B2B PR (Public Relations) is a strategy that paves the way for converting B2B customers. While LinkedIn is the number one social media platform for B2B businesses, Instagram can be used successfully for B2B PR.
How Instagram can work for B2B PR?
The presence of many brands who deal with businesses shows that Instagram works for B2B PR. You should just know how to find and convert your B2B audience.
You can:
- Find B2B audience
- Convert B2B audience
- Use Instagram as lead
- Find Your B2B Audience Via Instagram
Instagram has over one billion users. This is where you will find your B2B audience.
Use Instagram Listening Tools For B2B PR
I can not talk about B2B PR without listening tools. With Instagram listening tools, you can define some keywords which associate with your B2B business the most.
Whenever Instagrammers use these specific keywords, your Instagram listening tool notifies you. That is the time when you should jump in the middle of the conversation to convert them either into customers or followers.
Add Hashtags To Your Instagram Bio
We all heard that 30 hashtags in the captions can absorb a potential audience. However, hashtags in the bio are not mentioned that often. Make sure you get the upper hand in B2B PR by adding hashtags to your Instagram bio.
Note: Don’t use more than three hashtags in your Instagram bio.
Feature Yourself In Related B2B Instagram Accounts
Related B2B accounts are where your audience is. You can feature yourself on Instagram accounts that have the same niche as yours. That can get their followers to follow you as well.
Note: Before you feature yourself in related B2B Instagram accounts, make sure you professionalize your account. Write a professional bio and take advantage of Instagram to highlight stories.
Target Followers Of Related B2B Instagram Accounts
Find your rivals and mass follow their followers. If you have professional Instagram accounts, there is a great chance they follow you back. Don’t worry about the crazy number of followings. You can mass unfollow on Instagram later.
Note: A low follow back ratio is an indicator to show your Instagram account is not professional enough!
Convert B2B Audience Via Instagram
It is true that the revenue of B2B businesses is high, but it is difficult to convert your followers to B2B businesses. The keyword to convert the audience of B2B businesses is “Trust.” These are the ways you can earn the trust of your audience.
Show Off Your Knowledge
You should assure your followers that you know what you’re doing! That’s why you should show off your knowledge.
Be Informative
Customers must get through the journey before they convert, no matter if they are B2B or B2C customers. The first-hand information is the cliff hanger for your followers that keep them till the end of their journey (customer journey). So be informative, otherwise, they may unfollow you before they convert.
Highlight Successful Projects
Publish successful projects and add them to Instagram Stories to highlight them.
Engage Your Followers
It is commendable for each Instagrammer to engage their followers, but when it comes to B2B PR, I must reemphasize engaging. Every targeted user is a lead you shouldn’t miss.
Post When Followers Are Around
The conversion rate is higher if you post your content at the time your followers are online. Check your Instagram insight to learn when your followers are online.
Use Instagram As A Lead For B2B PR
In the best-case scenario, 70% of your website visitors will leave your page without returning to your website ever again (Check Google Analytics).
That is why the business owners try to find ways to keep these visitors in contact. Instagram can be one of these ways.
These days everyone has Instagram. Suffice it to put a button on your website asking visitors to follow you on Instagram as well.
Instagram Content For B2B PR
I admit it is a bit tricky to create content for B2B Instagram accounts. These are the tips you can bring to consideration when creating content for B2B Instagram accounts.
Humanize Your Brand on Instagram
If you notice well, Instagrammers connect with people easier than brands! It is because a few B2B businesses take the effort to humanize their brands.
How To Humanize Your Brand On Instagram?
Here are some ideas:
- Use more emojis
- Publish photos of staff
- Talk about an amazing incident that happens while working
- Create Content to show off your Corporate Culture
Bring the positive spirit of your workplace to your audience via Instagram. Remember buyers tend to sign contracts with people they like.
Share Announcements with Followers
Do you want to launch a new service or product? Plan an event or exhibition? Suggest a new offer? Any discounts?
Put these in priority when you want to create content for your B2B business.
Conclusion
Although Instagram is not as popular as LinkedIn for B2B marketing, it can work for B2B PR so well. On Instagram, you can find your audience and by earning their trust you can convert them with ease.
It is true that converting them is not that easy, however, you should be patient to convert. Once they convert, you see all the efforts were worth it.
Author’s Bio
The writer is Zahra Zakipoor, a junior digital marketer and a travel freak who survived the quarantine during the COVID pandemic.
She is working with AiSchedul as a full-time writer.