In this post-pandemic marketplace, the digital world is more crowded than ever before. So for companies developing a B2B marketing plan, it is more important then ever to hone and sharpen the reach of your digital marketing campaigns.
In order to reach your specific B2B audience directly, you will need to craft a marketing approach that appeals to the particular problems your target audience would like to solve and their specific perspective. A directed B2B marketing strategy should consider not only how to boost SEO for your company, but how to allow your customers and client to create the kind of impact they are interested in making within their business.
While there is not one blanket approach to B2B marketing that fits the goals of every business, there are a number of general guidelines and principles that can help make your B2B marketing campaign a success. Let’s take a look at the top marketing strategies to target your B2B audience today.
It may seem almost commonplace knowledge these days, but the number one rule of crafting a successful B2B marketing campaign is to present a consistent brand identity. In order to build your brand identity in a way that will allow your business to reach its intended audience, you need to know as much as possible about who that audience is. If you are targeting specific companies, research the marketing team so you know who will be receptive to your campaign. Pay attention to both industry demographics and broader trends.
For example, consider the needs of millennials. In just four short years, by 2025, millennials will make up 75% of workers worldwide. Of that high percentage, the majority of millennials are also involved in product purchasing, shopping for services, and making decisions for the businesses they work at. Knowing this allows you to target your B2B campaign so that it will attract and resonate with millennial audiences. Keeping up to date with things like social media interactions, fast live chat response times, and cause-based marketing will draw in that vast and influential millennial crowd.
Designing a fantastic, attractive, and well thought out digital ad campaign for your business is great. But if you fail to consider where and how those ads will be viewed, it could mean the difference between a successful campaign that draws in new clients- and one that is completely ignored. Consider this: there are roughly 3.5 billion social media users across the globe. That number makes up your broad potential audience for social media ad campaigns. And about 91% of social media users access their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Youtube feeds through their mobile devices. That means that any B2B marketing campaign must take into serious consideration its mobile marketing strategies.
Make sure the formatting of all content is appropriate for a smartphone screen. Adjust the image quality, dimensions, and resolution to suit a mobile viewer. Sharpen and clarify the information available; unlike B2C marketing, B2B workflows tend to take a longer time, involving more steps. If your content is not immediately clear to prospective clients, then you might not make it past that first initial round.
Use geofencing to create a more specific target for your mobile marketing campaign. Geofencing allows you to target competitor locations. Draw a digital ‘fence’ outlining the geographical territory you would like your ads to cover, then collect audience members. Any person with location tracking turned on on their smartphone will automatically be eligible to receive your ads, even for up to one month afterwards. This kind of smart targeting can lead to more conversations started and, ultimately, to more conversions.
As we mentioned above, B2B marketing normally has a longer buying cycle than your average B2C campaign. Recent research has shown that the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic have lead to B2B buying cycles that are even longer. Keep the lengthy buying cycle process in mind as you craft your campaigns. Make strategic decisions that will support an extended decision-making period. Some companies will have one single representative that acts as the decision maker; others will have an entire team at work on solving the problem. Each member of that team will be coming to the conversation with their own worldview, biases, and expectations.
Nowadays B2B buyers have smaller budgets to work with, so they are taking more time to carefully research prospective business before making an investment. Make sure your products and services are clearly and thoroughly outlined. And try to utilize smart graphic design choices to highlight your brand identity and professionalism.
Create your marketing content strategically, considering how to support B2B researchers. The last thing you want is for your marketing to disrupt or distract from their research, particularly when your business should be offering solutions to their business problems. B2B research teams are looking for a good ROI, so tailor the language used in your marketing content towards emphasizing ROI.
As we have mentioned, there is no one-size-fits-all B2B marketing strategy. But if you take the time to carefully shape your campaigns towards specific target audiences, considering their particular needs and preferences, then you will be giving your business a much-needed potential advantage. Find creative ways to make your content stand out from the crowd, offering clear and concise mobile-friendly messages about the services and products that your company has to offer. Stick with your consistent brand identity, and always measure your campaign’s progress as the data and results evolve. There is no perfect way to pursue your B2B audience, but with smart planning and trial and error you are more likely to find success.
Written by Deb Smythe
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