re just being sold to. They’re done with forcing a connection where there’s no one to connect with.
Research shows that LinkedIn still stands out to B2B marketers as the most effective channel for generating high-quality leads. But that doesn’t mean that the stuffy, formal posts of yesteryear work anymore.
Emotional storytelling in B2B is in. People want to be able to understand your journey and see how it relates to them. And a splash of personality (with often a dollop of fun) is helping revitalize the social media pages of both large and small brands.
Just take a look at the example below… It’s got a ton of engagement, yes, but more than that, it’s creating a real connection with the audience. The personal vlog-style video, the slang, the excitement — it all mimics how the most successful B2B marketers talk on their own LinkedIn. And this is because it works.
Alt-text: A video posted by Hubspot on LinkedIn
Source
Prioritize these things if you want to create more people-led content:
• Humanise your brand by showing your team members (more on this in the next point)
• Build out case studies as stories that give a voice to your clients
• Cultivate a culture of storytelling within your organization, integrating this into internal meetings and trainings
• Humanise your brand by showing your team members (more on this in the next point)
• Build out case studies as stories that give a voice to your clients
• Cultivate a culture of storytelling within your organization, integrating this into internal meetings and trainings
2. The rise of employee advocacy in B2B social media marketing
Employee advocacy is when team members are empowered to endorse and promote your brand. And according to The Sprout Social Index™, 68% of marketers report that their organization now has an advocacy program.
When it comes to social media, employee advocacy is more than just a LinkedIn trend. Done right, it allows every member of your team to build individual connections and get impressions that boost your pipeline and your brand.
Take a look at this post from the Global Creative Lead, Jenna Morrissey as an example. Simple, but effective, it shows the brand personality and culture at the dating app Bumble just by enthusiastically exploring a bit about what the team has been up to. Many people viewing this will feel a sense of warmth and connection… Just like the Christmas jumpers she shows!
When it comes to social media, employee advocacy is more than just a LinkedIn trend. Done right, it allows every member of your team to build individual connections and get impressions that boost your pipeline and your brand.
Take a look at this post from the Global Creative Lead, Jenna Morrissey as an example. Simple, but effective, it shows the brand personality and culture at the dating app Bumble just by enthusiastically exploring a bit about what the team has been up to. Many people viewing this will feel a sense of warmth and connection… Just like the Christmas jumpers she shows!
Alt-text: A LinkedIn post from Bumble’s Global Creative Lead
Source
It’s important to remember that your employees don’t have to be making entire social media posts if they don’t have time. A great place to start is just by asking them to add meaningful comments to content on your company page.
We implemented this strategy for global health tech company Palta, encouraging all board members to share, comment, and engage with posts; the result was that they gained over 8,000 followers at a consistent rate of almost 300 new followers a month.
Employee advocacy allows you to show your values rather than telling them. Instead of saying “We’re all about transparency” while no one has been on your LinkedIn page in months, your audience knows exactly what your employees, and your company, are all about.
We implemented this strategy for global health tech company Palta, encouraging all board members to share, comment, and engage with posts; the result was that they gained over 8,000 followers at a consistent rate of almost 300 new followers a month.
Employee advocacy allows you to show your values rather than telling them. Instead of saying “We’re all about transparency” while no one has been on your LinkedIn page in months, your audience knows exactly what your employees, and your company, are all about.
3. Partnering with “linkfluencers” is more common
The public image of influencers was once confined to the Photoshopped, somehow always tanned people that are all over Instagram. But B2B influencers and influencers on LinkedIn (also known as linkfluencers) are on the rise.
In fact, one recent study from Ogilvy showed that a huge 93% of CMOs are planning to use social media influencers more often in the coming years.
All of this makes sense. In a really short span of time, LinkedIn influencers allow you to:
• Connect with a wider audience who may be interested in what you’re selling
• Promote your services/products subtly, with a human touch
• Build credibility and trust through B2B marketing podcasts, live videos, long-form posts, and more
There is no one sector of B2B that is more suited to influencer marketing than another. Companies in every industry can benefit from using people who have credibility to get a foot in the door with their audience.
