The goal of business-to-business (B2B) marketing is to meet the needs of other businesses rather than consumers (known as B2C marketing). The days of cold-calling are over as more and more professionals are turning online for insight into how to meet their business needs. While B2C marketing is often a short-lived relationship, consumers involved in the B2B cycle are often buying products at a significant cost or entering into long-term relationships with another business. Creating a B2B marketing strategy can be a daunting and lengthy process, but the following will give you a good place to start.
Remember: You’re Still Marketing to People
B2B transactions are not only between companies; they’re between you and the people who will use and benefit from your product or service. So, give a face to your buyers: who are they and what do they need? Determine a buyer persona; delineate demographics, behaviors, motivations, and don’t forget to take an in-depth look at your current clients. This will help you discover who you’re targeting and how to market to them.
Find Where Your Buyers Spend Time
Once you know who you’re marketing to, you need to know where to find them. Discover what they search for online, what social media channels they use, and where they spend their time. LinkedIn is the most popular social media channel for businesses overall, but any form of social media can be important in marketing to your customers, depending on their industry. Start analyzing what social media channels your buyers prefer and use your resources for organic and paid advertising.
Create Content That Educates Your Audience
Be mindful of the kind of information your buyers want. They’re more likely interested in being educated about your product than being entertained. Tell your customers what your product does, how it matters to their businesses, and how it will impact their ROI. Consider the benefits of different methods of communication – videos, blogs, images, email, whitepapers, eBooks – and which will most effectively showcase your product or service. While B2C marketing can be more conversational and play to emotion, create B2B content with a professional tone. Keep in mind that whoever is reading your content may have buying power themselves, or bring it to a C-level executive for consideration. Your buyers are as busy as you are and want to clearly understand the benefits of your product.
Keep an Eye on Results
Tracking KPIs and delving into Google Analytics will give you the information you need to get the results you want. Any successful marketing strategy is the result of trial and error, but armed with a solid digital marketing plan and the tools to know if it’s working, you’ll be on your way to generating leads and sales.
84% of C-level and VP-level buyers use social media interaction to influence purchase decisions.
At KWSM, we develop a fully customized strategy based on your unique needs, and then we execute your social media marketing strategy on a daily basis. You run your business; we run your social media.
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