9 Essential B2B Social Media Marketing Questions for Your 2025 Strategy

The landscape of B2B social media marketing is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of trends is key to driving meaningful results. At the recent SocialDay™ B2B Social Media Forum, we explored the strategies and shifts shaping 2025, sparking some brilliant discussions with marketers navigating this dynamic field.

With so many insightful questions asked during the event, we couldn’t cover them all on the day. This blog dives deeper into the top nine questions that will help inform your B2B social media strategy for the year ahead.

Let’s get started with the pressing questions marketers are asking to refine their approach for 2025.

Q – When would you boost a LinkedIn post instead of creating a full campaign? What are the benefits of boosting posts?

Boosting a LinkedIn post is a simple way to increase its reach and engagement. However, it offers fewer options than creating a full campaign in LinkedIn Campaign Manager. Here’s a quick breakdown of when to boost a post and the benefits of doing so:

When to Boost a LinkedIn Post:

• To quickly amplify top-performing organic content: When you have an existing post that is already generating good engagement, boosting it can help reach a wider audience and further increase interactions.
• For time-sensitive announcements or events: Boosting is a fast and easy way to promote time-sensitive content like events or announcements to maximise visibility.
• When your primary objective is brand awareness or engagement: If your goal is to increase brand visibility or encourage more engagement with your content, boosting can work well.

Limitations of Boosted Posts:

• Limited Targeting Options: While boosting allows for basic targeting, full campaigns in Campaign Manager offer more advanced targeting options, including website retargeting and custom audience creation.
• Fewer Ad Objectives: Boosted posts are primarily geared towards engagement and awareness, while full campaigns provide access to conversion-focused objectives like lead generation and website traffic.
• Limited Tracking and Analytics: Boosting provides basic performance data, but full campaigns offer more comprehensive analytics and conversion tracking through the LinkedIn Insight Tag.

Q – Do you have a recommendation for allocating budgets towards brand-building ads versus lead generation/performance-based ads?

When deciding how to allocate your marketing budget between brand-building and lead-generation ads, the answer largely depends on your business goals, stage of growth, and overall strategy. Each approach serves a distinct purpose, and striking the right balance can amplify both short-term results and long-term growth.

For early-stage businesses or those looking to establish a foothold in the market, brand-building ads are often the priority. These campaigns aim to increase awareness and familiarity with your brand by focusing on broad reach and engagement. The goal is to create a foundation of trust and recognition with your target audience, which is critical for future conversions. 

In contrast, established businesses with a strong brand presence might lean more heavily on lead generation or performance-based ads. These campaigns target specific conversion-oriented objectives, like driving immediate sales or capturing high-quality leads, using precise audience targeting and measurable calls to action.

Your marketing objectives will play a key role here – think about your top priorities and where your desired audience are in the funnel. Ideally, a mixture of both brand-brand-building and lead-generation ads is critical for sustainable success.

The LinkedIn reps we have spoken with recently advise that brands need to be spending a minimum of £45-50 pounds a day to see any real results. 

Knowing how much impressions, leads and conversions are worth to your business is crucial for measuring ROI and determining whether LinkedIn ad campaigns are beneficial.

Q – Is there a recommended length for vertical ads on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn recommends that video ads are 15–30 seconds long to qualify for the most advertising placements.

Q – Do boosted thought-leader ads get marked as sponsored?

Yes, boosted thought leader ads on LinkedIn are labelled as “promoted” to distinguish them from regular content. Thought leader ads are a type of sponsored content on LinkedIn that turn content from employees, executives, and first- or second-degree connections into sponsored advertisements.  

Q – What are your thoughts about when to use thought leader ads in the ad funnel?

Thought-leader ads are best used when your goals are to increase brand awareness or engagement, rather than generate direct leads. If you have employees with a large and engaged following, you can use thought leader ads to promote their content and reach a wider audience. 

Thought leader ads should be used in conjunction with other ad types, rather than as the sole driver of traffic. They are set to be a huge trend for 2025, which ties into using Employer Generated Content (EGC) as they provide authentic expertise and help to humanise your brand. 

Q – How do you deal with the execution of ads that have a less corporate feel? Often the only material we have available to use is a corporate library of clips…

When the only material available is from a corporate library, it can often lack the authenticity and relatability needed to connect with your audience. While corporate clips have their place, they are often too polished or generic to create the emotional connection that drives engagement and conversions in advertising. 

Investing in tailored content creation is the most effective solution. This doesn’t need to mean a huge production budget. Even simple, authentic visuals—like EGC, client testimonials, or behind-the-scenes moments—can significantly outperform overly corporate material. These types of content feel more human and approachable, which resonates better with many audiences.

By shifting a portion of your ad budget into creating this bespoke content, you can achieve better results with less spend on the actual ads. High-quality, relevant content is more likely to attract attention, generate clicks, and drive conversions, meaning your overall return on investment improves.

Ultimately, poorly matched content can waste a large budget because it fails to engage. The focus should always be on delivering a message that feels real, relatable, and designed with your audience in mind.

Q – Would you recommend short-form video answering FAQs as a more corporate company?

Using short-form videos to answer FAQs can be a highly effective strategy for any company. Short-form videos generally get high engagement rates. Their concise nature makes them ideal for delivering information quickly and effectively, capturing attention in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.  

Short-form videos can be easily repurposed across multiple platforms and channels. You can create standalone videos for platforms like YouTube or LinkedIn, and incorporate snippets into longer-form content like webinars or blog posts. 

Well-crafted short-form videos have the potential to expand your brand’s reach beyond paid advertising efforts. By creating engaging and shareable content, you can tap into organic growth and reach new audiences without solely relying on boosted posts or ad campaigns.

Q – Do you recommend to always A/B test for the new ad formats of LinkedIn posts?

Yes! A/B testing is crucial for understanding and optimising the performance of new ad formats. Testing provides concrete data on engagement, conversions, and audience preferences. This insight allows you to allocate your ad budget more effectively and refine your creative strategy based on what works.

Social media platforms regularly introduce new features and ad formats. A/B testing allows you to quickly assess the potential of these updates, helping you stay competitive and adapt your approach as platforms evolve. 

Q – What is your opinion on paid media (PPC) teams running social media ads? I’ve always wondered why it is done by the social team.

We believe it should be the social media team – but it does come down to the individual organisational setup. Social media teams are well-versed in the unique features, trends, and user behaviours on each platform. This familiarity helps them create ads that resonate with audiences.

Since social teams usually create the organic content being promoted, they’re naturally positioned to extend this into advertising, ensuring the content aligns with the overall strategy.

It often comes down to the structure, resources and capabilities within each team, and sometimes a collaborative approach often yields the best results. Social teams bring deep platform knowledge and content expertise, while PPC teams add precision in targeting, optimisation, and analytics. Together, they can deliver impactful, well-rounded social media advertising campaigns that align with broader business goals.

Conclusion

Social media marketing in the B2B space is no longer just about visibility—it’s about creating meaningful connections and driving measurable outcomes. Whether you’re boosting posts, leveraging thought-leader ads, or exploring new formats, every decision should align with your broader goals and audience needs.

By addressing these key questions, you’ll be better equipped to craft a 2025 social media strategy that combines innovation with impact. Remember, success lies in a balance of creativity, strategic thinking, and constant adaptation to emerging trends.