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Over the past few months, you may have noticed a shift in Hubspot’s social strategy.
The more traditional B2B positions have given way to a presence on social media that is more fun, more relaxed and definitely More Meme-Fining, which made me think: What is the reason behind the shift?
As Hubspot’s global director of social media, Bryna Corcoran, told me: “… We started talking to the next generation of marketing or sales representatives… We started using Gen Z and Millennial Tone-of-Voice. We started making it to dable in the internet culture; And it works. ”
It turns out it’s more than just working. In just six months, Hubspot’s social team experienced 84% growth year-over-year on LinkedIn, according to internal benchmarks.
Here Corcoran shares with me his tips to grow a LinkedIn community and her wider insight into how to succeed across social platforms in 2025.
Hubspot’s director of Social to create a strong LinkedIn strategy, become relevant to Gen Z and experiment constantly
LinkedIn’s audience has changed so your content should too.
When I sat down with Corcoran, the first question I asked her was simple: Why LinkedIn?
She told me there were several reasons. Some users have found it more difficult to thrive with X (formerly known as Twitter), so they are gradually migrated to LinkedIn for the similar “Open -Forum Town Square” feeling.
In addition, several GEN ZS and younger millennia are now turning to LinkedIn for career development and job search.
So the social team saw an option: Why not test their Twitter-tone-of-voice cards, only text, relaxed posts, or what she calls “shower discussions” on LinkedIn?
And it blasted.
Corcoran says, “In the beginning, we were uncertain about how our new strategy would work, so we stepped easily by sending only a couple of times a week. But I’m glad to be able to report that we are getting followers faster than ever, and that’s because we take a personal approach.”
She adds, “It’s almost as if we are transforming hubspot into a person rather than a brand by discussing patterns of how our customers think or feel on a daily basis when trying to grow their businesses.”
Linkedin users expect to interact with companies on the platform, so it’s a good platform to lean into.
There is also another benefit of LinkedIn – while Instagram and Facebook are mainly for personal connections, users Expect To interact with companies on LinkedIn – that is the purpose of the channel.
In other words, companies face fewer barriers on LinkedIn when they engage with users authentic.
As Corcoran told me, “Don’t sleep on LinkedIn – it’s one of the most credible platforms. To be on the platform, put your real first and last name and your work story is accurate. You are a reflection of the school you went to or the company you are working for … so you are much more likely to contribute to Linkedin.
She goes on, “So what we’ve found on LinkedIn is a vibrant society of people who, like being on the platform, and liking to share their thoughts. Of course there are debates, but they are healthy debates. And so we have found people who are inspired to engage us, talk to us, talk to each other, have civil discourse, laugh with us and turn each other’s comments.”
According to HubSpot’s report of 2025 Global Social Media Trends, 84% of marketers agree that consumers are actively looking for brands on social media. LinkedIn remains a Top B2B platform for commitment and brand discovery, and 23% of B2B marketers are planning to increase their investments this year.
Another big plus and differentiation for LinkedIn? It can enhance your content to new audiences by simply engaging in the content. If Corcoran and I are connected as colleagues but I do not follow HubSpot and she comments or likes a hubspot post, LinkedIn will automatically publish this interaction and send it to my feed. LinkedIn provides incredible opportunities to broadcast your content to reach new prospects and leads simply through easy commitment.
Take an audience-first approach with any social strategy while also leaning into cultural relevance.
For approx. Six months ago, Corcoran and her team decided to develop new, fresh personas for their social channels to allow them to take an audience-first approach. Now, when they create a piece of social content, they can keep this person top of the mind.
For example, a persona they have developed is the sales representative trying to get their cold calls answered. From there, it is easier to brainstorm smart, relatable, text -based thoughts that can resonate with this persona and make them feel like HubSpot understands their challenges.
Corcoran told me she is also looking at cultural moments. “We look at things that people are talking about outside the HubSpot universe. What’s the top for them? If we can connect to what’s going on in the culture, it’s still sticky and more relatable.”
And it’s a smart move in 2025.
