The digital landscape and marketing operations are experiencing massive transformation. As the business environment keeps evolving, every company (B2B and B2C) needs to gear up, readjust and adopt the latest methods to prevent the risks of getting tossed into oblivion.
We can all agree that B2B marketing is more sophisticated than B2C. For instance, sales cycles are long and tough, and it’s not easy to win the trust of all the players involved.
Despite the existence of several methods for winning target audiences, one that will always work is, being personal and human. Let’s take a quick look at various ways you can upgrade your B2B marketing strategies.
Brand Storytelling
As a growing brand, one of your marketing objectives is to get heard by your target audience. Selling to another business requires a personal message as they’re run by people, not machines. You need to connect with decision makers on a personal level to earn their favor.
One of the best ways to appeal to corporate leaders is through brand storytelling. This tactic is used by blue-chip companies such as Maersk, Nike, Airbnb, Everlane, Uber, Virgin America and many others to build their fan base. Dannijo, a fashion brand, is an example of one of the best-performing companies utilizing Instagram to tell authentic stories.
Using Live Videos
Videos are the most powerful visual content in marketing. People are getting tired of reading blog posts and social media pieces. Use video to tell stories, communicate emotions or guide someone on how to use a new product. Audiences find this medium more relatable than anything else.
Live videos convert more than other media. Take Facebook Live, for instance. This channel can help you hold a global online conference where people can join and get their questions answered.
Drawbotics, a real estate marketing platform, is one of the brands that succeeds in B2B marketing on LinkedIn by making use of stunning videos. Some of its content features clips from favorite programs like “Suits,” “Mad Men” and “The Office.” Using live video is undoubtedly one of the best ways to upgrade B2B marketing strategies for many companies.
Influencer Marketing
There is so much more potential in influencer marketing than most people know. While personal marketing efforts are mandatory, people tend to trust you more if they hear about your product or service from a credible third party.
The best part about using influencers is that they market you to the world and their audience as well. LinkedIn is one company that uses this technique to promote its marketing products to the world.
Case Studies and Customer Testimonials
These provide reliable ways to influence buyers’ decisions. Many customers visit the reviews section to read previous testimonials before buying a product. This is because other clients tested it firsthand and therefore their feedback is more reliable.
In your B2B marketing guide, aim to add testimonials and customer reviews as a way to propel your brand’s popularity. You don’t have to stick to the written reviews; be like Okta and collect or shoot a couple videos showcasing customer experiences with one or several of your products or services. Share those videos on social media and other platforms to get some leads from them.
Lead Nurturing
The buyer’s journey on your website is only a real success when someone buys from you. To encourage conversion, many companies develop relationships with buyers through long and complex stages of the sales funnel. It’s more of a hand-holding exercise which if well executed could lead to a sale.
Lead nurturing can also be a continuous process to help buyers reach a decision throughout the customer lifecycle. For instance, you can set up renewal campaigns to target current accounts, while engagement campaigns can help onboard new buyers and revive dormant leads. Effective lead nurturing tactics include sales and marketing alignment, personalized emails, timely follow-ups and targeted content. I recommend using software like MailChimp or Constant Contact to coordinate those tasks and win some leads.
Analytics and Automation
Marketing automation and analytics are cost-effective ways to improve your brand’s performance. Just imagine being able to get the full contact details of a visitor who bounces off your site.
Acquiring such data allows you to send out more relevant, effective and targeted emails. If someone has visited your site, something interested them. But the only way to get their contact info quickly is through analytics and automation platforms.
These can also be useful for:
- Gathering survey feedback
- Analyzing the buyer personae of your visitors
- Sending timely emails to leads
- Sending thank-you notes after a sale or event
Use Mobile-Friendly Content
As of 2018, most web traffic is from mobile, so any business that optimizes its pages for mobile stand to gain big. With everyone hyper busy and on the go, including your prospects and influencers, having mobile-friendly content increases the likelihood they’ll bump into it.
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and other similar tools can scan your site to tell if its mobile friendly. Work closely with your developers to create a site that provides a winning mobile experience.
The Bottom Line
All the methods discussed above are good practices which can be easily implemented. In fact, these marketing techniques have provided better results when used at scale. Include them in your B2B marketing strategy and watch your efforts pay off.
Do you know any other tactics that can be used to upgrade B2B marketing strategy? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.
Ana Farr is the Community Manager at ecommerce-platforms.com and Unblock.net