SocialMediaInstitute

What SocialMediaInstitute does

SocialMedia Institute (SMI) is a B2B social media consulting firm headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, operating as a brand under NextDBI AG, a private German Aktiengesellschaft. Founded in 2009 (with its website publicly launched in 2013) and led by founder Markus Besch (Vorstand/CEO of NextDBI AG) with Prof. Dr. Volker Steinhübel as Supervisory Board Chairman, SMI employs between 11 and 50 staff and serves the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Its core offering is a portfolio of professional services covering social media strategy development, executive coaching, full-service social media management, content creation, community management, recruiting support, WordPress-based corporate blog setup, and enterprise social network (ESN) consulting, supplemented by workshops, seminars (some ESF-funded), and an annual compilation of social media and online marketing studies.

The firm runs a platform-plus-services model with no traditional software product. Underlying technology is operational rather than proprietary, comprising WordPress-based web properties, Google Analytics, and Hootsuite for social media management. Revenue is generated primarily through professional services fees (consulting, coaching, full-service retainers, workshops, seminars), fee-based job postings on its Stellenbörse job board, and gated whitepaper lead-capture content. Customer acquisition is sales-led via direct consulting engagements, workshops, event attendance (notably the Mercedes-Benz Social Media Night and Social Media Club Stuttgart events with 112+ editions), content marketing, and academic partnerships, including a dual master's program in Digital Business.

Disclosed customers include the Mercedes-Benz Museum (as event venue partner), Deutscher Drucker/Print.de, and Verband Druck + Medien NRW. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company offers a free Social Media Check as a lead-generation entry point and accepts ESF subsidies of up to 50% on selected seminars. SMI does not report revenue, has no disclosed funding rounds, and shows no M&A activity, operating as a bootstrapped founder-controlled consultancy with a stable but narrowly defined DACH market footprint.

Name

SocialMediaInstitute

Legal name

NextDBI AG

Website

https://socialmedia-institute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SocialMedia Institute (SMI) is a Stuttgart-based B2B social media consulting firm operating under NextDBI AG, serving DACH-region companies and institutions with strategy, coaching, full-service social media management, workshops, and community event programming through the Social Media Night Stuttgart series.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Social Media Consulting & Coaching: Direct consulting engagements and one-on-one coaching engagements with senior consultants for positioning, visibility, and thought leadership.
2. Social Media Workshops & Seminars: Internal or external, online or in-person workshop and seminar offerings, including a 3-day Social Media & Online Marketing seminar with SMI certification. Some seminars eligible for ESF (European Social Fund) funding of up to 50%.
3. Social Media Full Service: Full-service social media management including premium content creation, scheduling, and community management using professional tools.
4. Social Media Recruiting: Social media-based recruiting services offered in cooperation with HR360.
5. Corporate Blog with WordPress: Setup and management of corporate blogs using WordPress.
6. Enterprise Social Networks (ESN): Implementation and consulting for enterprise social networks.
7. Events & Community Building: Organization of events including the Social Media Night Stuttgart series, with sponsorship and co-organization of the Social Media Club Stuttgart.
8. Job Board / Stellenbörse: Platform for posting social media job listings, including fee-based job advertisement placement.
9. Whitepaper Downloads: Gated whitepaper content (e.g., Social Transformation whitepaper) requiring registration with lead capture form including company, department, position, and phone.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SocialMedia Institute (SMI) is a B2B consulting firm that develops social media strategies, editorial plans, and enterprise social network (ESN) rollouts for companies and institutions. It delivers coaching, certified workshops, full-service social media management (content creation, scheduling, community management), tool selection, recruiting support, and corporate blog implementation, complemented by its own community events and annual industry studies.

