Why it's so hard to find outside help for B2B social

If a strong B2B social agency exists, I couldn’t find it.

When I was a fractional marketer last year, I inherited a relationship with an agency that just wasn’t working out. They knew all the tricks of the social trade, but just did not have the experience to understand our product, whose footprint we were trying to expand within a specialized technical field. We ended up with a steady stream of content that was perfectly formatted but fell totally flat with the people we wanted to engage. They tried their best, but couldn’t do what we needed.

I thought I could just find another agency. Boy, was I wrong. I ended up asking a few dozen people in my network, and got plenty of commiseration but no leads for this specialty. One, who leads a developer-facing social team, told me she didn’t know of anyone, which is “the whole reason my team was started. If you find one or start one, lemme know though!”

The bar is higher for social

Why is outside social for B2B so hard?

Compared to writing longer, less time-sensitive pieces like blog posts and white papers, there’s much less room for error or course-correction. A long-form piece is written over weeks and goes through multiple rounds of review. A social post is fired off in a day, and even if a client manages to review it, they're rarely overseeing the agency's replies to commenters on their behalf.

Despite less review, the stakes are much higher. You typically get many more eyeballs on your social feed than your blog. Your brand is at greater risk—not just because of the larger audience, but because of the, well, social nature of this content. Many technical folks love a debate and, given the opportunity, they will loudly criticize posts that get it wrong.

Finally, compared to other writing surfaces, social really rewards flair: humor, memes, just the right amount of sassiness in a reply to a hater. Without the authenticity that only comes through experience, though, the attempts at fitting in fall flat and get people rolling their eyes. You need to be an insider to win a social game...and you can lose big if you're not.

Successful in-house folks have time, space, and access

So why do in-house content and social marketers, who don’t tend to be the super-techy type, have a higher chance of success than agencies? After all, they’re typically hired for their writing and production skills, similar to their agency counterparts.

The secret is that the most successful in-house social folks might start as outsiders, but they become insiders, learning the relevant tech stuff directly and through osmosis (Slack, meetings, etc.). They’re literally being paid to become an expert in this one company and its industry!

However, converting their knowledge into consistent, great posts on social requires time and support that many content teams just can’t expend. Without this investment, posts tend show up only when there’s something big to say, or with no more strategy than linking to the latest blog post, and in both cases tend to be blandly corporate. Lacking the time or executive support to keep up with best practices, they use outdated strategies, such as sharing LinkedIn posts exclusively from a company’s own handle rather than channeling through execs’ pages.

Eventually, some of these companies decide to do something to improve their social. They set aside some budget and task the overworked marketer to find an agency to take the work off their plate. They’re excited to get the support…then frustrated when a straightforward search can’t find the technically competent B2B social help they need.

Technical folks come up to speed quicker

That’s why, when looking for outside help, you should prioritize the demonstrated ability to quickly understand the product, the audience, the context, and the goals. Since this person won’t have access to the internal conversations and networks, they’ll need to be as self-sufficient as possible, with the discernment to figure out where to find answers on their own and when to ask.

Accordingly, look for a freelancer or agency with proven acumen in technical communication. It’s great if they’ve already got their own respectable social presence, but not essential, because it's a lot easier to pick up the best practices of a given platform than it is to learn how your audience thinks.

For my client last year, I finally found someone with years of experience in the relevant industry. Social wasn’t their top interest or greatest strength, and the production value of the graphics wasn’t as high as the previous agency’s. But they deeply understood what the product meant to its users, and created posts and replies that were both accurate and genuine. That made all the difference in terms of social success.

I still don’t know why nobody (that I’ve heard of) has filled the gap in technically savvy social content. We’ve been asked several times if we do social. And now, the answer is yes!

It’s a natural extension for Copytree. Among our highly technical writers—former engineers, PMs, and PMMs—are some who have represented companies like yours on LinkedIn, Reddit, and beyond. We know how to work with your processes and priorities, and how to talk on your (and your execs’) behalf. You know where to find us when you need us.

FAQs

What should brands look for in a B2B social media agency?

Prioritize agencies with proven technical expertise in your industry over general social media experience. Look for demonstrated ability to quickly understand complex products and communicate authentically with technical audiences.

Why do most social media agencies fail with B2B tech?

Generic agencies lack the technical context and industry knowledge needed to create authentic, accurate content for specialized technical audiences. Without insider understanding, their attempts at technical humor and industry references fall flat.

Should I hire in-house or outsource B2B social media?

In-house teams can develop deep product knowledge through daily exposure but need time and training to develop social media expertise. Outsourcing works best when you find partners with relevant technical expertise and a proven ability to adapt quickly to discerning audiences and complex products.

How do I find social media help for technical products?

Seek freelancers or agencies with years of experience in your specific industry rather than general social media specialists. Technical understanding is more difficult to acquire than social media best practices and platform knowledge.