Social media has changed the way people consume and distribute information, and that includes businesses and marketers. In a recent study of more than 200 marketers in the United Kingdom conducted by ALF Insight, LinkedIn proved to be the primary social media channel for B2B marketers.

The study finds that while many B2B companies are active on social media market, only 20% of survey responders view social media as a top driver of ROI.

93% of the B2B marketers in the ALF survey say they have a presence on LinkedIn. The results aren’t all that surprising given the platform’s focus on a professional audience and on connecting people on a more professional level than other social networks. However, the gulf between B2B and B2C is a bit jarring, as only 54% of B2C marketers say they’re on LinkedIn. B2C marketers have placed their focus on Instagram and Facebook, with 88% of B2C responders having a presence on both. (Facebook Inc. owns Instagram.) Four out of five responders on both sides use Twitter for marketing.

The ALF study suggests that Instagram’s introduction of paid advertisements may account for the boom in B2C interest. Only 28% of B2B marketers say they use Instagram, but the study didn’t suggest why.

The ALF study found the following percentages of marketers using social media outlets in their marketing this year, with figures shown for B2B/B2C:

• LinkedIn, 93%/54%
• Twitter, 80%/80%
• Facebook, 63%/88%
• Instagram, 28%/88%
• YouTube, 35%/50%
• Google+, 23%/27%
• Pinterest, 19%/36%
• Periscope, 4%/12%
• Vine, 4%/4%
• Snapchat, 2%/15%

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