You’re Doing B2B Social Media Wrong: James Dooley and Anni Ma on B2B Marketing Done Right
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What Does “You're Doing B2B Social Media Wrong: James Dooley and Anni Ma on B2B Marketing Done Right” Talk About?
In this episode of the James Dooley Podcast, James Dooley sits down with B2B social media strategist Anni Ma to break down exactly what businesses are getting wrong when it comes to social media marketing. The conversation opens with a blunt diagnosis: too many companies rely on static graphic design posts that rarely exceed 200 impressions, missing the social element entirely by playing it too safe and following a corporate-by-the-book approach. From there, they discuss why video content is the dominant format for reaching new audiences and how businesses should use their own employees as charismatic brand representatives rather than relying solely on polished but lifeless branded imagery.
The episode digs into platform strategy, tackling the common mistake of spraying the same content across every platform without purpose. Anni Ma explains the concept of finding your winning platform, noting that Instagram works well for her brand before repurposing content elsewhere. LinkedIn is identified as the starting point for B2B audiences, but with a strategic twist: the goal is to gradually migrate those followers to Instagram where deeper personal connections are built through family content and behind-the-scenes moments. WhatsApp also gets highlighted as an underrated tool for nurturing core audience relationships at a deeper, more personal level. The pair also touch on Reddit as a platform for stirring discussion around controversial or juicy topics relevant to a niche community.
“They're hiring a graphic designer and just posting static images and calling that a post. And they're posting the same thing and it never gets higher impressions than like 200 as a waste of your time and money. That is not social media. You're missing out on the social component.”
— Anni Ma
Who Are the Guests on “You're Doing B2B Social Media Wrong: James Dooley and Anni Ma on B2B Marketing Done Right”?
James Dooley is the host of the James Dooley Podcast and a recognized figure in the SEO and digital marketing space. Known for his direct and candid interview style, James brings practical knowledge about lead generation, organic SEO, and B2B marketing to his conversations. His company PromoSEO recently received recognition as the Best B2B Companies Lead Generation Agency, reflecting his deep expertise in helping businesses grow through search and digital channels.
Anni Ma is a B2B social media strategist and content creator with a strong focus on video-first marketing and platform-specific audience building. She works with businesses to develop social media content strategies that prioritize engagement and real connection over polished but ineffective branded graphics. With a background in community building and content production, Anni also has access to a network of actors and editors, allowing her to help businesses that lack in-house talent to still show up effectively on social media.
What Are the Key Takeaways From “You're Doing B2B Social Media Wrong: James Dooley and Anni Ma on B2B Marketing Done Right”?
Here are the key points discussed in this episode:
- Posting static images without video or personality is one of the most common and costly mistakes B2B companies make on social media, often resulting in fewer than 200 impressions per post.
- Businesses should identify their winning platform by testing content broadly at first, then doubling down on the channel that delivers the best results rather than spreading effort equally everywhere.
- LinkedIn is the best starting point for B2B social media, but the real strategy is to use it as a gateway to move followers to Instagram, where deeper personal connections are built through lifestyle and event content.
- WhatsApp is an underutilized platform for B2B marketers because it enables direct, personal communication with a core audience and can trigger meaningful business conversations through story sharing.
- Businesses that lack confident on-camera talent can still produce effective video content by working with coaches, strategists, or even professional actors who can deliver scripts on behalf of the brand.
“What most people get wrong with B2B social media is spraying and praying, doing one piece of content all across, right? That works if you're trying to find your winning platform. But if you are just posting all across with no intent or purpose and you aren't finding your winning platform, that's a fail.”
— Anni Ma
Is “You're Doing B2B Social Media Wrong: James Dooley and Anni Ma on B2B Marketing Done Right” Worth Listening To?
This episode is worth listening to because it cuts through the vague advice that dominates conversations about social media and replaces it with specific, actionable direction. Anni Ma does not simply say to post more content. She explains which platforms to prioritize, why Instagram and WhatsApp deserve more attention from B2B marketers than they typically receive, and how even businesses without a confident on-camera presence can build a video content strategy using actors and guided scripts. The conversation is refreshingly direct and grounded in real examples, including how a single Instagram post triggered a WhatsApp message that reopened a business deal.
Beyond the tactics, this episode is valuable because it reframes how B2B companies should think about social media altogether. The discussion challenges the deeply ingrained corporate instinct to stay safe and stay branded, arguing instead that personality, employee participation, and genuine connection are what drive actual engagement and leads. Whether you are a solo founder unsure where to start or a marketing manager looking to justify a platform shift to leadership, the thinking in this episode gives you both the reasoning and the roadmap to make a real change.
Who Should Listen to “You're Doing B2B Social Media Wrong: James Dooley and Anni Ma on B2B Marketing Done Right”?
