Generative AI may dominate headlines, but when it comes to business buying, social media is shaping the journey in powerful ways. Forrester’s latest research shows that social media has become the second most meaningful source of information for buyers — just behind generative AI search tools. Why? Because even in an AI-driven world, buyers crave human validation and trusted connections.
Our report, 2026 Buyer Insights: Social Media Preferences, draws on data from more than 17,000 global business buyers to uncover how social media influences purchase decisions. Here’s what we found …
Social Media Is Now A Critical Channel For B2B Engagement
It’s the highest-ranking digital interaction that vendors can directly publish to, surpassing even websites. While AI delivers speed, buyers turn to social media platforms for interaction and validation. These channels enable direct engagement with trusted voices — industry analysts, product experts, and customers — making them uniquely valuable in the buying network.
Younger Buyers Are Driving The Shift
Millennials and Gen Zers account for 63% of buyers surveyed, and their digital-first habits are reshaping expectations. They want immediacy, transparency, and interaction — traits they associate with social platforms. These cohorts also engage across more platforms. Over half of Gen Z buyers find five or more social sites meaningful, compared with just 21% of Boomers.
Platform Preferences Reveal Surprising Patterns
Facebook leads the pack in terms of being cited by respondents as meaningful in the purchase journey, followed by Instagram and YouTube; LinkedIn is cited next. Is this signaling a shift toward diverse sources of validation, or does it reflect platform presence? Linked has just over 1 billion active users compared to Facebook’s 3 billion. Most marketers say they see the biggest impact from LinkedIn. Visual-first platforms like TikTok are gaining traction, especially among younger buyers, while niche communities on Reddit and Discord matter for technical depth and peer trust.
Interaction Is Nonnegotiable
Across all stages of the buying journey, buyers seek engagement with analysts, vendors, customers, and business leaders. Analysts top the list of desired voices, reinforcing their role as trusted advisors in complex decisions. Buyers also prioritize content that helps define the problem and its consequences — not just product details.
What does this mean for marketers? A “one size fits all” approach won’t work. Social media strategies must reflect buyer context — generational, role-based, and industry-specific — and deliver both the right information and the right interaction. Marketers should invest in thought leadership, influencer relations, and advocacy programs for social media to provide a breadth of influence throughout the journey. They should also consider messaging and delivery format as content types such as short-form video become the standard.
Our full report offers deeper insights to help you tailor your social media strategy to your target audiences. Forrester clients can access the full report, 2026 Buyer Insights: Social Media Preferences, and schedule a call with Karen Tran.
