From the rise of LinkedIn, to the fall of X, and new social media kids on the block (think Mastodon and Fediverse) – here’s the proof that social media is worth its weight in targeted messages and hash tags!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, social media is just as important for B2B as it is for B2C. At IBA, our social media team is always poised and looking for the next social media trend, app, or strategy.
There has been digital shed loads of changes and developments in the social media industry since our piece at the beginning of the year. So let’s take a deep-dive into the standout B2B social media updates you need to know!
Is LinkedIn the true king of B2B social media?
When recent statistics revealed that 8 in 10 B2B marketers worldwide use LinkedIn, it’s clear that LinkedIn takes the top spot as the most popular B2B social media platform!
It boasts an impressive 1 billion+ users from over 200 countries and regions worldwide, so the platform needs to ensure it’s constantly updating and evolving to keep users engaged.
LinkedIn has zeroed in on zero-click content!
Zero-click content simply means content that provides valuable information without users needing to leave a platform – so no external links! It’s a social media trend that the IBA International team has kept a firm eye on, and so has LinkedIn – as they now offer an in-house blog and article publishing feature.
SEO goes social
Another new trend in LinkedIn is to optimize your profile for LinkedIn SEO! LinkedIn SEO is the process of optimizing your profile or company page to increase your visibility in LinkedIn and search engine results. SEO is a staple tactic in B2B Marketing, and it is becoming a mainstay in social media, especially as 31% of social media users are now using social platforms as search engines instead of the traditional likes of Google!
Twitter has the mother of all wake-up calls
Twitter has always been a mainstay of B2B Social Media Marketing, until its transition to X. This move has seen plenty of changes, including new subscription prices, reduced analytical tools, new semantic search capabilities, and so much more in a bid to swipe the top spot from rival Meta’s Threads.
However, in doing so, X has driven away users, despite reporting an increasing engagement rate. Edison Research recently published a report which showed that X has seen a 30% decline in usage over the past year.
But that’s not all that has driven users away from X. It was revealed last year by the European Union that X is the biggest source of fake news and disinformation. BBC Verify, the BBC’s new fact-checking unit, reported that 20% of accounts on X participating in the current war in Gaza are fake, or have been posting false posts.
No wonder B2B X users trying to protect their brand equity are beginning to drop off and move to other platforms.
So, if X is losing popularity, what other platforms, aside from LinkedIn, are B2B professionals now moving to?
The new kid on the social media block – enter the Fediverse
Our social media team’s alarm bells were ringing when Mark Zuckerberg suddenly announced that Threads, the rival to X, was joining the Fediverse. Will it become the new kid on the social media block?
The Fediverse is an interoperable social platform ecosystem that allows users to like, follow, and interact with one another, no matter the social channel. It has no Ads, it has no algorithms. Gone are the platforms with walled gardens. You are in charge of your own feed. Think of it in the context of mobile phones – any make of phone, any network, any person, anywhere, interoperable. It’s the leader in a new generation of social media!
We recently sat down (virtually) with Mike Karliner, Shazam’s founding CTO, to unpack all the need-to-knows about the Fediverse, and what it means for B2B social media, in our new Talking Propeller Heads series, which you can watch here.
One thing is certain, early adopters in the B2B space should make a move to the Fediverse and exploit it for their own advantage, as Mike Karline explains in our Talking Propeller Heads webast, before future social media movements such as a potential ban on TikTok in the U.S. could see organizations crowding in on new social media act.
Social media is becoming more media and less social
Social Media is entering a new era of being less ‘social’, and more content based according to Content Marketing Institute. But what does this mean? The emphasis is on content to do the talking!
While visual posts such as graphics, images, and videos understandably grab attention, well-crafted written content can captivate and resonate with audiences – a thought leadership post for example, can go a long way if it’s well written and contains a strong message!
Social media marketers need to be creative, tell engaging stories, and remember that content isn’t a one trick pony! At IBA, we’re advocates for a long content lifecycle. It’s the hallmark of a well thought-out campaign – and applies to just as much social media content as to business and tech media! Social media marketers need to maximize the content lifecycle to hone in on their brand messaging, which is as easy as repurposing readily available social content into different formats, for different platforms.
Remember, the same message from more than one source or platform is more readily believed – so don’t blow the full-time whistle on content you’ve only used once! Oh, and here’s also your timely reminder to keep content creative, empathetic, and authentically human – not AI-generated.
Keep ahead of the social media curve
The social media landscape is turbulent. It is constantly evolving and updating, with plenty of obstacles (I’m looking at you, AI-fueled misinformation) to contend with.
IBA is here to keep a watchful eye on new social media trends and tactics, so you can quickly reap the benefits if you embrace and implement these new features into your social media strategy.
Just remember to keep your content creative, human – and why not consider dipping your toe into the Fediverse before your competitors catch breath!
Caitlin Goldsmith is PR Executive at IBA International.
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