Product overview

SocialMedia Institute (SMI) is a consulting and service company offering strategic social media services for businesses and institutions. The company operates a platform-plus-services model consisting of core consulting services (Social Media Strategie, Social Media Beratung & Coaching, Social Media Full Service), analytical services (Social Media Check & Potenzialanalyse, Tool Selektion), training offerings (Social Media Workshops & Seminare), and event programs (Social Media Night Stuttgart). Additional service modules include content management, event support, recruiting, WordPress-based corporate blogs, and enterprise social networks. The company also produces research resources including annual social media study compilations and whitepapers on social transformation topics. SMI does not offer a traditional software product but rather professional services, training, and community events focused on social media strategy and implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Social Media Night Stuttgart (SMNSTR): Monthly event organized by SMI in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Museum featuring social media professionals and networking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Website traffic increase from 45,500 to 147,164 visits following cross-media strategy implementation (Deutscher Drucker case)

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HootsuiteminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 September 2014Hootsuite was a partner at the dmexco 2014 event alongside SMI and the Social Media Club Stuttgart, participating in the Social Media Club Lounge. Hootsuite contributed marketing presence and co-promotion at the event.
• Social Media Club Stuttgart (SMCST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMI is a co-organizer and main sponsor of the Social Media Club Stuttgart (SMCST), which hosts the Mercedes-Benz Social Media Night (MBSMN) event series. This is one of SMI's flagship community initiatives, having reached 112+ editions. SMI staff participate as speakers and experts at these events.
• Know How! AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMI partnered with Know How! AG to co-produce the Social Transformation whitepaper, which addresses Enterprise 2.0, Social Business, and systemic organizational development approaches. Know How! AG contributed authorship and industry expertise.
• Social Media Club München (SMC MUC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner at dmexco 2014 alongside SMI and the Social Media Club Stuttgart, co-promoting the Social Media Club Lounge at the conference.
• NextDBI AGcoreOthersThe SocialMedia Institute is operated by NextDBI AG (registered in Stuttgart, HR-Nr. HR3 5623). NextDBI AG serves as the legal operating entity for SMI's business activities, with Markus Besch as Vorstand (Executive Board member). SMI is described as a brand/mark of NextDBI AG.
• Higher Education and Education PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMI maintains partnerships with higher education institutions for academic collaboration, research, and the dual master's program 'Digital Business'. SMI also published a textbook on Enterprise Social Networks in partnership with academic institutions.
• HR360minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMI offers Social Media Recruiting services in cooperation with HR360, combining social media expertise with HR recruiting capabilities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DDB Germany: Major international advertising network's German operations with strong digital and social media capabilities. Comparable in DACH B2B social media services as part of a broader creative portfolio.
• Serviceplan Group: Germany's largest independent agency group with full-service digital and social media capabilities. Comparable in DACH B2B social media services but at vastly greater scale and broader portfolio.
• Jung von Matt: Major German creative agency with strong social media and digital content practices. Comparable in offering B2B social media strategy and execution across the DACH region.
• Edelman Germany: Global PR firm's German operation with significant social media and content practice. Comparable in serving B2B and public sector clients with social strategy and execution.
• Ketchum Germany: Global PR and communications firm's German arm offering social media strategy and content services. Comparable in serving B2B clients with integrated social and PR programs across DACH.
• Scholz & Friends: Leading German creative agency network with digital and social media capabilities. Comparable as a full-service agency serving B2B clients in the DACH region, though with broader scope.
• We Are Social: Global social media-focused creative agency with significant DACH presence. Directly comparable as a B2B social media strategy and content agency, but at much larger scale across multiple geographies.

Direct peers

• MSL Germany: German PR and social media agency within the Publicis network. Comparable in providing social media strategy, content, and community management for B2B brands in DACH.
• TLGG: Berlin-based digital agency specializing in social media strategy, content, and digital transformation for B2B and B2C clients. Closely comparable in service offering (strategy, content, community management) and DACH market focus.

Regional players

• Pahnke Markenmacherei: Hamburg-based brand and digital agency with social media expertise. Comparable in offering integrated brand and social media services to B2B clients in the DACH market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/socialmediainst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SocialMediaInst
• Facebookfacebook.com/socialmediainstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/socialmedia-institute
• Pinterestpinterest.com/socialmediains

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SocialMediaInstitute