How HubSpot’s Social Team Grew Their LinkedIn Presence by 84% in Six Months, According to HubSpot’s Director of Social

Welcome to HubSpot’s Expert Edge Series, the place we interview high execs at main manufacturers to discover their views on the most recent developments, challenges, and alternatives shaping the trade.

Over the previous few months, you would possibly’ve seen a shift in HubSpot’s social technique.

The extra conventional B2B posts have given manner for a social media presence that’s funnier, extra informal, and undoubtedly extra meme-ified.

Which led me to surprise: What is the cause behind the shift?

As HubSpot’s International Director of Social Media, Bryna Corcoran, advised me: “About seven months in the past, we began to talk to the subsequent era of promoting or gross sales reps — we began to make use of the Gen Z and millennial tone-of-voice. We began to dabble in web tradition; we began to submit memes, which, you understand, undoubtedly acquired us some questionable faces. We began to make it extra of a conversational group. And it is working.”

Seems, it is extra than simply working. Prior to now seven months alone, HubSpot’s social workforce has seen 84% year-over-year development on LinkedIn.

Right here, Corcoran shares with me her suggestions for rising a LinkedIn group, in addition to her broader insights on the way to succeed throughout social platforms in 2024.

HubSpot’s Director of Social On Creating A Robust LinkedIn Technique, Changing into Related to Gen Z, and Experimenting Always

LinkedIn’s Viewers Has Modified: So Your Content material Ought to, Too

After I sat down with Corcoran, the primary query I requested her was easy: Why LinkedIn?

She advised me there are a number of causes. For one, some customers have discovered it more durable to thrive on X (beforehand generally known as Twitter), so that they’ve step by step migrated to LinkedIn for that comparable “open-forum city sq.” really feel.

Moreover, extra Gen Z’s and youthful millennials at the moment are turning to LinkedIn for profession growth and job looking out.

So the social workforce noticed a possibility: Why not take a look at out their Twitter tone-of-voice — brief, text-only informal posts, or what she calls “bathe musings” — on LinkedIn?

And it blew up.

Corcoran says, “To start with, we have been uncertain how our new technique would carry out, so we treaded flippantly by posting just a few occasions every week. However I am comfortable to report that we’re gaining followers quicker than ever, and that is as a result of we’re taking a private method.”

She provides, “It is virtually like we’re turning HubSpot into an individual, moderately than a model, by discussing the musings of how our prospects are pondering or feeling each day as they attempt to develop their firms.”

LinkedIn’s Customers Anticipate to Work together With Companies on the Platform, So It is a Good Platform to Lean Into

There’s one other profit to LinkedIn, too — whereas Instagram and Fb are largely for private connections, customers count on to work together with companies on LinkedIn. In reality, it is the aim of the channel.

In different phrases: Companies aren’t breaking by way of fairly as excessive of a barrier on LinkedIn in terms of determining genuine methods for customers to work together with them.

As Corcoran advised me, “Do not sleep on LinkedIn — It is among the most credible platforms. To be on the platform, it’s worthwhile to put your actual first and final title, and your work historical past is correct, and also you’re a mirrored image of the varsity you went to or the corporate you’re employed for … so that you’re more likely to contribute thoughtfully on LinkedIn in comparison with different platforms.”

She continues, “So what we have discovered on LinkedIn is a vibrant group of people that identical to being on the platform, and like sharing their ideas. In fact there are debates, however they’re wholesome debates. And so we have discovered people who find themselves impressed to have interaction with us, discuss to us, discuss to one another, have civil discourse, chortle with us, and thumbs-up one another’s feedback.”

One different large plus and differentiation for LinkedIn? Its capacity to amplify your content material to new audiences just by participating with the content material. If Corcoran and I are related as colleagues however I do not comply with HubSpot and she or he feedback on or likes a HubSpot submit, LinkedIn will auto-publish that interplay and submit to my very own feed. Which implies LinkedIn supplies unbelievable alternatives to broadcast your content material to achieve new prospects and leads merely by way of lightweight engagement.

Take an Viewers-First Strategy With Any Social Technique — Whereas Additionally Leaning Into Cultural Relevancy

Roughly six months in the past, Corcoran and her workforce determined to develop new, recent personas for his or her social channels to allow them to take an audience-first method. Now, after they’re crafting a chunk of social content material, they’re in a position to hold that particular person top-of-mind.