When working with Rask AI, a venture-backed AI startup specializing in video translation and dubbing, we had huge success with a B2B influencer marketing strategy. Their mentions grew significantly across social media and the cost-per-thousand views worked out at 7x lower than in paid advertising.
If you’re going to invest in an influencer strategy, now is the time. Banner blindness, the phenomenon where people become used to ignoring ad banners on a website, has now spread to B2C influencer marketing. And this “influencer fatigue” could soon become present in the B2B space as well.
We’re here if you need any help with your influencer marketing strategy.
In fact, one recent study from Ogilvy showed that a huge 93% of CMOs are planning to use social media influencers more often in the coming years.
All of this makes sense. In a really short span of time, LinkedIn influencers allow you to:
• Connect with a wider audience who may be interested in what you’re selling
• Promote your services/products subtly, with a human touch
• Build credibility and trust through B2B marketing podcasts, live videos, long-form posts, and more
There is no one sector of B2B that is more suited to influencer marketing than another. Companies in every industry can benefit from using people who have credibility to get a foot in the door with their audience.
When working with Rask AI, a venture-backed AI startup specializing in video translation and dubbing, we had huge success with a B2B influencer marketing strategy. Their mentions grew significantly across social media and the cost-per-thousand views worked out at 7x lower than in paid advertising.
If you’re going to invest in an influencer strategy, now is the time. Banner blindness, the phenomenon where people become used to ignoring ad banners on a website, has now spread to B2C influencer marketing. And this “influencer fatigue” could soon become present in the B2B space as well.
We’re here if you need any help with your influencer marketing strategy.
4. When you post doesn’t matter so much
There are literally hundreds of articles out there titled “The best time to post on LinkedIn” or “The best time to post on TikTok.” One reality in the future of B2B marketing? It probably doesn’t matter.
The LinkedIn algorithm in particular is now rewarding evergreen content (content that will never get old and always provides value to the audience). This means that focusing on creating high-quality, timeless content that resonates with your target audience is more important than posting at specific hours of the day. You’ll find that you get likes, comments, and shares days and even weeks after you post.
A few tips for creating evergreen content:
• Center it around questions that your audience will always want to know the answers for
• Create tutorials or case studies as these tend to stay relevant for longer
• Find niche topics that are so specific they’ll stay interesting
The LinkedIn algorithm in particular is now rewarding evergreen content (content that will never get old and always provides value to the audience). This means that focusing on creating high-quality, timeless content that resonates with your target audience is more important than posting at specific hours of the day. You’ll find that you get likes, comments, and shares days and even weeks after you post.
A few tips for creating evergreen content:
• Center it around questions that your audience will always want to know the answers for
• Create tutorials or case studies as these tend to stay relevant for longer
• Find niche topics that are so specific they’ll stay interesting
5. Using comments as an organic growth strategy
We’ve already explored the value of LinkedIn comments a bit in this article, but it’s definitely a trend that deserves its own section. By commenting strategically on your own and other people’s posts, you can create a sense of community, spark conversations that are relevant to your product service and become more of a thought leader.
More and more people are recognising the value in this and making comments that are getting them almost as much reach as the original post…
Take a look at this example from our Founder and CEO. Though it’s just one word long, it gives people an idea of her personality and gets her name out there.
More and more people are recognising the value in this and making comments that are getting them almost as much reach as the original post…
Take a look at this example from our Founder and CEO. Though it’s just one word long, it gives people an idea of her personality and gets her name out there.
Alt-text: A post from Margo Laz, CEO and Founder of Kudos Narratives
Source
The future of B2B social media marketing?
It’s clear that providing value and making connections are two tenants that are becoming increasingly important for success in the social media landscape of 2024. As AI continues to develop and people continue to become tired of inauthenticity, this is unlikely to go change.
We can never fully predict how B2B marketing trends will transform in the years to come, but we can stay agile based on what’s happening right now.
The problem is that this can be a full-time job (and it is, for us!).
