An Instagram PR guide for B2B engagement

22/04/2025 14:50:17
Share     
In 2025, business social media is making the shift to being, well, social. This means that Instagram, of food pic and cat videos fame, is fast becoming a much more tenable domain for B2B marketing and PR. 

Social doesn’t necessarily mean personal; it means being more people focused. It is not just about strong leads and conversions, but rather building your brand, reputation and personality to attract the right kind of business connections, potential employees and industry partners. 

This is perfect for PR, as that is part of what we are trying to do in the first place! The only difference from more traditional forms of PR, is that your content on Instagram needs to be image or video-led. 

So, how can you use PR for Instagram to best support your wider PR and marketing efforts?
 

Who are you, anyway?


The first thing to isolate when looking at an Instagram PR strategy is what you are trying to project and achieve, and who you want to engage with. 

For example, if you are looking to create a strong employer brand to increase your workforce, you will want to project what it is like to work at your company, and why this is a business people would want to work for. This will attract (and retain) the right kind of talent into your business.
 
Visuak content
Photos, videos and features on staff achievements, team building activities, ‘day in the life’ pieces and staff events will not only help your current staff to feel part of the community, and valued within your business, but it will also help with recruitment. You can communicate culture, values and opportunities all through some great tailored visual content.  

If you wish to position yourself as an expert in your field, your content will need to be more technically led – such as infographics, ‘how to’ or ‘explainer’ videos and thought leadership on current events. This will attract audiences who are serious about the subject, and know your business is one to trust should they need your services in the future. Build those relationships through knowledge share!

Remember, ask “who am I/are we as a business, and what is the primary goal?’. Of course, this goal can be split by quarter, monthly or annually, and adapted to business needs. Then, get creative and discover how you can portray these messages through visual media. 

Building B2B networks with PR on Instagram


In line with your goals, it is good practice to follow a number of businesses or business people that you would like to work with, or network with, and engage with their content.  A follow usually prompts a follow back (or at least alerts the account of your interest and existence) and engaging with their content shows that you are interested and can help to grow relationships within your field.

In addition, follow industry and thought leaders in your area and sector. This means you will see the kind of content that is relevant to you, that can benefit your business, and you can also share this to your Instagram followers, demonstrating your commitment to industry advancement. 
 

Use all the functionality to maximise PR potential 


As we mentioned, Instagram is no longer just for snapshots of coffee and cats. It has been expanded significantly to include many functions that can benefit businesses. You can now have more than ten photos per grid post, post stories (short form videos and photos that disappear after 24hrs), and ‘Reels’ (longer videos).  

A good mix of all three of these will ensure that people are digesting your information regardless of which format they prefer. It is worth doing research to establish what your ideal audience, by role and sector, prefers. For example, do floor managers spend more time watching videos, glance quickly at images (thus these must convey a lot of info), or deep diving into an image description?   

Some content will be better suited to one format, but you can still share it onto the others should you wish. 

If you have a press release about a contract win, you can have a main grid image of the people involved, and the information in the description with directions on how to read the full story. You can then share this to your story, with a link to the web article. For your reel, maybe do a welcome video or a Q&A with a member of staff close to the contract talking about how the contract benefits both parties. 
Importance of video on Instagram

Video is on an astronomical rise across all platforms, so it is wise to plot some video content into your plan. This is a great opportunity to show how your business really works, who your people are and provide behind the scenes insights. 

Further functionality… Inclusive PR for building B2B networks


In your posts, stories and reels you can tag people (‘@’) so that the post shows to their followers as well as your own. This is a great tool for creating communities and increasing reach. For the aforementioned contract win, @ in the other company. This will only show on your grid, but still has a significantly larger reach than if no one was tagged. 

You can also now ‘collaborate’ on posts. This essentially makes the post a joint post, and it shows on everyone who is marked as a collaborator’s grid. This is again a great way to grow a business community on Instagram, as their customers will have exposure to you and yours, and you will have exposure to theirs. The reach is far greater than a solo post, and it also demonstrates your business values of working with others. 

Hashtags are still here, although arguably less prolific than previously. It is good practice to include relevant hashtags in order to group posts and ensure an appearance in searches.  We would suggest keeping it to a maximum of five, and linking it in with keywords for your business or current business goals. For example, hashtags for this blog could be #PRTips #B2B #B2BPR #InstagramforPR.
 
Hashtags on Instagram

Measuring the success of Instagram for PR


As with any marketing strategy, it’s crucial to regularly monitor your performance and adjust accordingly. Are your goals being met? Are you reaching the right people, and are they engaged?

Instagram’s Insights feature allows you to track key metrics such as engagement, reach, and follower growth. Analysing this data helps you identify what type of content resonates with your audience and where there’s room for improvement. 

By continuously testing and tweaking your approach, you can ensure your Instagram strategy is as effective as possible in driving B2B growth and building a strong online presence and network. 

Conclusion - PR on Instagram


Instagram is a great way to get your messaging across, while building exciting B2B networks. Taking the focus from hard sales to a more social approach allows quality relationships to be crafted, and a foundation of trust to be built for lucrative future interactions.

To find out more about what PR on Instagram can do for your business, contact us today. 

Get in touch