Social media plays a pivotal role in shaping brand strategies and reaching target audiences for B2B companies. Forrester’s 2024 B2B Brand And Communications Survey sheds light on the preferences and strategies of over 100 marketing leaders from B2B companies with revenues exceeding $100 million. Our research reveals a clear leader in the realm of social media marketing: LinkedIn.

LinkedIn — The Unrivaled Leader

LinkedIn, designed specifically for professional networking, stands out as the top choice for B2B marketers. The platform provides unique access to B2B buyers, making it the preferred social media channel by a significant margin over other platforms. This dominance is reflected in the survey results, where almost all respondents reported that their companies maintain an official branded handle on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn far outranks other platforms, with 87% indicating they have a paid relationship with the platform.

While LinkedIn leads the pack, other long-standing platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are also part of the B2B marketing mix — more than 50% of respondents reported having official branded handles on these platforms.

When it comes to paid relationships, LinkedIn far outranks other platforms, with 87% of survey respondents indicating they have a paid relationship with the platform. This is more than twice the number of those who have paid relationships with the second-ranked platform, Facebook, and an even greater disparity shows with YouTube and Instagram. While these platforms are valuable for organic content, LinkedIn is the go-to for paid B2B marketing efforts.

The Decline Of X And The Rise Of Emerging Platforms

X (formerly Twitter) has seen a decline in priority among B2B marketers, largely due to concerns around brand safety, content moderation policies, and controversies under Elon Musk’s leadership. Despite this, 59% of marketers still keep X on their radar and maintain an official branded handle for their company.

Emerging platforms like TikTok and Meta’s Threads, as well as forums such as Reddit, are gaining traction, particularly among companies targeting Gen Zers and Millennials. These platforms remain experimental options for most B2B companies, however. The presence of branded handles on these platforms is limited, and paid relationships are even rarer, reflecting their current status as niche channels rather than mainstream B2B marketing tools.

 

Being Social Means Being On Multiple Platforms

Maintaining a branded handle on social media platforms involves significant investment in creative content, strategy, operations, and governance. Nevertheless, nearly three-quarters of companies manage branded handles on four or more platforms, highlighting the importance of a multiplatform presence.

For B2B marketing leaders, the insights from Forrester’s 2024 survey underscore the importance that LinkedIn plays in their social media strategies. While other platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram play supportive roles, LinkedIn’s unique access to B2B buyers and its professional networking capabilities make it the unrivaled leader in B2B social media marketing. Forrester clients can find the full results in our report, The State Of B2B Social Media Marketing Strategy And Preferences, 2024. View additional research by Karen Tran or schedule a call with us today.