Does B2B Get Instagram?

When it comes to B2B marketing – we know that while we’ve got some pretty big guns, awesome creative teams, and kick-butt strategists . . . the B2C guys do most of the cool stuff before the top brass lets us do them too. And that’s ok. It’s the way of the world (most of the time).

Instagram is one such example. I admit it, I love Instagram. It’s the freest, least cumbersome of the social platforms. It lets you use your imagination and channel your inner muse to tell a story or express your message in an innovative, visual, concise, and impactful way. Not to mention, that it’s also super engaging and gets likes in numbers that Facebook and LinkedIn (for sure!) don’t even dream about.

So, when I came across this article from Inc. about “20 Startups Nailing Instagram Marketing (and What You Can Learn From Them)” – I was thrilled to see what they had to say.

However, of the 20 start ups covered in the feature – guess how many B2B start-ups there were listed?

One! This could be a matter of the particular author of the piece with an inclination towards B2C – or just because it’s the B2C guys who get to tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of followers. Or, this could be reflective of the fact that the B2B guys are lagging behind.

Let’s take a look at our sole representative. Namely, the article highlighted RingCentral, a company that has a cloud-based global communication system. Their number of followers? 644, which is waaaay below the number their B2C counterparts have. Nevertheless, let’s give them their props.

(To be fair, SAP has 15.9K followers, Citrix has 7.3 followers, and IBM has a whopping 104K followers! Wow.)

Back to the insights from Inc. What does RingCentral do well? “They always post images of their employees. And their employees are always happy and laughing.” This is great for HR and positioning the company as an employer of choice. But it also positions the company well as a positive partner for business.

What does Inc. think we can learn from them? “Show the faces behind the brand. This will help to establish personal connections with your target audience, thus making them more interested in buying from you and recommending you to their friends and family. You'll boost your overall visibility in the world.”

What do you think? Does B2B get Instagram? Who are some of your favorite B2B brands on the network?

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