B2B marketing will involve a very different strategy from B2C, despite the fact that many of the platforms used will remain the same. Below we will talk you through the world of B2B marketing and how to implement the most effective strategy for your business.
In the early stages of any marketing strategy, you must define your audience. Questions around the industry they work in, their location, their position within a company and the challenges they may face should give you a well-rounded persona on which to base your marketing activity. This ensures that you can identify the right tone of voice, type of content and drive your efforts into making sure the ideal people are finding your business.
More often than not, multiple people within a business will be involved in the decision-making process. One of the first things they will do is assess a prospective supplier’s website. This therefore makes your website one of the most important aspects of your marketing strategy. Aside from looking professional, your website should be easy to navigate (making it as simple as possible for people to contact you) and should clearly state what you do and how you can help businesses within your target audience.
Content is king in the marketing world. Whether an article, visual, whitepaper, video or any other form, the content you create should be engaging and informative. It can cover a number of areas, from an overview of your business through to an educational piece on a relevant industry topic. Particularly for B2B marketing, content is a highly effective way of reaching an audience who are actively seeking guidance or information on a particular topic.
You have your impressive website and your quality pieces of content ready to go, now you need to show these to your target audience. One of the main ways that a prospective customer will seek out a business like your own is through search engines. The ever-changing nature of SEO can be tricky to keep up with at times, but ensuring you consistently implement simple SEO tactics will give your business the best possible start. These tactics include:
Social media has quickly become an integral part of any marketing strategy. Many B2B companies dismiss social media marketing due to their perception that it is consumer driven, but in reality, it can prove to be a highly effective tool. When targeting fellow businesses, LinkedIn is one of the more obvious platforms. This platform offers an easy way of finding businesses, as well as identifying the right people within that business.
For those looking for a quick and effective way to get in front of their target audience, paid advertising could be an ideal choice. We’ve all come across a social or search engine advert as consumers, but this can also work extremely well when targeted at other businesses. PPC on platforms such as AdWords is an obvious choice that will get you to the top of search engine results for your chosen keywords (with the right budget). On the social side of the coin, LinkedIn advertising has powerful targeting capabilities based on industry, job title, company, connections, education and so much more.
One of the most valuable aspects to any marketing plan, be it B2B or B2C, is reporting. In analysing the progress of your marketing efforts (in terms of clicks to your website, leads, conversions, etc.) you will have a much clearer idea of what works and what doesn’t. This subsequently allows you to tailor future marketing activity towards strategies that are proven to bring results.
With vast opportunities out there for B2B companies, online marketing can present an attractive and cost-effective avenue for you to promote your business and reach out to your target audience. What has worked well for your business? Tell us your B2B marketing story on Twitter.
12 Feb 2024
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