With the rapid growth of the digital world, social media has become a platform for companies to communicate and capture the attention of a wider audience. Making use of social networks like LinkedIn or Instagram, many businesses are thriving – gaining significant followings, publicity, and awareness of their capabilities and new customers.
Nevertheless, whilst it is beneficial for business to consumer (B2C) companies, such as Coca Cola and Unilever, should business-to-business (B2B) companies, particularly those in advanced engineering, be using social media, and, if so, how?
A report earlier this year on the trends, challenges, and needs of today’s engineers, demonstrated that social media platforms have become an essential tool. These channels allow specialists to discuss technical issues, network and for the company to boost brand visibility.
Whilst B2C organisations sell directly to the consumer, B2B services involve a sale or interaction between two businesses. Hence, B2B organisations often focus primarily on building trust and long-term relationships.
This contrasts with B2C businesses who could be viewed as having short-term and transactional interactions with buyers. This difference is especially relevant in the case of engineering and scientific organisations which cherish long-term relationships.
Bearing these core differences in mind, this blog will focus on two social media platforms which are being increasingly utilised by engineering and scientific organisations: Instagram and LinkedIn. By evaluating both the potential advantages and drawbacks of these sites, we can find out whether social media has a place in the B2B world or if organisations should hit the delete button.
The table below displays the success ofengineering and scientific organisations on LinkedIn in comparison to Instagram. Whilst LinkedIn is a formal network which prioritises professional, work issues and connections, Instagram focus on visuals and is largely used for personal entertainment and fun. Having said that, companies are using it for brand awareness and to display and services in a novel light. Hence, due to the natures of the two platforms, companies are likely to invest more time on LinkedIn. That is not to say that Instagram is not of value for organisations in the engineering world, especially in terms of brand awareness.
LinkedIn vs Instagram:
| Business | ||
| https://www.airbus.com/en Airbus | (https://www.linkedin.com/company/airbusgroup/posts/?feedView=all) 2.6M Followers, post regularly. Posts include information on key anniversaries, aircraft shows, quizzes, and challenges. | (https://www.instagram.com/airbus/) 2.5M Followers, post a few times a week. Posts include images of aircrafts, video interviews with staff members which answer viewer questions, shows and repairs of damaged aircraft. |
| https://www.gknaerospace.com/ GKN Aerospace | (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gkn-aerospace/) 303K Followers, post a few times a week. Posts include celebration days, congratulating companies, giving engineers opportunities, world records, and insights into the engineering process. | (https://www.instagram.com/GKN_Aero/) 4231 Followers, post a few times a month. Posts are the same on Instagram as on LinkedIn. |
| https://www.gknautomotive.com/ GKN Automotive | (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gkn-automotive/life/559878c5-10ab-45c8-b684-f2dd6fed3265/?viewAsMember=true) 165K Followers, post twice a week. Posts include their cars, ecofriendly innovations and partnerships. | (https://www.instagram.com/gkn_automotive/) 4406 Followers and post a few times a month. Posts are the same on Instagram as on LinkedIn. |
| https://www.coca-cola.com/gb/en Coca-Cola | https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company/ 8.2M Followers, post once a week. Posts include their brand, partnerships, Q2 results and celebration days for their employees or interns. | https://www.instagram.com/cocacola/ 3.2M Followers, post once a month. Posts include ads for their brand and partnership posts with brands or influencers. |
| https://www.mitutoyo.co.uk/ Mitutoyo | https://www.linkedin.com/company/mitutoyo-uk/?originalSubdomain=uk 7K Followers, post two to three times a week. Posts include free trials and special offers. | https://www.instagram.com/mitutoyoeurope/ 10.6K Followers, post a few times a month. Posts include new trainees, products, ecofriendly projections and offers. |
We can see that the factors which affect the success that engineering and scientific organisations are having on social media include activity and, most importantly, content. Companies such as Airbus, which post almost daily, have larger followings than those such as GKN Aerospace, which post less frequently.
It is evident that activity plays a significant role in social media growth. Moreover, by posting entertaining video interviews which engage with viewers on Instagram, Airbus is tailoring content to the social network which they are posting on. This is a highly effective way to grow the presence of a business over multiple platforms – making the most of the advantages of each for companies in terms of brand vision, culture, and popularity.
In terms of the comparison between the two social media channels, LinkedIn is certainly the best option for engineering and scientific organisations due to the business nature of the platform. Nevertheless, Instagram has proven to be a site for companies to let loose and show a softer, approachable, and entertaining dimension. While Instagram’s content may be less direct, it is valuable for branding vision and showing potential businesses the human side of cooperation.
Hence, engineering and scientific companies looking to grow, like many in the B2B space, should be using a range of social media channels to build a more visible, successful, and clear brand proposition.
Pictured: Our Chief Barketing officer, Bruno, testing out his costume for Halloween!
We have done another piece of research like this one asking the question “Has TikTok a place in marketing engineering or scientific organisations?” which highlights the importance of the platform in the marketing world. TikTok is one of the world’s most rapid growing social media platforms – thus, it is a crucial article for organisations interested in social media growth to read.
If you’d like to explore how Aro could help you to increase understanding of your products and services or help develop your communications and messaging, or just to have an informal chat around generating opportunities to grow your business, drop us an email info@aroprandmarketing.co.uk or phone 0117 379 0008.
