Anyone else in the B2B space can understand the challenge we have in developing content for social media. For the most part, we aren’t marketing sexy products. We provide solutions for other businesses. And for the most part, our audience is tired of work and doesn’t want to be fed more stuff about… work.
So we have to get creative. Especially in the age of AI slop. Sure, we can task AI with developing “interesting” content around what our company offers. But most of the time, it falls on deaf ears.
Because of that, I’m always looking for a little inspiration, especially outside of the B2B space. Recently, that inspiration has been the amazing singer, songwriter, and producer Charlie Puth. Let’s dive in.
Charlie’s footprint on music has been pretty massive over the last 2.5 decades. He’s worked with artists like Ariana Grande, John Legend, Tate McRae, Maroon 5, Zara Larsson, Selena Gomez, and many, many more.
He also has his own music. And he has a new album coming out in March 2026. In short, the dude does music. To say he knows his shit is an understatement.
Over the last few months, my Instagram algorithm has been feeding me a steady stream of Charlie Puth content. Specifically, his Professor Puth series. While he’s not someone I listen to much and he’s never cracked my Spotify Wrapped, I obviously knew who he was. But now? I’m a fan.
I honestly think his Instagram strategy should be a case study.
If you scroll through his content, you’ll find tons of videos where he gives you a “how the sausage is made” look at music. He jumps on trends, like the recent one explaining why songs from 2016 sound so distinctly 2016. Around Christmas, he broke down why Christmas music has that very specific sound. Ever wondered what music distortion actually is? He’s got a video for that too.
I didn’t think I cared about any of this. Turns out, I very much do.
Now, I’m someone who enjoys behind-the-scenes content and understanding how things are made. But that’s not unique to me. Most people like this. That’s why what he’s creating works so well.
But there’s another reason this works so well, and it might be the most important part.
What Charlie is indirectly doing is letting us get to know him.
If these videos were purely informational, they’d still be interesting. But they wouldn’t hit the same way. His personality is front and center. His excitement. His curiosity. His little quirks. We’re not just learning about music. We’re learning about the person who loves it.
We’re getting to know who he is through something he’s genuinely passionate about. That matters.
This is something we should be doing in B2B. People don’t trust logos. They trust people. They want to see who they’re buying from, who they’re listening to, and who’s actually behind the work. When you let people see you, even in small ways, it builds familiarity. Familiarity builds trust. And trust is what makes people stick around.
He takes something you’ve likely never spent any time thinking about, makes it relatable right away, and in about a minute explains a concept that once felt completely foreign in a way that just makes sense.
I did a little digging into his numbers over the last few years. Since 2022, his audience has grown by over 3 million followers. He also saw a massive spike just from January to February 2026 alone. His engagement rate sits around 5.5 percent. For comparison, Taylor Swift is around 2.5 percent.
Of course, the biggest results will come when the album drops and the tour kicks off. But even without that, just looking at his Instagram tells you everything you need to know. He’s crushing it.
First and foremost, make people care.
Don’t lead with “here’s what we do, please buy something.” I wish it worked that way. And yes, awareness matters. But if you’re after engagement, an actual following, brand trust, and eventually revenue, you need people to give a shit.
Break up the doom scroll with something that makes people stop for a second. In under a minute, your content should make someone think, “huh, didn’t know that,” or “okay, that’s actually cool.”
Maybe nothing happens right away. That’s fine. Stick with it and the interest builds.
The number one format I’d recommend right now is video. As of February 2026, video still reigns supreme. Keep it short. Under a minute is ideal.
Think about the things your company knows that feel obvious to you but are not obvious to your audience. Maybe it’s how your product actually gets implemented. Maybe it’s a weird industry rule everyone just accepts. Maybe it’s a mistake you see clients make over and over again.
You might think you don’t have content people care about. That’s usually not true. You just haven’t framed it in a way that makes it interesting yet.
Also worth noting, not all of Charlie’s posts follow this exact formula. He mixes in personal content and promotional posts too. But even his promo content works.
Even in those quick “how the sausage is made” videos, he finds natural moments to drop in tiny snippets of his own new music. And somehow, it doesn’t feel annoying.
That’s because he’s already let us in.
We trust him. We like him. So when that teaser shows up, it doesn’t feel like an ad. It feels like a preview from someone we’re already rooting for.
That same approach carries over into his more overt promotional content. On his Instagram, you’ll also find behind-the-scenes clips from collaborations with Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. Again, it works because it feels like access, not promotion.
You might not be collaborating with music legends, but maybe your product is being used in an unexpected way. Maybe it solved a problem faster than anyone anticipated. Maybe it works quietly behind the scenes keeping something critical from breaking. That is your version of the story. Find your Professor Puth idea.
If you’re looking for marketing inspiration from a place you wouldn’t expect, spend some time looking at Charlie Puth’s social content.
And if you’re looking for a brainstorming buddy, reach out and let’s chat 🙂