In 2025, if your B2B business isn’t utilizing social search strategies, you’re invisible to a large and ever-growing number of people looking for products and services. Social media platforms have evolved beyond simple sharing networks into powerful search engines where business decisions are increasingly being made.

You need to be visible, helpful, and authentic where your customers are already hanging out online. 

According to HubSpot, nearly 30% of Gen Z and Millennials would rather search on social platforms than Google or Bing. This isn't just a marketing trend—it's a fundamental shift in B2B discovery that's already impacting your pipeline.

To put this in perspective, 60% of Gen Z (born 1997-2012) now prefer searching on social media platforms over traditional search engines like Google (Five by Five). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Gen Z will make up about 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030 (NACE), and is already a larger share than Baby Boomers as of 2024. 

As Baby Boomers age out, and are replaced by younger counterparts, the habits of younger generations have become the norm. And with the new normal being digitally aligned, the pace of change has increased. These platforms now serve as crucial research channels where B2B buyers evaluate solutions before ever engaging with sales teams.

This changing of the guard means rethinking your approach to branding and marketing, and why your company can’t afford to dismiss it.

What is Social Search?

Social search is the practice of using social media platforms as search engines to find information, products, or solutions. Unlike a traditional search engine’s algorithm-based results, social search delivers content ranked by social signals—likes, shares, comments, and recommendations.

For B2B decision-makers, this means:

• Personalized Discovery: Results tailored to professional connections and industry relevance
• Peer Validation: Solutions vetted through social proof from trusted business networks
• Real-Time Insights: Immediate access to trending industry topics and solutions
• Visual Decision-Making: Video demonstrations and visual content that showcase products in action

This matters because your prospects are increasingly bypassing traditional search engines by typing queries directly into LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram to find business solutions through authentic, peer-recommended content.

The impact? B2B buyers make preliminary vendor judgments based on social presence before your sales team ever gets involved. Companies with strong social visibility capture prospects at the earliest research stages of the buying journey.

What Platforms Should I Be On?

For B2B companies, maintaining a presence on multiple platforms creates a complete digital ecosystem. There are two “go-to” platforms form the core of many social media strategies. You can use LinkedIn for direct professional engagement and Meta for wider reach and more personal connection with the humans behind business decisions.

LinkedIn is the place for B2B. DC analytics has found that 80% of B2B leads are generated through LinkedIn, and is 277% more effective at generating leads than Facebook and X/Twitter. 

However, don’t discount other platforms. Ultimately, what matters most is who your audience is and where they hang out (which could take some testing).

Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads,  WhatsApp, Metaverse), offers compelling advantages as a search ecosystem:

• Massive reach: With nearly 4 billion users (triple LinkedIn's user base), Meta connects you with decision-makers who spend 74% more time here than average users.
• Precision targeting: Meta’s ad platform allows targeting by job title, industry, and behavior—often at lower costs than LinkedIn campaigns.
• Content versatility: From videos to groups, Meta’s diverse formats help showcase your B2B solutions while building a community around your brand.
• SEO benefits: Strong engagement through Meta social platforms helps drive more people to your website. This activity provides a signal to search engines that they should pay attention to your site. 

Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, et al.: There are many platforms that highlight video content. Some of these are very popular with the Gen Z crowd, and if that is where your audience is, you need to be there too.  

X/Twitter: This platform is still mighty.  With over 6 million monthly users worldwide, you are bound to find some of your audience here.  But X’s reputation has taken a hit recently. Use it if it's important, but pay attention to the platform and be cautious. 

There are other social media channels with large audiences as well. The key takeaway is that it's vitally important to understand your audience, find the places they hang out, and have a presence with them. 

Simple Tips to Boost Your Social Search Presence

Post regularly (at least a few times a week)

You don’t need to force posts, but it’s best practice to be consistent to achieve maximum reach. For content, consider simplifying or splitting up larger pieces of content you already have. 

Use clear, simple language

When creating social media content, simplicity is your secret weapon. Clear, straightforward language helps you connect with your audience. Each platform has recommendations for what types of posts work best. 

In most cases, shorter is better. Take time to browse your platforms and see what others are doing. Find the ones that perform best and do what they do! 

Share helpful information

Sharing helpful content makes you a valuable resource for your audience. Instead of only promoting your business, mix it up with tips, insights, or solutions that genuinely help your followers. 

Consider questions your customers frequently ask (even beyond the problems you solve) and create content around them. This approach builds trust, positions you as an expert, and keeps people coming back to your social media pages.

Respond to comments

Treating comments like real conversations is key. When someone takes the time to comment on your post, respond! Responses show you're attentive, care about your audience, and are actively listening. You build trust with each response, and people like to buy from those they trust. 

Keeping these tips in mind will allow you to hone in on the purpose of social search in the first place. Which is to leverage the opportunity of social media platforms being used as search engines, and to also build a community utilizing personalized and digestible content.

The Big Picture

Social search is part of the future, and without it, you’ll be less findable. And if you act like an outsider, you’ll be treated as such. But if you engage honestly, show expertise, and build trust, social search can be a powerful way for users to find you in a very direct way. 

Pretend you’re a customer or part of your community. Go check out your social pages and recent posts. Is it clear what you do? Are you being helpful or engaging? Keep it simple - your answers should help determine what to focus on!