The best way to keep your finger on the pulse of digital marketing trends is to use a B2B social media marketing agency like Kudos Narratives. We help you tell your story, create a powerful strategy for distributing the content, and continue to test and scale until we achieve the best results.
Ready to surf the waves of trends in B2B marketing for 2024 and beyond? Get in touch.
We can never fully predict how B2B marketing trends will transform in the years to come, but we can stay agile based on what’s happening right now.
The problem is that this can be a full-time job (and it is, for us!).
The best way to keep your finger on the pulse of digital marketing trends is to use a B2B social media marketing agency like Kudos Narratives. We help you tell your story, create a powerful strategy for distributing the content, and continue to test and scale until we achieve the best results.
Ready to surf the waves of trends in B2B marketing for 2024 and beyond? Get in touch.
FAQs
1. How can you stay on top of trends across social media platforms?
Like any content marketing trend, staying on top of social media trends means monitoring both behaviour and engagement. Ask yourself, what are successful people doing? What are your competitors doing? And what is your audience leaving likes and comments on?
You can also save yourself a lot of time and use a B2B marketing agency like Kudos Narratives for all of this.
Like any content marketing trend, staying on top of social media trends means monitoring both behaviour and engagement. Ask yourself, what are successful people doing? What are your competitors doing? And what is your audience leaving likes and comments on?
You can also save yourself a lot of time and use a B2B marketing agency like Kudos Narratives for all of this.
2. What type of content is most popular in 2024?
Human-first content is becoming increasingly popular on social media and in 2024, this can take a wide variety of forms. Interactive posts such as Q&As and polls promote connection with audiences while short videos show a more personal side to founders and their teammates. Even a simple call-to-action can encourage comments and engagement on a post and build a sense of community.
Human-first content is becoming increasingly popular on social media and in 2024, this can take a wide variety of forms. Interactive posts such as Q&As and polls promote connection with audiences while short videos show a more personal side to founders and their teammates. Even a simple call-to-action can encourage comments and engagement on a post and build a sense of community.
3. What are the best practices for B2B lead generation through social media channels in 2024?
To generate leads across any B2B marketing channel in 2024, you need to understand your audience deeply and create personalized content for them. Without this, you will never stand out against the competition. On social media in particular, this looks like creating content that establishes you as a thought leader, sharing actionable advice, and engaging in meaningful conversations.
To generate leads across any B2B marketing channel in 2024, you need to understand your audience deeply and create personalized content for them. Without this, you will never stand out against the competition. On social media in particular, this looks like creating content that establishes you as a thought leader, sharing actionable advice, and engaging in meaningful conversations.
4. How can you build a social media following and boost engagement in 2024?
To create an engaged following on social media in 2024, you need to stay on top of B2B digital marketing trends. This means creating value-driven, human-first content and then fostering a community through comments. You can also experiment with B2B influencers, interactive features, and AI tools. However, the most important thing is to always remain data-driven and the easiest way to do this is to work with a B2B social media agency like Kudos Narratives.
To create an engaged following on social media in 2024, you need to stay on top of B2B digital marketing trends. This means creating value-driven, human-first content and then fostering a community through comments. You can also experiment with B2B influencers, interactive features, and AI tools. However, the most important thing is to always remain data-driven and the easiest way to do this is to work with a B2B social media agency like Kudos Narratives.
5. What are the key metrics to track on social media?
To measure social media success, you should determine the size of your audience and, more importantly, how engaged they are. This means not only looking at followers but likes, comments and shares. You should also look at your impressions to understand the reach of your content. This will help you in generating new leads as well as moving others through the sales funnel.
To measure social media success, you should determine the size of your audience and, more importantly, how engaged they are. This means not only looking at followers but likes, comments and shares. You should also look at your impressions to understand the reach of your content. This will help you in generating new leads as well as moving others through the sales funnel.
B2B businesses will increasingly use social media platforms to facilitate transactions and provide a seamless shopping experience for their customers. Chatbots and Messaging Apps: Utilizing chatbots and messaging apps for customer support and lead generation will become more common, as B2B companies seek to provide immediate assistance and engage in real-time conversations.