How to Use Instagram for B2B Marketing

If your business markets and sells to other businesses, you probably use Instagram to promote your products. The question is, are you doing this effectively using B2B (business-to-business) marketing strategies?

A well-rounded B2B marketing campaign can help highlight your brand to potential new customers and reinforce the value of your products and services to your existing customers.

Why Use Instagram for B2B?

If you’ve been using Instagram for marketing purposes for a long time, you most likely don’t even think about why you’re doing it. But when you take the time to do so, you might wonder whether Instagram is even the right platform to market to other businesses. After all, most other companies seem to use it for B2C (business-to-customer) marketing.

Fortunately, you had it right all along. Instagram, with its more than 2 billion active monthly active users, is far more than just a playground for lifestyle influencers. B2B marketing has earned its rightful place on this popular platform, and all you need to do is find a good strategy or two to keep promoting your business to others:

• Build a Strong Brand Identity

  Instagram is your second office, and you should treat it as such. You should use all its features to make your brand attractive to other businesses. You can do this by using Instagram to research your potential customers so you know their most pressing product needs and requirements. Then, you can tailor your products and services to meet those needs.

  
  

  This is where the process becomes fun. You can conjure engaging visuals and stories to leave a lasting impression on those you most want to impress.

• Humanize Your Business

  Let’s face it, you don’t want to do business with a soulless online machine, and neither do others. If you come across as an organization only out to get money, other brands will be hesitant to start a conversation on Instagram, let alone buy from you.

  
  

  Humanize your business by putting faces to names, highlighting your office culture, and featuring members of your team.

• Reach Your Ideal B2B Audience

  Once you’ve perfected your Instagram strategy, it’s time to search for your next B2B customers. The Instagram algorithm allows you to reach various demographics and industries using a few simple tactics. Use relevant business hashtags, engage with industry influencers, and run targeted ads to spike interest in your brand.

  
  

  Recently, an air conditioning company roped in a brand ambassador in the form of a well-known South African rugby player. While this may seem unorthodox, the queries for the company’s products continue to increase because of this partnership. Partnering with a well-known individual who believes in your brand and wants to support it can do wonders for your online strategy.

  
  

  Combine this partnership with relevant hashtags and compelling content, and your business will continue to thrive.

• Drive Traffic to Your Website

  If you want potential business customers to view your entire product range, you can direct them to your website or product landing page by using links in your Instagram bio or Instagram Stories. When someone clicks on these links, they might find that one or two of your products are exactly what they need, which increases the chances of a sale.

  
  

  Directing traffic to your website is also a good way to generate leads. You can have a pop-up promoting a giveaway, provided the person leaves their contact details so you can contact them about future promotions and new products.

• Work On Forging Meaningful Relationships

  Most B2B suppliers have been working with their customers for some time. You must forge meaningful connections with your customers to benefit from a mutual B2B relationship. To continue building trust, comment on their social media posts, send direct messages of congratulations for their achievements, and have face-to-face interactions.

Setting Up Your Instagram Profile For B2B Success

Now that it’s clear just how valuable Instagram can be in the B2B marketing process, you can optimize your profile for success.

View your Instagram profile as your business card. It is the first impression you make on a potential B2B customer. Therefore, you should promote your brand using a high-quality logo and write an informative bio with a link to your website.

Furthermore, establish a content strategy that strives to inspire. Showcase your products and services and provide valuable industry insights that pique your audience’s interest. Share appealing images, infographics, and videos that keep fingers clicking on your content.

Because it allows you to post product demos and testimonials, Instagram Stories is a valuable feature, especially in B2B marketing strategies. Most businesses will check the reviews of a company before contacting them, so those glowing reviews you have in your email inbox will come in handy here.

Also, use Instagram to show off your expertise. If you’ve been running your business for years, use Instagram’s long-form caption feature to round off your content by sharing tips and tricks that highlight your knowledge of your particular industry.

Furthermore, you can also use Instagram Ads to reach a new audience. The platform offers photo, video, carousel, and Instagram Shopping ads, all designed to make products look appealing.

The Core of B2B Success On Instagram

Once you have a complete and attractive Instagram profile, you should start engaging your ideal B2B audience so you can convert leads into loyal customers.

You can do this by being social and engaging with your followers daily. Respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in conversations related to your industry.

Post videos on Instagram to connect with your audience, especially when launching new, innovative products.

As your marketing campaigns speed along, keep an eye on your personalized Instagram Insights to see which posts resonate most with your audience.

Collaborate with interested partners to set up Instagram takeovers, co-hosted events, and cross-promotion campaigns. The more eyes you get on your content, the better.

Wrapping Up

Gaining a loyal B2B following on Instagram won’t happen instantly, but with ongoing effort and tailored content, you will soon reap the rewards. Conquer Instagram with your unique brand voice, and you’ll soon sign up B2B contracts that will take your business to the next level.