The B2B world is a busy place. With so many promising products and services vying for your attention, it’s no wonder marketers struggle to get their message across and capture the attention of potential buyers.
Standing out from the noise can be difficult but not impossible. In fact, there are several tried-and-true marketing strategies that have been proven effective time and again to help you build brand awareness, develop qualified leads and generate sales opportunities. In this guide we’ll review seven ways to stand out from other businesses in your market to give you a competitive edge when it comes to selling more of your services or products while increasing revenue at the same time.
What Is B2B Marketing?
As you may know, B2B stands for “business to business” marketing. Businesses that market to other businesses are in what is called the “B2B” space, or just simply they’re known as “B2Bs.” To be more specific, here’s how Wikipedia describes B2B:
The most common application of B2B is within a Supply Chain Management context where it generally involves trading partners collaborating on some level to improve overall efficiency and effectiveness of the supply chain. For example, some automotive manufacturers have begun building robust networks of key suppliers which allow their organization to focus on core competencies while benefiting from the expertise of others through collaborative arrangements. Similarly, other manufacturers have begun to develop or expand their trading partner networks to include a variety of components and sub-assemblies supplied by various businesses that complement the manufacturer’s core competencies.
In short, B2B marketing is designed to help promote your business to other businesses in an effort to sell your product or service. This means you might consider reaching out directly to potential clients looking to purchase what you offer as a supplement or replacement for something they already use.
What Makes a Great B2B Marketing Campaign?
When it comes down to what makes a great B2B marketing campaign, there isn’t really one single thing that does the trick. To effectively market your business in this space, how to write a book about your life, you will need several strategies working simultaneously so you can turn prospects into customers and drive revenue.
In the sections below we will go over seven different B2B marketing strategies you can use to effectively promote your business and increase lead generation, brand awareness and ultimately generate more revenue.
Seven B2B Marketing Strategies You Can Use Today
1) High-Quality Website
Your website is one of the most important parts of your online marketing strategy as it serves as the foundation for all other types of content you create. In fact, according to HubSpot , 96% of marketers say a company’s website is their #1 priority in 2015 so having an effective site is integral to your success as a marketer today.
When it comes down to it, you need a well-built site that looks professional, contains important information about your business and educates visitors about why they should use your product or service over others in the market. Without a strong web presence, you make it harder for people to learn about you which makes it less likely they will become a customer.
To get started with improving your own website, check out these posts:
2) Online Presence on Popular Networks
Your social media presence is another key factor when promoting your B2B marketing campaign. As most marketers are aware, social media has evolved into one of the top ways businesses interact with customers online today. In fact, according to Forbes , “social media marketing is becoming more important than ever before.”
3) Be Active on Social Media
In addition to having a strong presence across popular networks, you’ll also need to be active. In other words, using social media heavily will not work unless people see your posts.
According to HubSpot , the average company spends 22 hours a week on social media and gets about 13% of their traffic from it. Overall, they found that marketers who blogged spent an extra 276 minutes per week blogging compared to those who didn’t – which generated 30% more traffic for those businesses as well as 16% more leads.
4) Use Email Marketing as Part of Your Strategy as Well
Just because social media is all the rage doesn’t mean email should be forgotten about. In fact, according to HubSpot , “email marketing is the secret sauce behind every successful inbound campaign.” However, to get the most out of your email campaigns you need to make sure you are automatically tracking all email campaigns so you can track how many emails go out, which links are clicked on and by whom.
5) Keep Your Sales Funnel Optimized At All Times
One of the most important aspects of online lead generation is making sure that your sales funnel is optimized at all times . This means using specific B2B marketing strategies for different stages including: generating interest, closing deals, upselling customers and retaining them over time.
To keep your sales funnel optimized, HubSpot suggests adding social media buttons or widgets to attract visitors’ attention to your social media profiles when they land on your website. In addition, you should also focus on providing special promotions and offers through email and including promotional material inside your product packages.
6) Generate Leads With Content Marketing
The days of using a simple brochure or relying on trade shows to get leads are over. Today’s marketers must be more creative with their lead generation efforts which is why we recommend utilizing content marketing strategies for prospects who aren’t ready to buy yet. As HubSpot states: “Content marketing doesn’t help businesses get new customers today; rather, it lays the foundation for getting new customers in the future.” Moreover, HubSpot continues: “We’ve found that B2B buyers need roughly 12 times as much information to buy than they did five years ago. And it’s your job, as a marketer or salesperson, to provide that information.”
7) Integrate Multi-Channel Funnels While Content Marketing is Important…
Of course, creating quality content is crucial for lead generation success but it can’t be the only strategy you use. According to Smart Insights , success in today’s marketing landscape requires using multiple channels which include social media networks and paid ad campaigns on top of your content marketing efforts. Another thing you’ll need to do is integrate a multi-channel funnel approach as well. This simply means “integrating all of your marketing channels so your audience can follow their hand wherever they go.”
In order to implement a multi-channel funnel strategy, Smart Insights recommends using an email overlay which would allow visitors to receive updates from you whenever you post new content on social media. In addition, this signup form will also let users subscribe to your email list as well as give them the option of following you on other social networks – thus creating a more holistic experience for them with your brand.