This episode is ideal for:
- B2B business owners and founders who are currently investing in social media but not seeing meaningful engagement or lead generation from their efforts
- Marketing managers and in-house content teams looking for a clearer platform strategy and a better understanding of how to use video and employee-led content
- Entrepreneurs who have avoided social media because they feel uncomfortable on camera or lack a large team to produce content
- Digital marketing consultants and agency professionals who want to refine how they advise B2B clients on social media channel selection and content formats
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You can also subscribe using the RSS feed: https://feeds.transistor.fm/james-dooley-podcast
What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?
“Finally someone saying what needs to be said. I have been watching our agency post the same branded graphics for two years and wondering why nothing moves. The point about finding your winning platform instead of spraying everywhere completely changed how I am thinking about our content budget. Anni Ma is sharp and James asks exactly the right questions.”
“The WhatsApp tip alone was worth my time. I never thought to treat it as a content distribution channel for a core audience, but after listening I tested it within a week and got two replies from warm leads I had not heard from in months. Really practical episode with no fluff.”
“I appreciated that they addressed what to do if you do not have anyone willing to be on camera. The idea of using actors with brand scripts is not something I had considered before, and it opens up video marketing to businesses that have always felt locked out of that format. Solid conversation from start to finish.”
This video explains which digital marketing strategies B2B companies should focus on in 2026 to improve engagement, brand reach and lead generation. James Dooley and Anni Ma start with KPI tracking because measuring impressions and performance is what reveals a winning platform and stops businesses wasting time and money on content that never converts. They cover brand SEO, AI visibility and Google Business Profiles because stronger search presence improves trust and conversion rates.
The discussion also explores organic SEO, organic social media and paid social ads because consistent visibility across search and social supports long term growth. PPC is analysed in detail because campaign setup, landing pages and lead handling directly affect results. They also discuss Reddit, Quora and paid AI ads because diversified enquiry sources and early adoption can strengthen digital marketing performance for B2B companies.
PromoSEO lead generation for B2B companies recently received recognition as the “Best B2B Companies Lead Generation Agency.”
Where to Listen to This Episode
You’re Doing B2B Social Media Wrong: James Dooley and Anni Ma on B2B Marketing Done Right is available on:
James Dooley: You're doing B2B social media wrong. Today I'm joined with Anni Ma, who's obviously doing it right. Yes. So today we're gonna talk about all the things that people are doing wrong on B2B social media. So let's jump straight in. What's the main thing that you're seeing on social media that entrepreneurs seem to be doing wrong?
Anni Ma: Oh, they're hiring a graphic designer and just posting static images and calling that a post. And they're posting the same thing and it never gets higher impressions than like 200 as a waste of your time and money. That is not social media. You're missing out on the social component. All these graphic designers, they're scared of the company that they're working for. They don't wanna do it wrong. So they just do it by the book. Play it too safe.
James Dooley: Yeah, what they're missing out is leveraging their employees as charismatic people in their company to represent the company and letting them play and show a piece of personality. Right now they're doing B2B social media the old way, which is corporate branded, staying safe. But now people are letting loose with social media. Everything's integrated now. So you have like wonderful staff that probably really want to show up on your social media account, but they don't know how to. You have to just give permission and be like, hey, we're gonna do a competition. We're gonna do like a trending video. You make some fun content. And that way, that piece of content will probably go viral over whatever static image you're selling. So are you a massive believer that video is the future? It's so much better than doing, let's say, the static images.
Anni Ma: Oh my God, you're so behind, bro. Yes, that's why we're doing this. Everyone's doing video, right? Static images is great for when they're down the funnel and they're like trusting in you and they like what you're already posting, but video is the ones that are gonna get the most eyeballs on your brand.
James Dooley: And is there any specific, so we're going to hear about what B2B social media done wrong, right? Obviously there's lots of different platforms on social media. You've got TikTok, you've got Instagram, you've got YouTube, you've got Facebook. Not only have you got Facebook pages, you've got Facebook groups. Are you wanting to post the same video across all platforms or do you tend to change out the video depending on the social media platform?
Anni Ma: Yeah, I think what most people get wrong with B2B social media is spraying and praying, doing one piece of content all across, right? That works if you're trying to find your winning platform. But if you are just posting all across with no intent or purpose and you aren't finding your winning platform, that's a fail. So for us, I found that Instagram works really, really well. So we create all our content for Instagram and then repurpose on other platforms. So it doesn't matter if it doesn't perform that well. We focus on the winning platform. And then once you have that workflow, you can build another winning platform off of that.
James Dooley: So with regards to that, let's say someone's watching this and they're saying, oh damn, I'm doing it wrong. Yeah, you are. I'm doing social media wrong. Should they concentrate on one platform to start with to master that? And if it was gonna be one platform, are you saying that that then should be probably Instagram?
