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Social Media for B2B Tech Brands
Where B2B Tech Buyers Really Make Decisions in 2025 - Insights from 100 Decision-Makers
LinkedIn is still the bedrock for B2B discovery, especially for conservative industries like finance and manufacturing.
With 76% of tech buyers using it for work-related discovery and shortlisting, its position as the primary B2B social channel is undeniable. However, the edges of the market are shifting rapidly. Buyers are consuming content cross-platform.
CMOs can’t rely on LinkedIn alone.
While LinkedIn remains the anchor, YouTube and Instagram are rising as strong second-tier channels. More surprisingly, platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and private WhatsApp groups are demonstrating significant strength among Gen Z and Millennial buyers.
In our research, TikTok was even cited as “most influential” in vendor shortlisting by some of these younger buyers.
That’s a big shift.
This means the entire journey, from discovery through to validation, is now happening in places most B2B tech marketers aren’t even active. LinkedIn must remain core to your strategy, but it must also expand to where the next generation of decision-makers is already forming opinions.
What's expected in the future
Buyers expect more short-form video (70%), peer/influencer content (55%), and podcasts/audio (50%) in their feeds.
Is the whitepaper dead?
Instead of long-form gated content, buyers want snackable proof directly in their feed. They are looking for:
- 60–90 second demos that show how something works.
- Case study snippets with real-world outcomes.
- Direct interaction via live Q&As or webinars.
Why? B2B tech buyers are scrolling social feeds just like consumers, which means the content has to be fast, visual, and trustworthy to earn their attention. B2B tech buying is risky, and decision-makers are making high-stakes calls under pressure. They’re overloaded with content, so they’re filtering for authenticity, speed, and substance. If your content doesn’t deliver clarity in under a minute, it's invisible.
Chart 2: Donut chart showing the dominance of short videos (65%) and case studies (58%) in content preferences.
Social is where buyers validate vendors, quickly, publicly, and peer-to-peer. Content that feels human and evidence-led gets shared in dark social channels (WhatsApp, Slack), extending its influence far beyond the brand page. Looking ahead, the appetite for short-form video and peer voices is only growing. Podcasts, too, are carving out a space for long-form but conversational learning.
Trust beats polish on social media.
The survey reveals a clear credibility hierarchy, and it's not what traditional marketing models would suggest.
The traditional B2B pyramid (CEO → brand → employee) has flipped. Buyers don’t want canned corporate messaging in their LinkedIn feed, they want voices they can believe.
Survey Insight: Sources of Credibility
- Most credible sources: Analysts, independent influencers, and vendor employees.
- Least credible sources: Executive content and brand-owned channels.
- A major red flag: 44% of buyers distrust content that feels “too salesy” or “AI-generated”.
The hierarchy of trust on social media is clear:
- Analysts, media & Influencers = Authority. Their independent validation is paramount.
- Employees = Authenticity. An engineer explaining a feature in plain English is more trusted than a marketing slick.
- Executives = Mixed. Their content is strong when candid and sharing personal lessons, but weak when it's scripted and staged.
- Brand Channels = Lowest Trust. These are often seen as biased and overly polished.
Chart 3: Bar chart illustrating that analyst voices (62%) and employee content (58%) are the most trusted sources.
This doesn’t mean CEOs or executives should go silent. It means executive thought leadership has to evolve.
A post that reads like a press release fuels distrust. A post that shares personal lessons, founder insights, or even vulnerability performs far better.
Meanwhile, employees and independent experts are already outperforming brand pages.
When an analyst validates your category on X/Twitter, or an employee shares a genuine success story, buyers listen and share.
And remember: social is two-way. Credibility is earned by engaging in conversations, not just broadcasting.
The future has already arrived. Millennials are in senior buying roles; Gen Z is entering procurement committees. Their media diets don’t resemble their predecessors'.
They expect short-form, visual, authentic content. They don’t separate “B2C” and “B2B”. They expect the same speed, personality, and proof in both.
- Under-35 buyers: Lean into TikTok, Reddit, and WhatsApp for discovery and even shortlisting.
- Over-35 buyers: Still prioritize LinkedIn (80%) and YouTube (40%).
- LinkedIn's User Base: It's worth noting that 62% of LinkedIn’s user base is under 35 (external benchmark), meaning the platform itself is becoming younger.
If your social presence still looks like a corporate brochure, you won’t even make it into the feed of these younger buyers. Meanwhile, older buyers still rely on traditional LinkedIn thought leadership and YouTube explainer videos, creating a dual-track content demand.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
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“The quality of the relationships Resonance have with different journalists, coupled with the quality of their thinking and output is great. Plus, they are flexible, open to ideas, deliver on time and provide great comms. You feel they are an extension of your own team.”
Lexi Fox-Mills
Associate Director - Content Marketing, Moody’s KYC