Beneath the memes and morning scrolls, buying decisions are being made. Nearly as many consumers (49%) turn to social media as to search engines (54%) to evaluate brands, products, and services, according to 2025 research from DesignRush.
It’s no surprise, then, that 60% of B2B marketers are increasing their social media investments in 2025—the very same share investing heavily in AI—signaling that even with AI’s rise, social platforms remain central to connecting with buyers.
Why the social surge?
Let’s unpack some additional DesignRush-provided stats behind the spend:
To discover new brands, nearly 48% of consumers turn to social—compared to 35% who use search. Search answers questions; social reveals possibilities. Unlike search, which directly addresses specific knowledge gaps, social surfaces unexpected ideas, fresh products, and new experiences through rich visuals and stories. It’s where curiosity sparks, relationships grow, and action initiates—often ahead of conscious intent.
Since 2022, 7% more Americans rely on social platforms for news. Among younger users, the shift is even more pronounced—nearly one in three (29%) now say social media is their primary source of news. Social media as news means brands show up not just as ads but as part of culture and conversation. Prospects are seeing stories, perspectives, and commentary that shape how they view the world. Brands that weave themselves authentically into these narratives become part of that trusted context.
80% of social media teams prioritize video ahead of carousels (45%) and static images (35%). Amid flooded feeds and shrinking attention spans, video cuts through noise and grabs eyeballs in a crowded feed—combining motion, sound, and storytelling. For B2B marketers especially, video offers a chance to humanize complex products, demonstrate value in action, and build trust—which goes a long way when engaging multiple stakeholders across longer sales cycles.
Nearly a third of marketers (29%) say Facebook and Instagram offer the best ROI, with YouTube (26%) and TikTok (24%) close behind. Platforms come and go, but the old vanguard continues to deliver, with paid efforts delivering strong returns. And while LinkedIn wasn’t part of this particular research pull, the Dreamdata LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks Report 2025 found the platform delivers a 113% return on ad spend, influences 35% of transactions, and offers direct access to 40 million decision-makers in late-stage buying—but it’s a marathon, not a sprint, averaging 320 days from first touch to closed revenue.
Social media’s role in the sales journey
People are glued to social media—over two hours a day, on average. A CFO on the train bookmarks a case study; a new parent pulls up stroller reviews at 2 a.m.; a procurement manager gets hooked by a simple Instagram carousel.
Each moment nudges a buyer closer to “yes.”
But there’s more to the story than just screen time. Buyers today want to explore on their own terms. Gartner reports that 84% of B2B buyers have been turned off by pushy sales reps, and 61% prefer researching solo. Yet, going it alone can cause doubt and hesitation.
Social media fills that gap by offering trusted peer insights, authentic stories, and expert voices. With 90% of B2B buyers relying on social proof and thought leaders, these platforms become town halls where trust builds, questions get answered, and buying decisions take root.
Why social punches above its weight
Social does more than extend the life of your content; it turns your message into a magnet for new audiences, sharpens your brand voice, and gives you:
- Speed: Your content reaches thousands—sometimes tens of thousands—of the right people in hours, not weeks.
- Scale: Great posts get shared, spreading well beyond your immediate circle.
- Flexibility: If something’s not working, you can shift gears tomorrow—not next quarter.
Think of social as your testing ground for what really clicks:
- The right message, using visuals that break down complex ideas into bite-sized, shareable stories.
- The right audience, targeted precisely by job title, industry, or company size.
- The right timing, identifying when your prospects are actually paying attention.
But here’s the catch: many marketers still treat social like the wallflower at the marketing party, stuck in its own little silo, totally ignored by the big picture strategy.
One leader confessed his social feeds felt stuck on repeat: steady followers, a handful of likes, but zero momentum. Another said she’d never thought about bundling posts into campaigns that build relationships or take aim at fresh audiences.
With a never-ending buffet of formats and last-minute requests, content teams often have bigger fish to fry. Social ends up managed separately, a rushed afterthought. Posts go out sporadically, aimed at everyone but really connecting with no one. And the fear of annoying followers stops teams from reusing and repurposing content that could get way more mileage.
They might have plenty of content—but what they need is a strategist who can connect the dots: building social campaigns that go beyond one-off posts, blending paid and organic efforts, and turning social into a powerful amplifier for every major asset produced.
Making social work for your brand
When social’s part of your bigger content plan, it stops feeling like “one more box to check” and becomes a cost-effective way to hit your marketing targets.
Consider this example: after producing a dense 40-page industry report, the content team for a global SaaS platform distilled the most compelling insights into a LinkedIn series with custom visuals. Each post reached 1,000–2,000 highly targeted viewers in their exact niche, sparking thousands of downloads and propelling their social selling scores to the top of the leaderboard. While tracking direct leads from social can be tricky, the steady engagement proves social’s power to foster awareness and interest.
If social feels like an uphill climb, you’re not alone. But with the right strategy and support, it can become your brand’s most reliable growth engine—turning random posts into real connections and measurable results. Let’s chat about how our writing team can make it happen.