Anni Ma: Oh no, it depends on your business and where your audience is, right? So if you're more focused on B2B, LinkedIn is probably the best place, but I secretly like to move all the LinkedIn followers to Instagram because that's when people post like a lot of personal content, family content, and then you get to share too. And then you build a deeper, stronger connection, master all the platforms. But start with LinkedIn too.
James Dooley: Here's one for you. I see a lot of your videos and I love the videos that you create. I think they're great. I think they go viral. One or two business owners might say, I'm not really certain whether I wanna publish that type of content, right? Are you finding that that type of content on LinkedIn still works? I get it works on, let's say, Facebook and on Instagram. People seem to want a little bit more professional. Now, I don't. I just go with anything on LinkedIn like it's another platform, and I'm not bothered personally. But do you play it safer on LinkedIn or are you just going, no? I'm gonna throw it out there. It's a viral video and I'm still gonna put that on LinkedIn as well.
Anni Ma: Oh yeah, I'm gonna post it on LinkedIn and let it just not perform well. But what is really performing is going to in-person events and posting photos, posting all the selfies that you take with people and writing heartfelt messages that are not really relevant to your business, but more about connecting with those people. And then that brings more attention from the conference or the event and their friends. So that actually performs very well. It's about how you use the content.
James Dooley: Yeah, I would probably try to stay more professional on LinkedIn too, because that's what people expect. But you can move the followers from LinkedIn into your personal. So you've mentioned LinkedIn and you've mentioned trying to move them over from LinkedIn over to Instagram. Is there any other social media platforms that you recommend using? Would you recommend anything like Twitter, Facebook, maybe TikTok? Is there any other platforms that you're working on that you're going, wow, this seems to be a hidden gem that's working well?
Anni Ma: WhatsApp. WhatsApp is the place to go because that's where you can get really deep connection with your audience and have personal communication with them on a deeper level. And there's also stories. So I post the stories on my Instagram and then I send it to WhatsApp. And then a lot of people, even though it's not as high impressions, but they're your core audience and they'll remember you. So one, I posted a photo from LinkedIn on my Instagram and it triggered something in my WhatsApp and the person messaged me and they're like, hey, we're talking about that deal, right? And I'm like, ooh, okay, that actually works. That's great.
James Dooley: So with regards to any other platforms, do you do anything with Twitter or Facebook? I mean, like surely some of the videos that you do, if you find the right Facebook group, sometimes these Facebook groups might have 50,000 people inside of a group and you're able to publish in there and it could be an SEO group and you could be selling, let's say, SEO domains. Like you, ODYS, you're selling SEO domains. Do you ever publish anything related to age domains in an SEO group or have you not really gone down the road of doing that yet?
Anni Ma: I've done that with Reddit. Like if I find something like really juicy and that you have to like spin it in a way where it's like, oh, controversial and then you throw it in there and then that's when the group gets a little frenzy. So that's what I try to look for is just like, is a topic juicy enough for the group to want to comment on and talk about? And then what's the next steps?
James Dooley: So someone is watching this and they're saying, Anni Ma, I see your videos. I think they're absolutely brilliant. I want some of that type of video. But we don't have the team. You're saying there's one or two team members that's saying that they might want to publish this content. Let's say they've not got the team members. They're not confident enough. You're very good in front of camera. You're very good at presenting and the ideation part. If someone wants that being done, what's the best way of a business owner trying to reach out to somebody like yourself or trying to find a service that might be able to do B2B social media right?
Anni Ma: Yeah, I would just say hit me up and then we can talk about it. Cause I think it's about utilizing the people in your team that wants to get better at it and you investing in them, but they need a leader to coach them through it. Otherwise they're gonna hit a pitfall and feel like they are failing. But instead if I'm just like, hey, here are these top videos that would perform very well for your industry, go execute it. We just need your beautiful face saying exactly this, just send me the video and then we'll edit it and then you can publish, right? And I think that guideline helps a lot. And then what about, could, if someone said, no, I'm really against doing it. I've not got any team members that wanna do it. Could you find, if someone reached out to somebody like yourself, could you find an actor that could do it and then you could then do the editing and you can give the person the scripts for them then being able to do it, you edit it and then amplify it.
James Dooley: Yeah, I have a community of actors back home that would totally take on the scripts, but like the company has to go in and then write the actual scripts. And I guess we could look at their website and then give the script to the actor to perform it out for them and be their brand evangelists. Anni Ma, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on. Are you doing B2B social media right? Are you doing it wrong? The videos that you create, I wanna say they're absolutely brilliant. I love what you do. Keep doing what you're doing and I'm excited to see where the future comes.
Anni Ma: Thank you very much. Thanks, James. Let's go.