For example, one persona they’ve developed is the gross sales rep who’s making an attempt to get their chilly calls answered. From there, it is simpler to brainstorm intelligent, relatable text-based ideas that might resonate with that persona and make her really feel like HubSpot understands their challenges.

Corcoran advised me she additionally appears at cultural moments. “We have a look at issues that persons are speaking about exterior of the HubSpot universe. What’s high of thoughts for them? If we will hook up with what is going on on in tradition, it is even stickier and extra relatable.”

She provides, “To start with, there was slightly little bit of the ‘let’s strive every thing’ methodology, as a result of it was uncharted. So we determined to check loads: Does our viewers gravitate to a Barbie meme? Are we rubbing individuals the flawed manner if we lean into grammatical errors as a result of that is how Gen Z sorts?”

Now, earlier than Corcoran’s workforce posts something, they ask themselves three questions:

• Who is that this for?
• What is the HubSpot manner in?
• How can we join it to tradition?

If they’ll strike these three issues nicely, they usually discover success. However, as Corcoran factors out, they do not crush it each time — and so they’re nonetheless studying.

You Would possibly Be Shocked By What Kinds of Content material Performs Finest With Your Viewers, So Testing is Key

When HubSpot received a G2 award not too long ago, Corcoran’s workforce posted a conventional, official asset to spotlight the award. And it acquired extensively shared.

However then, later that afternoon, they determined to submit a Miley Cyrus Grammy awards picture with the caption, “shopping for myself flowers to have a good time all these G2 wins”.

As Corcoran advised me, “That blew up. Individuals have been actually energized by the truth that we had slightly little bit of swag with our G2 announcement. And the extra enjoyable, personality-driven method accomplishes the identical objective for us because the extra corporate-looking submit: Driving consciousness.”

One factor we have discovered,” She provides, “is that if a submit is simply too polished or clear on social, it will get misunderstood as an advert. So if we’re doing a video, we take a TikTok or Reels method the place it is simply 30-seconds shot on an iPhone and we put it out.”

For those who work for a B2B firm, it may be tempting to pigeonhole your model on social as polished, skilled, and formal. However that does not essentially need to be the case — the extra you possibly can personify what you are promoting, the simpler will probably be for decision-makers to attach together with your model.

In fact, what works greatest for one enterprise will flop for one more. So it is equally important you proceed to check and iterate over time. On the finish of every month, for example, Corcoran and her workforce have a look at each single submit and say, ‘Okay, how did this one carry out? Was it brief and easy-to-read? Was the graphic too corporate-y?’

As Corcoran notes, over time, you start to note themes. And people themes can assist you get higher at predicting what performs nicely together with your viewers … and what does not.

(Bonus Tip: Corcoran suggests posting on LinkedIn three to 4 occasions per week; however she encourages companies to keep away from posting on the weekends, since individuals usually aren’t utilizing the platform throughout their day off. Moreover, she’s seen essentially the most success posting very first thing within the morning, round lunchtime, or round 5-6 PM — mainly, when persons are waking up, after they’re taking a lunch break, or after they’re winding down after work.)

Shares Means Your Content material Related Emotionally With Your Viewers

Lastly, I requested Corcoran how she measures success on social. How does she know her workforce’s social posts are driving enterprise impression?

Here is how Corcoran thinks about it: “We all know a Miley Cyrus meme will not get you to buy software program, however we would like you to be conscious of HubSpot — that we’re current, that we’re culturally related — in order that we’re top-of-mind when you find yourself within the shopping for movement.”

She continues, “Our grasp objective is model consciousness and product consideration, and the best way we measure model consciousness is thru engagement: Whether or not that is liking, commenting, or sharing.”

Specifically, she advised me she will get actually enthusiastic about shares — as a result of that tells her that the content material related emotionally with the person on some degree. It means a person slowed down and stated, ‘That is so related to me that I have to share it with another person.’

Corcoran says, “Oftentimes, that particular person will share with somebody who hasn’t heard of HubSpot, and all of a sudden they’re interested by us.”

With Social, Be Prepared to Take a look at the Boundaries 

Finally, if there’s one factor I discovered from Corcoran, it is this: B2B companies have traditionally performed it protected in terms of creating participating content material on social media.

However social media customers’ expectations are quickly evolving, and it is important what you are promoting proceed to judge and iterate by itself social technique to achieve new audiences and drive model consciousness in 2024 and past.