Why Most B2B Startups Get Social Media Wrong—And What To Do Instead

Forbes

2 days ago

Noa Eshed, owner of award-winning growth marketing agency Bold Digital Architects, co-host of the Real Life Superpowers podcast.
There's a strange contradiction at the heart of business-to-business (B2B) tech: Companies working on some of the most sophisticated problems are often left trying to explain their value in environments designed for bite-sized content and fast-scrolling users.
This mismatch tends to create an overlooked gap. Many startups focus so intensely on refining their product that they miss the mark on how they communicate that value externally. And here's where things unravel: social media gets treated as a side project—something to deal with "when there's time." But today, social media can be a front-line driver of brand trust, influence and long-term opportunity.
Over the last 10 years, I've collaborated with B2B tech leaders—founders, CMOs and marketing teams—on strategies designed not to chase hype, but to earn attention where their customers are already looking.
So, what does a results-driven social strategy in B2B actually look like? Spoiler: It's not about chasing the algorithm. It's about establishing credibility, clarity and connection. Let's break it down.
Know Your Audience—Deeply, Not Just Demographically
Most startups build personas. Fewer understand their buyers at a motivational level. It's not enough to know who your ideal customer is: You need to uncover what's keeping them up at night, what language they use to describe their pain and why your existing users chose you over others.
Have you asked them directly? Do you know the real-world outcome they expect from your product?
The brands that break through are the ones that empathize, mirror real needs and position themselves as essential—not optional.
Become The Leader, Not A Follower
It's easy to monitor competitors. But that's rarely where the breakthrough happens.
Instead of reacting to what others are doing, strong brands offer new perspectives. They introduce mental models, frameworks or language that shift how their audience sees the problem space itself. It's about being different in a way that feels necessary.
Don't Sell. Shape Thinking.
Only a tiny slice of your audience is actively looking to buy right now. The rest are in research mode, or not even aware they have a problem. Your role on social? Help them connect the dots.
Think of your content less like a pitch and more like a trusted guide. The value comes from clarity, not calls to action.
Create, But Leverage
Startups often fall into the trap of constantly churning out new content, then watching it disappear into the feed void. High-performing teams treat every asset like a seed. That case study? Break it into a thread. Turn the key quote into a visual. Film a 60-second takeaway. Add depth to a blog.
Great content isn't a one-off. It's a flywheel.
Relationships Are Built In The Comments, Not The Posts
Content without engagement is a monologue. The real traction happens when you interact—whether that's through direct messages (DMs), replying to comments or showing up in the places your audience already spends time: LinkedIn groups, Slack communities, Reddit threads or industry-specific channels.
It's not enough to show up. You have to speak up.
Track The Signals That Matter
Chasing likes is a vanity game. Instead, track signals tied to business impact: increases in direct traffic, branded search growth, engagement from target accounts or pipeline velocity improvements.
If your metrics aren't aligned with outcomes, you're optimizing for the wrong thing.
Stay Adaptive, Not Attached
The platforms evolve. The audience shifts. What worked last quarter might underperform next week.
Winning strategies are never set-and-forget. The most effective teams treat social media like a dynamic system—regularly reviewing performance, experimenting with new formats and iterating based on feedback and outcomes.
Final Thoughts
Social media in B2B tech is about earning trust, building mindshare and creating conversations that your audience wants to be part of. Done right, it becomes one of the most scalable ways to establish authority and influence.
The opportunity is there. The question is whether you'll lead the conversation—or get drowned out by the noise.
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