Networks like Instagram and Snapchat are growing in popularity, and although they were once primarily the domain of business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers, more business-to-business (B2B) companies are jumping onboard. source <> http://blog.bizbilla.com/jaslynn-info/user/show/7463/b2b-marketing-stats-2016

1. B2B Marketing Stats 2016
Social media is changing rapidly.
Networks like Instagram and Snapchat are
growing in popularity, and although they
were once primarily the domain of
business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers,
more business-to-business (B2B)
companies are jumping onboard.
At the same time, organic reach on
Facebook is plummeting, and

2. video—whether on Facebook, Youtube, or
Snapchat—is more important than ever.
How are B2B companies adapting? A new
study from Clutch, a business-to-business
(B2B) research firm, sheds some light on
the state of B2B social media in 2016, and
what marketers should know.
So Many Networks, So Little Time
Though organic reach on Facebook is
down as much as 52% this year, the
network still reigns supreme with both
B2C and B2B companies. Twitter isn’t too
far behind, with ¾ of marketers
prioritizing it above other networks.
In third place, B2B and B2C trends diverge,
with B2Bs more likely to choose LinkedIn,
while B2C companies look to engage
customers through video content on

3. Youtube.
While it comes as little surprise that the
professional network is so much more
popular with B2B organizations, the rise of
Instagram, which came in 5th in the
rankings, is notable. More and more B2B
companies aren’t just limiting themselves
to the old standbys of Facebook and
LinkedIn. In fact, 53% of B2B companies
report using the popular photo sharing
network, nearly as many as B2C
companies!
So which networks should B2B companies
prioritize? It all depends on a company’s
goals and the type of audience they’d like
to reach. For some, that might mean
pursuing thought leadership on LinkedIn,
or pushing video content on Youtube. For
businesses looking to showcase a fun
company culture—perhaps in order to

4. attract Millennial employees— Instagram
could be a natural choice.
Facebook Outperforms Other Networks
Of course, any good social media team will
stay on top of social media trends and
assess whether it makes sense for a
company to have a presence there. But
even as Instagram grows in popularity, it’s
unlikely to be the most effective social
media platform for B2B companies
anytime soon.
That honor goes once again to Facebook,
with 62% of enterprises saying the social
media giant also yields the best results.
14% see the greatest success with LinkedIn,
and despite ranking #2 in B2B usage, just
7% of companies say Twitter is the most
effective.

5. Whether Facebook’s effectiveness is due to
paid or organic efforts isn’t clear. However,
as it increasingly becomes pay-to-play,
more marketers are seeing success with
sponsored content, with 66% saying
Facebook is also their top choice for paid
campaigns.
But determining the effectiveness of any
network depends largely on what you’re
trying to accomplish. Most companies in
the study said the biggest benefits of social
media are increased website traffic,
enhanced brand image, and audience
targeting capabilities.
For other popular goals, for example,
building credibility and generating leads,
content on LinkedIn may be more effective.
However, Facebook’s huge user base and
business-friendly features, including
audience targeting, make it tough to

6. beat—especially for businesses looking to
drive traffic, build a positive reputation,
and target specific audiences.
But Video is King
Just a few years ago, images were
generally considered the most effective
content for social media marketers. But in
2016, video has taken the lead, if only
slightly. 23% of marketers today cite videos
as their best-performing social media
content.
Says Keith Kikadia of SociallyIn, “You can
tell stories in a different way through
video. Video can portray what a picture
can’t fully communicate.” The medium is
ideal both for modern-day attention
spans—the shorter the video, the
better—and mobile devices.

7. Though Youtube is certainly important to
many B2B marketers, both for SEO and
audience engagement, it’s no longer the
only game in town. Snapchat, Instagram,
Twitter, and Facebook all incorporate
video features.
Facebook, in particular is emphasizing
video, both in the feed, where videos
outperform other content by a hefty
margin, and through the rollout of new
features like Facebook Live.
The Takeaway
The B2B marketing world is more varied
than ever. More B2B companies are
incorporating video into their content
strategies, both to adapt to platform
changes and audience preferences. And
B2Bs are also no longer limiting
themselves to just LinkedIn and Facebook,

8. instead experimenting with new networks
like Instagram and Snapchat.
But as more options emerge for B2B
marketers, it becomes more important
than ever to truly examine the goals of the
business and develop a thoughtful strategy
for how social media can best help to
achieve those goals. B2Bs don’t have to be
active on every network, but they do need
to know why they’re on the ones they are.
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