According to HubSpot’s report on Marketing Trends, marketers with content that reflect brand values and cocks in culturally relevant moments, especially with younger audiences in mind. Gen Z and Millennials are now the top target demographics for marketers, while attempts to reach Gen X and Boomers have fallen sharply.
Brands also prioritize content that feels genuine. Funny, relatable positions continue to operate the highest ROI – and 76% of the marketing people say that authentic content consistently surpasses polished, highly produced assets.
In other words, adapting to culture and being yourself is a powerful, strategic feature.
Corcoran adds, “In the beginning there was a bit of the method ‘Let’s try everything’ because it was undamaged. So we decided to test a lot: weighs our audience to a Barbie -meme? Do we go people in the wrong way if we lean into grammatical mistakes because it is, how gen Z types?”
Before Corcoran’s team posts something, they ask themselves three questions:
- Who is this for?
- What is the hubspot -the way in?
- How can we connect it to culture?
If they can beat these three things well, they typically find success. But as Corcoran points out, they don’t crush it every time – and they still learn.
You may be surprised at what types of content work best with your audience, so test is key.
When HubSpot recently won a G2 award, Corcoran’s team two tested. They started by submitting a traditional, officially active to highlight the victory, and it quickly gained traction through shares.
Later that afternoon they followed it up with a meme.
“It blasted,” Corcoran told me. “People were really energetic by the fact that we had a bit of swag with our G2 message. And the more fun, personality-driven approach meets the same goal for us as the more business post: Driving awareness.”
She adds, “If a post is too polished or purely on the social, it will be misunderstood as an ad. So if we make a video, we take a tiktok or wheel approach where it is only 30 seconds shot on an iPhone and we put it out.”
This approach matches data throughout the industry: By 2025, card -shaped videos and images will be the top content types that drive ROI.
And instead of constantly placing that marketers scale their cadence back-nest two-thirds say they do not post daily and choose to prioritize quality, timing and tone of pure volume.
If you work for a B2B company, it may be tempting to do your brand on social media as polished, professional and formula. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be the case-jo more you can personify your business, the easier it will be for decision makers to get in touch with your brand.
Of course, what works best for one business will flop to another. So it is equally important to continue testing and itering over time. At the end of each month, Corcoran and her team, for example, look at each post and say, ‘Okay, how did this work? Was it short and easy to read? Was the graphics for the company-y? ‘
As Corcoran told me, you start to note themes over time. And these themes can help you better predict what works well with your audience – and what doesn’t.
I have learned from Corcoran that not all posts will land perfectly and that is okay. The goal is not perfection; It is consistent learning and iteration.
Pro Tip: Corcoran recommends sending on LinkedIn to four times a week and avoiding weekends. As she put it: “We have seen the most successful submission of the first in the morning, around lunchtime or around 17-16-deep when people wake up when they take a lunch break or when they run after work.”
Shares mean your content is associated with your audience.
Eventually, I asked Corcoran how she measures success on social media. How does she know that her team’s social positions have business influence?
“We know a Miley Cyrus -Meme don’t make you buy software but we want you to be attentive Of the hubspot-that we are present that we are culturally relevant-so we are top-of-mind when you are in the purchase movement, “Corcoran told me.
She continues, “Our master destination is Brand Awareness and Product Consideration, and the way we measure brand -attention is through commitment: whether to suffer, comment or share.”
She told me she is being especially excited when someone shares a post because it shows the content hit an emotional chord. This means that the user paused, saw himself in it and felt moved to pass it on.
“Often this person will share with someone who has not heard of Hubspot, and suddenly they are curious after us,” Corcoran said.
With social, be willing to test the boundaries.
In the end, if there is one thing I learned from Corcoran, this is this: B2B companies have historically played it safely when creating engaging content on social media.
But expectations change quickly.
By 2025, the brands that win on social are not only the highest ones are the most authentic, strategic and audience-centered. As Corcoran’s team continues to test and learn, they show us what it seems to grow a society by being brave, a little weird and very real.
Talking to Corcoran reminded me that social success does not come from having all the answers – it comes from emerging, testing and not being afraid to sound human. That’s what makes people stop rolling.
The editor’s note: This post was originally published in April 2024 and has been updated for understanding.