Even for the most experienced digital marketers, business-to-business (B2B) advertising has many unique challenges that require creative solutions.
Approaching B2B marketing in the same way as consumer-focused campaigns will likely result in a low response rate, and can ultimately lead to wasted dollars. With that being said, many of the same principles still apply, only with some slight adjustments.
The good news about B2B digital marketing is that there are plenty of ways to reach your target audience, and proven examples of what works. In this post, I’ll lay out 5 tips that can help improve your B2B marketing strategy.
1. Focus on Your Website Traffic
The goal of most B2C (business-to-consumer) campaigns is to drive conversions. Whether it’s buying a product from your online shop, filling out an application, scheduling an appointment, or another “actionable” step, the goal is clear, and tracking results is relatively uncomplicated.
When it comes to B2B marketing, things aren’t quite as black and white. Because the people viewing your ad are unlikely to make a purchase right on the spot, the goal should be to have your audience learn why your company is better than the others in your industry. In digital marketing terms, this means driving more traffic to your website.
Place the most emphasis on building a website that represents your company’s value. This means designing an impactful landing page that matches your ad, and then making it easy for website visitors to navigate your site after that.
2. Keep Up With Content
Content marketing is an essential part of SEO in today’s online environment. If you aren’t regularly posting new, updated content to your website, you risk falling behind your competitors in that all-important Google ranking.
The question then is, “Where, specifically, do I need to be putting up new content?”
The first place I would recommend keeping content updated is the blog on your website (you do have a blog on your website, right?). Not only do search engines prefer this longer-form content style, your website visitors do too. Getting people to visit your site is one thing, but getting them to stick around is a whole different challenge.
A blog that is updated on a regular basis, means that your previous visitors have a reason to check back in down the road. Your blog is also a great place for you to show off how well you know your industry.
3. Use Testimonials
Regardless of how creative your advertising techniques might be, it’s still hard to beat a good ol’ fashioned testimonial from a satisfied customer.
Businesses have strict budgets that they must adhere to, and making the right purchasing decisions can have a tremendous impact on a company’s bottom line. If you have satisfied customers, meaning businesses who have purchased from your company multiple times, use their positive experience to your advantage.
A simple case study that shows how much money your product or service saved a business, or how it helped the business grow, proves that partnering up with you is the right move.
Feature testimonial content in your social media feed and on your website to get the maximum amount of exposure to future customers.
4. Give Something Away
One way to spread your business’s name around is by putting together materials that can be downloaded (and shared) free of charge. It might sound like giving something away is a good way to lose money, but if potential customers are frequently referencing your content, it’s likely it could lead to sales in the future.
What exactly does free content look like? Some tried and true examples include: e-books that cover industry updates, infographics that share valuable insights that others may have overlooked, and recorded webinars that can be downloaded straight from your website.
One reason I think that this form of B2B marketing is so impactful is that it gives you an opportunity to show off your knowledge in a way that’s hard to capture in a social media, or even blog, post. Don’t be afraid of giving too much information away. The next time your audience needs something, they’ll know exactly where to go. Over time, this brand familiarity will pay massive dividends.
5. Choose the Right Platforms
If you’re trying to reach younger audiences, you might put the majority of your dollars into Snapchat or TikTok ads. If you want to reach older audiences, you would probably use Facebook. If you want to reach the people who make purchasing decisions for businesses you’re probably best-served using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google.
Despite its reputation as a “less exciting” social network, LinkedIn has been quietly solidifying their place as a valuable marketing platform – especially for B2B marketers.
Yes, the number of total users is much less than Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, but there’s a much higher likelihood that your ad will reach the right people when using LinkedIn. A unique aspect of B2B marketing is that it might only require one conversion for the entire campaign to be a huge success.
Unlike B2C marketing which relies somewhat heavily on volume, B2B marketing is much more concerned with finding the right, albeit few, decision-makers at businesses. When it comes to getting in front of these individuals, LinkedIn gives you the best opportunity to be successful.
Wrapping Up
While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution that can be applied across all industries, B2B marketing needs to be treated as something different than a traditional campaign aimed at individual consumers.
Above all, proving your value should be the number one priority in this particular space. Make sure your digital marketing campaigns reflect positively on your brand, and don’t be afraid to show off when past customers have seen results from using your company.
If your business needs help in developing an effective campaign, get in touch today to start strategizing with us.
